Perpetual Chess Podcast - Ben Johnson

Latest Episodes:

EP 406- Peter Doggers on The Chess Revolution: A big picture look at Cheating, Engines and the Explosion of Online Chess Oct 29, 2024

Peter Doggers is an award-winning chess journalist who is currently the director of News and Events at Chess.com. His role has given him a ringside seat to modern chess history, as he has attended many of the world’s top events, and interviewed the likes of GM Garry Kasparov, Hikaru Nakamura, and countless others. Peter’s new book, The Chess Revolution: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age covers everything from the beginnings of chess, to its many representations in pop culture, to the explosion in popularity the game has experienced in the internet age. Peter’s excellent book covers chess from all angles, so we zeroed in on a few of my favorite topics from the book including: the history of chess and computers, recent stories around chess cheating, and their implications for the future of chess, the rise of Chess.com, and the story behind the making of Peter’s book. Every chess fan will learn something from Peter’s book, and I greatly enjoyed discussing it with him. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com.

Check out their new offerings including GM Garry Kasparov’s much anticipated Chessable debut! If you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:03- We begin by discussing allegations of GM Kirill Shevchenko cheating at an OTB tournament

11:00- We discuss OTB and online cheating more generally

16:00- Peter tells a story from his book, of the famous Mechanical Turk, which was an 18th-century chess-playing machine with a human hidden behind it.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=the+turk+chess

21:00- We discuss the famous Kasparov-Deep Blue match as well as another watershed “man vs. machine” match featuring GM Michael Adams.

Mentioned: The TV series Rematch- more info here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rematch_(miniseries)

25:00- Patreon mailbag question: Where does Peter see chess heading in the next 10 years?

Mentioned: IM Daniel Rensch’s interview with Ilya Levitov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JeMsV9aNec

32:00- Peter tells the story of what he believes to be the first online encounter between Magnus and Hikaru in 2004 on the Internet Chess Club. We also discuss a “Secret” Magnus-Hikaru blitz match.

Mentioned: YouTube excerpt from Macauley Peterson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGXvcQP6VPo

37:00- The history of Chess.com and LiChess

Mentioned: Lichess founder Thibault Duplessis

39:00- We discuss the chess GOATS- Magnus, Fischer and Kasparov. As discussed in last week’s episode with FM Charles Hertan, did he consider Morphy for the GOAT list?

44:00- What was the biggest challenge in writing the book and compiling the material?

52:00- How did Peter find a publisher, that ultimately wound up in a bidding war?

58:00- Did Peter write in English or Dutch?

1:00:00- Peter’s favorite chapters?

1:02:00- Peter’s plans for an OTB comeback.

1:04:00- Thanks to Peter for joining! Here is how to reach him:

You email Peter at Peter at chess dot com

peterdoggers.com

Chess.com profile-

https://www.chess.com/players/peter-doggers

Get the book here-

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+chess+revolution+peter+doggers&crid=2PYSZWX9BPES&sprefix=the+chess+rev%2Caps%2C164&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_13

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EP 405- Author, FM Charles Hertan on How Paul Morphy went from Unrated to Unbeatable, plus Reflections on his Classic Book, Forcing Chess Moves Oct 22, 2024

This week’s guest is renowned author and 2-time Massachusetts state champion, FM Charles Hertan. Charles’ new book, The Real Paul Morphy takes an all-encompassing look at the complex legacy of Paul Morphy. Morphy is widely regarded as the best player of the 19th century, yet still might be underappreciated. What made Morphy’s play so special? Why isn’t he mentioned more often in the chess G.O.A.T. conversations? What led to his mental health struggles and early chess retirement? In addition to discussing Paul Morphy, we talk about why Charles’ playing career. He reviews why he retired from OTB chess near a peak rating of 2500 USCF, and Charles shares chess improvement advice from his classic tactics manual, Forcing Chess Moves. As always, approximate timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Chessable Pro-

Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com.

Check out their new offerings including GM Garry Kasparov’s much anticipated Chessable debut! If you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- We dive right into Charles’ new book, The Real Paul Morphy. How did Morphy get so good so fast? What differentiated his skills?

Purchase the book and access a free preview from New in Chess here:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-real-paul-morphy

10:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What was Morphy’s approach to chess improvement?”

17:00- Does Charles have a favorite story that is illustrative of Morphy’s genius?

22:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Why is Morphy often overlooked in GOAT conversations?”

28:00- Why didn’t Morphy’s brilliant chess skills translate to other domains?

31:00- Did Charles discover any new details about the famed “Opera game”?

Mentioned: Edward Winter article on this game..

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/morphy.html

35:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘How does Charles’ book differ from the famous 1976 biography Paul Morphy: The Pride and Sorrow of Chess?”

43:00- We discuss some of the chess improvement lessons from Charles’ classic book, Forcing Chess Moves.

54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “When solving tactics puzzles, should one look at their opponents forcing moves before considering their own?”

1:00:00- Charles peaked with a USCF Rating over 2500. What led to his retiring from OTB chess at age 39?

1:08:00- We return to the topic of Morphy- What led to his unfortunate mental health issues in his later years? As a mental health professional, what does Charles think afflicted Morphy?

1:18:00- Given Morphy and Fischer’s mental health issues, does he think there is a correlation between genius and mental illness?

1:19:00- What was Morphy’s social life like?

1:22:00- Does Charles have a favorite game of Morphy’s?

Morphy vs. Lowenthal match-

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=79504

1:22:00- Thanks so much to Charles for joining me, you can reach him via Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562693384236

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

https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess

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

EP 404- IM Kostya Kavutskiy- A renewed Quest for the GM Title, An Olympiad Trip Report, plus Chess Improvement Questions Answered Oct 15, 2024

This week’s returning guest is ChessDojo co-founder, IM Kostya Kavutskiy. Kostya joined me after returning from a busy summer of chess travel in Europe. Kostya has recently redoubled his efforts to earn the Grandmaster title, and has been competing OTB frequently. He also attended the Olympiad and gave a fascinating first-hand perspective of what it was like to be in Budapest. Kostya has been writing about both his GM quest and the Olympiad on his recently launched blog, Kostya goes for GM. As an experienced trainer, and Chessable Author, Kostya is always insightful on the challenges of chess improvement, both his own, and that of the Chess Dojo members across the rating spectrum. With that in mind, we began the conversation by discussing the challenges Kostya is facing, as well as those from some podcast listeners.

After 30+ minutes of chess improvement talk we discussed the Olympiad, what is new with the ChessDojo, and even a forthcoming book. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com.

Check out their new offerings including GM Garry Kasparov’s much anticipated Chessable debut! If you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

02:00- Why did Kostya decide to redouble his efforts to earn the GM title and start a blog about it?

Mentioned:

Kostya goes for GM

Kostya’s interview with Chessbase India:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihXw3q8UMdM

06:00- Are the changes in the FIDE rating system noticeable yet?

11:00- Kostya recently played a few tournaments in Europe. What did he learn from them?

18:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is there a correlation between solving easy puzzles quickly and solving more challenging ones?

21:00- What is new with the Chessdojo?

26:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is there still room for classic chess books like The Art of Attack in Chess.

Chessable-

https://www.chessable.com/the-art-of-attack-in-chess/course/24575/

Amazon-

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Attack-Chess-Ladimir-Vukovic/dp/1857444000

29:00- Is Kostya taking inspiration from Levy’s GM quest?

36:00- Kostya shares some reflections from visiting the Olympiad.

Mentioned:

Kostya’s blog post about the Olympiad:

https://hellokostya.substack.com/p/12-things-i-learned-from-the-budapest

52:00- Kostya discusses a forthcoming Chess Dojo book.

54:00- Thanks as always to Kostya for joining, you can find him via Chessdojo as well as his own social media accounts.

https://www.chessdojo.club/

Twitter/X-

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

Instagram-

https://www.instagram.com/hellokostya/

ChessDojo YouTube-

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

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 403- IM-Elect Selim Citak on How a Spontaneous Decision to Return to OTB Chess Led to Him Earning the IM Title at Age 39 Oct 08, 2024

“Coming back to classical chess was the best decision of my life,” Selim said. IM-elect Selim Citak came out of semi-retirement on a whim a few years ago, needing one more norm and some more FIDE rating points, in order to earn the IM title. Selim quickly discovered that adjustments were necessary, as his rating plummeted from over 2300 to 2150 while he grappled with the stronger new generation of chess players. Through hard work, sacrifice, and psychological adjustments, Selim turned things around and gained the 250 FIDE points and final norm necessary to earn the IM title at age 39! In our conversation, Selim shares his remarkable story, along with plenty of chess improvement advice. Selim is very active in the Turkish chess scene as an author, Chessable author and commentator. He joined me just after attending the Olympiad as a second to young star GM Yagiz Erdogmus. Selim also shared what makes GM Ediz Gurel and him such special talents, and why Turkey is a potential rising chess power. This was an inspiring conversation of personal chess revival, so be sure to tune in.

1:30- IM-elect Selim Citak joins me: He discusses his chess origins and why did he returned to tournament chess in 2022.

Mentioned: GM Suat Atalik, GM Mikhail Gurevich

Selim’s FIDE graph:

https://ratings.fide.com/profile/6301819/chart

22:00- Selim describes his study routine

Mentioned: GM Evgeny Romanov

28:00- Selim’s approach to openings

35:00- Selim’s study routine, and how he pays for the expenses

Mentioned: Sorcerer’s Apprentice by GM David Bronstein

43:00- Does Selim play a lot online chess?

49:00- Selim’s next goals

53:00- Selim’s helped GM Erdogmus at the Olympiad. He reflects on the experience and Turkey’s status as a potential future chess powerhouse.

Mentioned: GM Ediz Gurel, GM Yağız Erdoğmuş

1:10:00- Selim’s advice for getting unstuck.

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 402- GM Axel Smith on Draw Offers, Managing the Clock, and the Return of the Woodpecker Method. Oct 01, 2024

This week’s returning guest is the renowned author, Chessable author and trainer, GM Axel Smith. Axel, of course is best known for the groundbreaking tactics manual, The Woodpecker Method, and is finally releasing its much-anticipated sequel, The Woodpecker Method 2: Positional Play. While the first Woodpecker volume focused on tactics, this one helps readers learn critical positional patterns. In our conversation, we discuss the challenges of and logistics behind selecting over 1000 positional puzzles. We also have a wide-ranging discussion about Axel’s latest thoughts about chess improvement, a topic he has covered in excellent books like Pump Up Your Ratingand Street Smart Chess. We touch on how Axel’s chess goals have evolved now that he has a family, his advice regarding offering draws, and even the parallels between trying to improve at distance running and at chess. As always links of topics referenced are below.

Book available from Quality Chess and Forward Chess, coming soon to Chessable

https://forwardchess.com/product/the-woodpecker-method2

PDF Sample of the book:

https://forwardchess.com/sample/the-woodpecker-method2

Forward Chess:

https://forwardchess.com/product/the-woodpecker-method2

02:00- GM Axel Smith joins the show. Was it challenging to make a compilation of “positional puzzles”?

Mentioned: GMs Christopher Yoo, Renier Castellanos, Sam Shankland, Nordirbek Abdusattorov

Simple Chess, Winning Chess Strategies, The Power of Pawns

14:00- Patreon mailbag question: When will Woodpecker 2 be available on Chessable?

Mentioned: FM Nate Solon’s post, Woodpecker Revisited

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/the-woodpecker-method-revisited?utm_source=publication-search

21:00- Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store.

https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh

22:00- We revisit some of the most memorable chess improvement advice from Axel’s classic book Pump Up Your Rating. What advice would he change?

Mentioned: My Chessable course, Identifying Critical Moments in Chess

https://www.chessable.com/identifying-critical-moments-in-chess/course/248353/

31:00- Axel quit his job to focus on distance running training, and runs 20 Kilometers a day. We discuss his training regimen

38:00- Returning to chess, we discuss Axel’s philosophy regarding draw offers.

40:00- Has the success of The Woodpecker Method changed Axel’s life?

43:00- Why does Axel think adults often struggle to improve?

47:00- Has Axel’s overall improvement philosophy changed since Pump Up Your Rating?

48:00- Thanks to Axel for rejoining us, you can keep up with his work via Chessable and Quality Chess.

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

https://qualitychess.co.uk/products/improvement/446/_the_woodpecker_method_2_by_axel_smith/

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

EP 401- Sam Kahn: Advice for Taming Chess Degeneracy and The Lessons We Can Learn from Past Chess Greats Sep 24, 2024

Sam Kahn is a writer and film producer by day with a passion for chess, and particularly, the lessons we can learn from chess history. Sam is especially fascinated by the distinct chess styles that one can see by playing through the games of prior greats like Lasker, Pillsbury and Capablanca. He writes about the lessons we can learn from these players in his excellent new collaboration with IM Cyrus Lakdawala, A Century of Chess Book 1: 1900-1909. Of course, before Sam became consumed by chess history, he obsessively focused on his own game. Sam has his share of stories from all-nighters at NYC chess dens, and reflects on how he achieved the 2100 USCF level, and why he thinks it will be challenging to reach a highe level. Based on his own experiences, Sam also shares tips for navigating the narrow path from “degenerate” chess obsessive to healthy chess hobbyist. As an avid reader of Sam’s blogs (both chess and non-chess), I was excited to hear him reflect on his own chess story. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store.

https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh

0:02- What makes some chess players better than ourselves?

Mentioned: Sam’s post My Insane, Degenerate, Overpowering Chess Hobby

https://samkahn.substack.com/p/my-insane-degenerate-overpowering

0:07- Has AI changed the romanticism of players representing competing schools of thought?

11:30- As a 2100 level player, why is Sam dismissive of his own chess abilities?

Mentioned: Edward Winter’s post about the famous quote “Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.”

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/proverbs.html

16:00- Why does Sam call legendary NYC IM Jay Bonin his “White Whale”?

18:00- What does Sam think are the best ways to improve at chess?

24:00- Thanks to our sponsors:

Check out new Chessable courses by me, GM Nils Grandelius, and GM Sam Shankland- if you sign up for Chessable Pro, be sure to use this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

25:00- What is the story behind Sam’s chess history blog being turned into a book?

Mentioned: Colin Stapcynzcki

A Century of Chess Book 1: 1900-1909, IM Cyrus Lakdawala

33:00- Who is Sam’s favorite chess player covered in the book?

Mentioned: Lasker, Maroczy, Pillsbury

38:00- How does Sam ascertain the stylistic tendencies of historical chess players?

Mentioned: Nimzowitsch, Janowski, New in Chess Podcast with GM Tiger Hillarp Persson

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hmw6yMC1u2mwYo5HUjNPG?si=43cd8d56debb4319

48:00- Is there much overlap between Sam’s non-chess blog and his chess blog?

https://samkahn.substack.com/p/my-insane-degenerate-overpowering

55:00- Sam’s advice for finding a balanced approach to chess.

57:00- In his late 30s, is Sam too old to make the master level?

Mentioned: Episode 400 with NM Matt Gross

1:03:00- Sam’s favorite chess history writers:

Mentioned: Richard Reti’s Masters of the Chessboard, Irving Chernev, GM Andy Soltis, My Great Predecessor’s, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendriks, Ink Wars by IM Willy Hendriks

1:09:00- Thanks to Sam for joining. Here is how you can check out his work.

Book-

A Century of Chess Book 1: 1900-1909,

Chess.com History Blog-

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

Non-Chess Blog-

https://samkahn.substack.com/

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

Olympiad Bonus Pod- Mr. Dodgy on the Atmosphere, Controversies and Notable Stories so far from Budapest Sep 21, 2024

As the FIDE Chess Olympiad enters the homestretch, it has been as entertaining as ever. It is hard to keep up with all of the emerging storylines, but Chessable's Mr. Dodgy joined me from Budapest to discuss a few, as well as to describe the atmosphere in Budapest and at the playing hall. Topics covered include: the cell phone camera controversy, GM Ding Liren's disappointing performance, India's dominance, and the inspiring story of Eman Sawan. You can find links to all of the stories referenced below. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the tournament!

0:00- Welcome

3:00- How Budapest compares to the 2022 Chennai Olympiad

5:55- The Women in Chess Foundation

08:56- The Kramnik camera phone controversy

12:00- GM Ding Liren’s uninspiring performance at the tournament

15:00- Final thoughts: Is India inevitable?

Find out more about the phone in the playing hall controversy here:

https://x.com/chess24com/status/1837226230082588923

Chessbase India shorts:

https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessBaseIndiachannel/shorts

Check out FM Mike Klein’s interview with Palestinian star performer Eman Sawan here:

https://x.com/chess24com/status/1836815099614400866

Magnus arrival by bicycle to an early round:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1ffxngn/twitter_photochess_magnus_carlsen_arrives_late/

GM Peter Svidler’s Ding Liren comment:

https://x.com/FIDE_chess/status/1836397064143438001

Thanks to Mr. Dodgy for joining, Check out the Women in Chess Foundation here:

https://www.womeninchess.com/

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

EP 400- Adult Improver NM Matt Gross- How Studying Model Games and Improving Intuition Helped Him Become an NM at Age 48 Sep 17, 2024

The Adult Improver series returns to Perpetual Chess to spotlight another accomplished amateur. This week we are joined by 48-year-old data scientist, NM Matt Gross. Matt returned to tournament chess after a 17-year hiatus with a mission to earn the USCF Master title. With a 2140 rating, Matt did not need to earn so many additional points to reach his goal, but he found that the game had evolved and competition was much tougher in 2021 than in had been in 2004. Matt could no longer rely on outcalculating his opponents and playing dodgy openings, He soon realized that he would need to revamp his entire chess game. He decided to focus on building a solid repertoire, and, most of all,to work assiduously to improve his chess intuition. Matt’s mission to make NM took a few years, but he managed to earn the title in 2023, possibly making him one of the oldest players to earn the NM title in the past few years. Our conversation is about how he went about this. In addition to the insights from this conversation, Matt also shares a treasure trove of advice and resources on his blog, Movelibrary. Thanks to Matt for sharing his inspiring story!

Check out Matt's blog here:

https://www.movelibrary.com/

You can find a playlist of the Adult Improver Series interviews here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=Jkd_NO5ZSzGB2XakMmSv3A&pi=u-8s5JlGJPRHGj

0:00- Thanks to Perpetual Chess Patreon subs for helping to support the podcast! If you would like to join the community, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

0:00- Thanks to our sponsors:

Check out new Chessable courses by me, GM Nils Grandelius, and GM Sam Shankland- if you sign up for Chessable Pro, be sure to use this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- NM Matt Gross joins the podcast and discusses how he got back into chess during the pandemic after 17 years away.

Mentioned: GM Gata Kamsky’s Twitch stream

0:08- Why did Matt think he would need to revamp his game after a 17-year hiatus?

Mentioned: Matt’s “TLDR” post is here:

https://www.movelibrary.com/story/1/

14:00- Why did Matt decide to focus on studying model games and working to improve his intuition?

22:00- Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store.

https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh

23:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Many GMs have suggested that calculation is the great differentiator between masters and club players, so why focus on intuition rather than calculation?”

32:00- What surprised Matt in coming back to tournaments for the first time in 17 years?

Mentioned: GM Naroditsky series The Blitz Chess Manifesto

https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-blitz-chess-manifesto

45:00- Matt’s favorite content creators and books

Mentioned: GM John Nunn, Zurich 1953, Fire on Board, GM Hikaru Nakamura, The ChessDojo

47:00- How does Matt approach online play?

48:00- How much time does Matt spend reviewing his games?

51:00- How did it feel for Matt to achieve his goal and reach the ranking of USCF Master?

55:00- How does Matt prepare openings for common opponents?

Mentioned: NM Peter MInear, NM Matt O’Brien

56:00- Matt’s improvement advice for lower-rated players.

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EP 399- GM Tiger Hillarp Persson: The 2x Swedish Champion, Author & Go Master Shares a Life's Worth of Wisdom on How to Improve at Complex Games Sep 10, 2024

This week I am honored to be joined by author, trainer, and 2 time Swedish National Champion, GM Tiger Hillarp Persson. Tiger has a unique background for a GM, as at the age of 26, when he was not yet an IM, he decided to pursue chess professionally nonetheless. From there he made rapid progress and has been an active player ever since. But Tiger is equally passionate about another complex game, Go, which he started playing at the age of 40. He has become a master-level player, and has represented his native Sweden in international Go tournaments as well. In our conversation, Tiger discusses the challenges and rewards of improving at both games, and why he thinks substantial improvement is possible at both if one is honest with oneself and works hard. We also discuss Tiger’s fantastic new book, Tiger’s Chaos Theory. The book deconstructs and gives vocabulary to some uncommon and important patterns and situations in chess, and is a pleasure to read. I found this conversation very insightful, and I trust that you will as well. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Check out new Chessable courses by me, GM Nils Grandelius, and GM Sam Shankland- if you sign up for Chessable Pro, be sure to use this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store.

https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh

0:02- GM Tiger Hillarp Persson joins the pod. We begin by discussing why Tiger decided to devote himself fully to chess at age 26, when he was not even an IM at that point.

Mentioned: Karpov-Miles 1980, The Soviet Chess Conveyor by Shereshevsky

18:00- What has pursuing excellence at Go taught Tiger about chess improvement?

Mentioned:

Check out Tiger’s blog here:

https://tiger.bagofcats.net/

Ivanchuk-Van Foreest 2022:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2416368

37:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Tiger play unorthodox openings in Go as well? “

42:00- Tiger discusses the study method of trying to imitate the play of a player whose style you admire, as he did for Karpov.

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Have computers been a blessing or a curse for chess?”

52:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Tiger’s advice for lower rated players for assessing sacrifices?”

Mentioned: The Art of Sacrifice by Rudolph Spielman

56:00- Tiger’s other favorite chess books

Mentioned: Under the Surface by GM Jan Markos

59:00- What is a hecatomb?

1:00:00- Tiger’s favorite tournament memories

Mentioned: GM Jonathan Rowson, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Lembit Oll

1:05:00- Tiger is playing on the Swedish team at the Olympiad. How does he prepare?

1:10:00- Tiger discusses his most famous win, an amazing game against GM Peter Hiene Nielsen

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1434778

1:12:00- Thanks to Tiger for joining me! Here are links to check out his book:

https://qualitychess.co.uk/products/improvement/23034/tigers_chaos_theory_by_tiger_hillarp_persson/

Free preview from Quality Chess:

https://qualitychess.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tigers-Chaos-Theory-060-excerpt-1.pdf

Forward Chess:

https://forwardchess.com/product/tigers-chaos-theory

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EP 398- FIDE Olympiad preview with GM Jonathan Speelman: Magnus, Medal Chases & Prodigies in Action Sep 03, 2024

The 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad begins September 11, 2024 in Budapest, and will feature many of the world’s top players. It is always a fun tournament for players and fans alike with its unique format and the opportunity for players to represent their countries. Joining me to help preview this year’s edition is 14- time British Chess Olympian, author, and 3 time British champion, GM Jonathan Speelman. Before Jon joins me, I discuss storylines I am excited for, including Magnus’ return to classical chess, a star-studded Indian team, and the Olympiad debut of a young British star. At the 14 minute mark, GM Speelman joins me to share some of his own Olympiad memories, as well as to share his thoughts on this year’s edition. The Olympiad is always one of my favorite tournaments to follow, and you can be sure that Perpetual Chess will be following and covering this year’s edition in detail. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store.

https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh

0:12:00- 10 storylines I am excited for the in the Olympiad

Mentioned: You can see the Olympiad rosters:

Thanks to our longtime sponsors, Chessable.com!

If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

14:00- GM Jonathan Speelman joins me and reflects on his Olympiad experiences as a player and trainer.

Mentioned:

Kasparov-Speelman 1980

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1069881

36:00- Jon shares his thoughts on this year’s Olympiad.

Mentioned:

2700chess.com

55:00- Jon reminsices about the 1988 Olympiad, the young Polgar sisters and “Grandmaster Clash”

Check out Grandmaster Clash here:

Grandmaster Clash - 28th Chess Olympiad 1988 with Stephen Fry

1:00- Predictions?

1:00- Thanks, as always to GM Speelman for joining me, you can subscribe to this Twitch channel here:

https://www.twitch.tv/jonspeelman

1:02- 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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BONUS POD- Hans vs. Magnus Speed Chess Championship Preview with GM Ben Finegold Aug 30, 2024

On September 6, almost two years to the day after their fateful game at the Sinquefield Cup, Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann will meet at Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship. They will play in front of an audience in Paris, France. Joining me to discuss the history of this feud, and the details of this match is popular commentator, YouTuber and Twitch streamer GM Ben Finegold. Does Hans have a chance given his impressive play lately? Since Magnus has been refusing to play Niemann, is there a chance that Magnus won’t show up to the match? What openings might we expect? We dive into these questions and many more in our conversation.

All the information you need about the match is here:

https://www.chess.com/events/info/2024-speed-chess-championship

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com! Check out my new course here, Identifying Critical Moments in Chess, here:

https://www.chessable.com/identifying-critical-moments-in-chess/course/248353/

1:30- Hans has been on a massive heater and has cracked the top 20 in Classical for the first time. Can he actually win?

5:00- Does Ben agree with Hikaru that Magnus has a particular edge in bullet?

Mentioned: Hikaru on Hans-Magnus in Paris

https://youtube.com/shorts/y3MkTIlEILY?si=oLR4rc7a3EZrqrku

7:30- Should we expect Hans’ ascent to continue?

11:00- Ben’s thoughts on Hans’ recent interview with GM Daniel Naroditsky

https://youtu.be/ZFBAuihQYgw?si=QGCenzk5sKeZlEGv

25:00- Where is the prize money for Hans’ tour coming from?

Mentioned: Hans tweet

https://x.com/HansMokeNiemann/status/1827750674873958819

26:00- We discuss IM Daniel Rensch’s response to Hans’ recent interview

https://x.com/DanielRensch/status/1821536477924438528

32:00- Predictions

Thanks as always to GM Ben Finegold for joining. You know where to find him!

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 397- JulesGambit on What Fueled a Rapid Rating Rise, the Story Behind the Botez Chess Camp, and Why She Thinks Chess is no Longer Uncool Aug 27, 2024

JulesGambit is a popular Twitch streamer and YouTuber who rediscovered chess while at university and has seen rapid growth in her rating and her online following. Jules joined me shortly after competing in the BotezChessCamp, a unique tournament where she lived in a house with other female chess stars like the Botezes and Anna Cramling and competed in a tournament. Jules was the lowest-rated entrant, but gained rating and drew 2-time US Women’s Champ Jennifer Yu in a classical game. This incredible result comes on the heels of a 2 year period where she has taken her rating from 1000 USCF to around 1800. In our conversation, we discuss the keys to Jules’ progress, the story behind the BotezChessCamp and what Jules plans to study next as she turns her attention to chess full-time. Jules is quick to credit many well-known chess players for helping fuel her growth as chess player, student and presenter, and it was inspiring to hear someone so motivated to continue her chess growth.

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com. My new course, Identifying Critical Moments in Chess is one of the many new offerings worth checking out.

If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

2:00- Jules joins the show. We being by discussing her recent experience at the BotezChessCamp

Mentioned: Alexandra Botez, WGM Dina Belenkaya, Jules video “I went on a date with Andrea Botez”

https://youtu.be/jM6ezgnO7c0?si=K05Fs6RZPmiTAWpt

Check out Jules’ game with Jennifer Yu here:

https://www.chess.com/events/2024-botez-chess-camp-classical/07/Schulman_Julia-Yu_Jennifer

18:00- How did Jules get back into chess during college? What has led to Jules’ rapid rating progress in the past two years?

Mentioned: How I went from 900 to 1700 in one year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PFIyAtOiho

Coffee Chess YouTube

28:00- What did Jules’ college friends think of her chess streaming?

31:00- Why is Jules switching from emphasizing Twitch streaming to YouTube?

37:00- Why did Jules quit chess as a kid?

44:00- How do people respond to Jules’ interest in chess on dating apps?

46:30- What are Jules’ next chess goals?What is she currently studying?

Mentioned: Positional Decision Making in Chess. Endgame Studies 101, Forcing Chess Moves

55:00- What was the highlight of going to a camp at Charlotte Chess Center with GMs R.B. Ramesh, Judit Polgar, and Veselin Topalov?

58:00- How did Jules manage to write her thesis about chess? What was the conclusion of her research regarding geographic distribution of 2600+ players?

Mentioned: GM David Brodsky

1:00:00- Thanks to Jules for joining! Here is how to keep up with her!

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/julesgambit/?hl=en

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/julesgambit

YouTube

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

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

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EP 396- GM Pontus Carlsson- Advice for Remembering Openings, early Magnus memories, the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz in New York and much more. Aug 20, 2024

GM Pontus Carlsson is a Grandmaster, trainer, entrepreneur, and the founder of the non-profit Business Meets Chess & Kids. Pontus is always forthright and entertaining, and in his third visit to the podcast, we caught up on chess topics including:

The unique stress of being World Chess Champion, and Pontus’ thoughts on the upcoming match
Pontus’ advice for helping to remember openings
Will Pontus be following the Hans-Magnus speed chess championship match? What happened the first time Pontus encountered an 8 year old Magnus Carlsen (no relation) at a Scandinavian championship event?
The positives and negatives of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz occurring in New York this year

We also discussed online chess cheating, the upcoming Olympiad, and an online chess charity event which Pontus will be organizing this weekend, called Chess 2 Change. This is a fun event for amateurs to play in, meet successful chess and business personalities, and is potentially life-changing for the young chess talents who participate in the event. GM Maurice Ashley will be broadcasting this year’s edition on August 25. As is often the case, we covered a wide range of chess stories, so you can check the show notes for timestamps of topics of interest.

Information for the Chess 2 Change event on August 25 is here:

https://businessmeetschessandkids.com/chess-to-change/

Pontus prior interviews:

Episode 29

Episode 101

02:00- We chat about rating deflation as Pontus reflects on a recent tournament in Bratislava

7:00- What is Pontus’ current day job?

10:00- Online chess cheating

14:00- The first time Pontus encountered an 8 year old Magnus Carlsen

18:00- The stress of being World Chess Champion

20:30- Pontus’ thoughts on the Ding-Gukesh match

24:00- The Olympiad

Mentioned: GM Nils Grandelius, GM Erik Blomqvist, GM Tiger Hillarp Persson, IM Martin Lokander

29:00- Pontus’ advice for remembering openings

34- Chess improvement advice for adults

38:00- Famous “touch-move” controversies involving Hikaru Nakamura and Garry Kasparov

42:00- The challenges of professional chess for those below the top 10

48:00- More on the upcoming Hans-Magnus match

Watch GM Hans NIemann’s recent interview here:

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

51:00- World Rapid and Blitz will be in New York

Mentioned: FIDE Press Release here:

https://www.fide.com/news/3070

1:04:00- Pontus discusses his upcoming charity event, Chess 2 Change

Mentioned: The Gift of Chess, Chess in Slums

1:30:00- Thanks again to Pontus for rejoining the podcast! You can find all of the information you need about chess to change below:

Business Meets Chess & Kids

https://businessmeetschessandkids.com/

Chess 2 Change

https://businessmeetschessandkids.com/chess-to-change/

The Twitch Channel where the Charity Tournament will be Broadcasted

https://www.twitch.tv/chess2change

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EP 395- FM Kamil Plichta- Learning from your Rating Peers, Opening Advice for Amateurs, Bullet Chess Tips, & more Aug 13, 2024

FM Kamil Plichta is a renowned opening theoretician, Chessable author, trainer, and blitz/bullet specialist. In our conversation, Kamil highlights several important chess improvement-related topics:

The value of learning by emulating those slightly higher rated than you
Knowing when to withdraw from a brutal tournament
Advice for choosing openings

We also chat about Kamil’s pursuit of the IM title, the London System, the English Defence, and much more. It's always fun to talk chess with Kamil, and it had been too long since our previous interview! Timestamps for topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com. If you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- Kamil discusses the value of learning from studying games from the next level up, rather than from Super GM games

Mentioned: Lego Chess

11:30- Kamil is one norm away from the IM title. How is the journey?

18:00- Kamil reflects on a recent poor OTB showing.

32:00- Bullet chess advice!

35:00- Opening advice for amateurs

40:00- What is the English Defence?

46:00- How does Kamil use engines?

48:00- Kamil’s recommended line against the London System

51:00- Closing chess advice

Thanks to Kamil for joining me, here is how to keep up with him.

Kamil’s Chessable Author page:

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

Follow him on X here:

https://x.com/Kaldas90

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EP 394- GM Jacob Aagaard- The Story Behind the Big Chess Publishing Merger, plus his Latest Thoughts on Rating Deflation, the World Championship Cycle, Chess Improvement, & more Aug 06, 2024

As the co-founder of Quality Chess Books and Killer Chess Training.com, GM Jacob Aagaard is always a busy man. This year, the award-winning author and trainer has been even busier. It was recently announced that his company, Quality Chess Books is acquiring two of the biggest chess publishers (New in Chess Books and Everyman Chess) from Chess.com. Jacob joined me to tell me the story behind these acquisitions, as well as the decision of his co-founder, GM John Shaw to retire. Jacob is always insightful and opinionated about professional chess, so we also got the opportunity to hear his takes on Ding-Gukesh, rating deflation, and IM Levy Rozman’s quest for the GM title, among other topics. As always, Jacob was very generous with his time, and you can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

Jacob’s prior appearances on Perpetual Chess:

Episode 111

Episode 166 (with GM R.B. Ramesh)

Episode 296

Bonus pod on the Carlsen-Niemann scandal

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com. Be sure to check out new courses by GM Raven Sturt (with Simon Williams) and CM Can Kabadayi.

If you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:03- What events led to Quality Chess Books acquiring New in Chess Books and Everyman Chess?

Mentioned: GM John Shaw, IM Dmitry Schneider, GM Matthew Sadler, Silicon Road YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq06gd_5HTiG8IIu5-enWyA

Also Mentioned: Remmelt Otten

28:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Jacob think chess book sales will grow over the next 10 years?”

32:00- Patreon mailbag question: ”Will Everyman continue its “Starting Out” series?”

36:00-Jacob discusses the future of “New in Chess” magazine

Mentioned: FM Nate Solon

44:00 Patreon mailbag question: Should beginner to intermediate players focus on challenging puzzles or basic pattern recognition?

Mentioned: 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know, 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know Workbook

54:00- Jacob discusses the story of his friend and colleague GM Renier Castellanos attaining GM in his 40’s.

Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 379 with GM Renier Castellanos

58:00- Does Jacob think Gotham Chess can make GM?

1:02:00- The raging feud between GM Jan Gustafsson and Jacob Aagaard continues!

Mentioned: Prior comments here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4EI6rH7Mt4

1:03:00- What does Jacob think of rating deflation?

1:11:00- Jacob’s thoughts on the World Championship match

1:20:00- Does Jacob think someone from the younger generation could become a dominant World Champion?

1:24:00- GM Sam Shankland update

1:26:00- Books we are excited for:

Tiger’s Chaos Theory, The Woodpecker Method 2

1:30:00- Thanks to Jacob, as always! You can find him at Killer Chess Training:

https://killerchesstraining.com/

Or follow him on X here:

https://x.com/GMJacobAagaard

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EP 393- GM Jan Gustafsson on the Candidates, the upcoming World Championship the Olympiad, and his Sicilian Defense Power Rankings Jul 30, 2024

On this week’s Perpetual Chess, the popular and sometimes entertaining GM Jan Gustafsson returns! Jan, of course, is a popular commentator, Twitch streamer, Chessable author, and renowned opening theoretician. His last visit to the podcast was a mere four months ago, but a lot has changed since then. GM D Gukesh has qualified for the World Championship match, and it has been revealed that Jan worked on GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi’s team. In this interview, Jan reflects on these occurrences and describes what it was like to be in Toronto as a second for the FIDE Candidates. He also looks ahead to the Gukesh-Ding World Championship match, which will take place in November in Singapore. Jan also answers plenty of listener questions on a wide range of topics, including the upcoming Olympiads, the closing of Chess24, the status of the Chicken Chess Club Podcast, and, of course, the openings covered in his new Chessable course, GM Jan Gustafsson Aggressive 1. E4 part 2 (co-authored with CM Vjekoslav Nemec). We covered a ton of topics in this one, but as always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com. They have tons of new offerings in addition to Jan’s new course If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- Banter- Bronny James! Should Jan become co-host of Perpetual Chess?

0:05- Actual chess! Jan reflects on working on Ian Nepomniachtchi prep team, and shares his thoughts on the FIDE Candidates.

0:14- Jan’s World Championship Match thoughts

20:00- How does Jan feel about #chesspunks?

22:00- Donner’s The King and other books

25:00- Where did referring to the pawn formation “the bathtub” come from?

Mentioned: More info on the bathtub here:

https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/which-of-these-4-are-the-bathtub-formation

25:00- Will Jan do more banter blitz?

27:00- What are best athlete chess players?

29:00- Which below 2700 players have the most impressive opening knowledge?

Mentioned: GM Alexey Sarana

32:00- Patreon mailbag questions: WHEN WILL THE CHICKEN CHESS CLUB COME BACK?

34:00- Jan discusses a recent chess/poker event he participated in.

37:00- Has Jan ever played 1. E4?

39:00- How did Jan choose to cover the Advanced French, the Fantasy variation, and the Open Sicilian in his new Chessable course?

44:00- Jan’s top 5 variations of the Sicilian defense

49:00- Are GMs using Jan’s suggested moves from his Chessable courses?

52:00- What are the goals for the German Olympiad team?

54:00- What did Jan think of Germany’s performance in the Euro cup?

57:00- Why doesn’t Germany have any elite chess players?

59:00- Update on Jan’s 1000 game match with his friend Ettienne

1:01:00- What is the origin story of Chess24?

1:03:00- Jan’s upcoming travels and chess plans

1:05:00-Jan’s tv recs

Mentioned: Presumed Innocent, The Bear, IM Greg Shahade

1:09:00- Jan’s basketball podcast recommendations

Mentioned: The Rights to Ricky Sanchez, Down to Dunk

Thanks as always to Jan for joining me! You can follow him on X here:

https://x.com/gmjangustafsson?lang=en

Or on Twitch here:

https://www.twitch.tv/janistantv

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 392- Aiden Rayner- What Adult Chess Players Need to Know about Visualization and Working Memory Jul 23, 2024

This week’s guest is Aiden Rayner, a Melbourne, Australia-based chess trainer, blogger, podcaster, and the founder of the training site, Don’t Move Until You See It. Aiden became interested in chess improvement as an adult and quickly zeroed in on a need to improve his ability to picture a chess board in his head. In the subsequent years, he has developed some tools to help improve this skill, and has read extensively on how the different brains adapt to this task. Aiden also has studied how working memory functions, and shares what adults need to know about how it affects chess calculation. Lastly, Aiden shares a few “non-chess” book recommendations for those who would like to learn more about the challenges of rewiring our brains for chess. If you are interested in improving your chess game, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com. They are now offering a #chesspunks approved classic, The Power of Pawns, presented by IM Andras Toth.

If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

”

02:00- Why doesn’t Aiden like the term “visualization” when it comes to playing through moves in our heads

Mentioned: GM George Koltanowski

07:00- What got Aiden into visualization?

11:00- What features does Aiden’s site offer?

Mentioned: Aiden’s blindfold trainer:

https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/blindfold-trainer/

16:30- Patreon mailbag question: What advice does Aiden have for people adjusting from playing 2D (on screens) to playing 3D (OTB)?

26:00- Patreon mailbag question: Can Aiden share advice for how to improve at remembering a game through “narration” rather than visualization?

32:00- Aiden’s recommended (non-chess) books:

Mentioned: Thinking Fast and Slow

Chatter, The Voice in Our Head and Why it Matters, and How to Harness It

Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions

34:30- What is working memory and why does it matter for chess players?

Mentioned: Chess Visualization with Don’t Move

55:00- What are “the three Fs?”

1:05:00- Thanks to Aiden, for joining me! Here is it how to keep up with him:

Don’t Move Until You See It Website:

https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/

Follow Aiden on X here:

https://x.com/AidenAtDontMove

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

EP 391- IM Atle Gronn- Life Lessons from the remarkable Careers of GM Simen Agdestein, plus the lessons Simen imparted to his student, GM Magnus Carlsen Jul 16, 2024

This week’s guest is author, commentator, and Slavic Linguistics professor at the University of Oslo, IM Atle Gronn. Atle’s most recent book, Games and Goals: The Fascinating Chess and Football Careers of Simen Agdestein has recently been released in the English language and is one I have been greatly looking forward to reading. It did not disappoint, as it provides a revealing biography of one of the most compelling figures in modern chess history. GM Simen Agdestein, in addition to being a Norwegian chess legend, and the childhood trainer of Magnus Carlsen, Simen was a supremely talented athlete who played for the Norwegian national soccer team. As a strong player from the same generation as Simen, Atle bore witness to Simen’s rise, fall, and resurgence, and also witnessed and contextualizes GM Magnus Carlsen’s relentless ascent to the top of the chess world. There are many lessons we all can learn from the stories that Atle shares and I greatly enjoyed chatting with him about his book.

Games and Goals is available from Amazon and other booksellers,

Games and Goals: The Fascinating Chess and Football Careers of Simen Agdestein books

And you can view a Free excerpt here:

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9186.pdf

0:01- Thanks to our sponsor Chessable.com- If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use the link below to help support Perpetual Chess:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- What made Simen Agdestein a “mythic figure” in the 1980’s? How did he go from beginner to national Norway champion in 4 years?

Mentioned: Tarjei Svensen’s Article on the most recent Norwegian Championship:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/15-year-old-copies-magnus-carlsen-norwegian-champion

0:07- How did Simen become an elite athlete without training extensively? What was his style like as a footballer?

15:00- How did Atle’s collaboration with Simen come about?

22:00- How would Atle describe Simen’s chess style? What traits of Simen can be seen in Magnus Carlsen (his student)?

29:00- Atle describes his 2005 game against Magnus Carlsen, which became a famous win for Magnus.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1348050

32- Why was Atle initial skeptical of Magnus’ talents?

37:00- How did injuries change Simen’s careers?

46:00- What did Simen do for income during his years when both careers suddenly ended?

52:00- We discuss chess books and the topics of Otle’s prior books, which were written in Norwegian.

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EP 390- Russ Makofsky: How Chess Can Change Lives from NYC to Africa Jul 09, 2024

This week’s guest is Russ Makofsky. Russ is the founder of both The Gift of Chess, and of Impact Coaching Network. The Gift of Chess is a global non-profit dedicated to changing lives by distributing free chess sets in overlooked communities. Impact Coaching Network is a New York City-based educational chess organization that facilitates school programs and runs tournaments. In our interview, Russ recounts his journey from a sport-obsessed kid to a chess educator and shares the stories of many people whose lives have been changed by chess, including FM Tani Adewumi, and Tunde Onakoya of Chess in Slums. Russ is a firm believer in the power that good stories can have in spreading a passion for chess, and of the impact that chess can have on lives once that passion is ignited. Tune in to hear many of these inspiring stories!

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com- in addition to Solveig’s course, be sure to check out GM Sam Shankland’s latest, and if you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use the link below.

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

2:00- What were the beginnings of Russ’ chess organization, Impact Coaching Network?

7:00- As an educator does Russ encounter any resistance from parents to emphasiszing the competitive element of chess?

Mentioned: Brooklyn Castle

15:30- Famed youth champion, FM Tani Adewumi discovered chess via one of the Impact Coaching Network’s Schools while his family was living in a homeless shelter- Russ tells this story from his perspective.

Mentioned: Chesskid.com

28:00- What are the origins of the non-profit, The Gift of Chess?

Mentioned: Episode 219 with Tunde Onakoya

57:00- What does The Gift of Chess do for prison outreach?

Mentioned: Episode 289 with Tony Ballard

1:03:00- How is the fundraising going?

1:08:00- Russ’ advice for chess educators and those thinking of starting chess programs

Thanks to Russ for sharing so many inspiring stories! Here is the linktree for the GiftofChess:

https://linktr.ee/thegiftofchess

You can email them at info at giftofchess.org

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

EP 389-Solveig Friberg (The Rookie Redhead)- A Recent Adult Beginner on Getting to 1500 from Scratch and Finding Community and Audience Jul 02, 2024

The Adult Improver Series of Perpetual Chess returns, as I am joined by Solveig Friberg, who streams on Twitch as “The Rookie Redhead.” Solveig is a relatively new chess player who discovered the game via a Norwegian national TV broadcast of one of Magnus Carlsen’s World Championship matches. A few years later, she has attained a rating of 1570 FIDE, built a large online audience, published her first Chessable course (Breaking 1000) as a Twitch streamer, and has even had the opportunity to interview players like Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana. We begin our conversation by discussing the unique popularity of chess in Norway- it is very popular as a spectator sport, but that has not translated into a thriving competitive chess scene. Why might that be? We also discuss Solveig’s own chess journey. Solveig shares a lot of study recommendations and core beliefs based on her experience as a chess player and her professional background as an educator. Solveig is a particularly firm believer in the importance of finding a community, and did not see her chess take off until she found online “chess people.” Solveig is an inspiration for anyone who is coming to chess as a working adult with a busy life.

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com- in addition to Solveig’s course, be sure to check out GM Sam Shankland’s latest, and if you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use the link below.

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

2:00- Solveig got into chess by watching coverage of the Magnus-Nepo match on national TV in Norway. What is the coverage like in Norway? What is the OTB scene like there?

Mentioned:

Solveig on Chess Journeys, Episode 91:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rwxKkso2M2IPITLOEt4hc?si=86bec8cf1aa34f5d

Solveig on Sjakksnakk

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1c0FBix4q4OSvPdz6nbGSf?si=63cf7ec45f5f441d

9:00- How did Solveig find a chess community?

To find the “chess people” on X, make an account, send a message and conclude it with the #chesspunks

https://x.com/hashtag/chesspunks?src=hashtag_click

To apply or suggest someone to be a guest on the Adult Improver Series, use this google form:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adult

17:00- How did Solveig’s professional background impact her approach to chess improvement?

22:30- What was Solveig’s approach to studying chess?

27:00- We discuss chess pub nights and the Good Knight Chess Pub in Oslo, Norway

29:00- What would Solveig have done differently to improve at chess if she could start over?

32:00- Patreon mailbag question- what are some common mistakes that beginners make, and how can they avoid them?

36:00- Solveig’s resource recommendations

Mentioned:

Hanging Pawns YouTube Channel

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

Build Up Your Chess Series

https://www.chessable.com/the-fundamentals-1-build-up-your-chess/course/19145/

Chess Tactics from Scratch

https://www.chessable.com/chess-tactics-from-scratch-understanding-chess-tactics/course/27821/

Also available as a book- https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Scratch-Understanding/dp/1907982027

37:00- What was it like for Solveig to interview Hikaru Nakamura about gender issues in chess?

Mentioned:

Watch the interview here:

https://x.com/RookieRedhead/status/1801228262170882212

46:30- What is theme of Solveig’s Chessable course, Breaking 1000?

52:00- What are Solveig’s streaming goals? Does she ever stream in Norwegian?

1:00:00- Thanks to Solveig for joining me, here is how to keep up with her:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rookie_redhead/?hl=en

https://x.com/RookieRedhead

And her Chessable Course:

https://www.chessable.com/breaking-1000/course/237622/

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

EP 388- GM Awonder Liang on What Led to His Record-Breaking Chess Success, & Transitioning to Life as a University Student Jun 25, 2024

This week’s guest is 21-year old former youth champion, GM Awonder Liang. As a scholastic player, Awonder broke many records including becoming the youngest US player to reach a rating of 2000 (USCF), the youngest to beat an International Master, as well the youngest to beat a Grandmaster. These days, Awonder is a student at University of Chicago and is more devoted to his studies than his chess. Nonetheless, Awonder’s love for the game is evident, and he recently played in two strong tournaments even though he did not prepare as rigorously as he once would have. In our conversation, Awonder was able to contextualize his remarkable chess success and discuss both what made him great, and what may have led to contemporaries of his like GM Alireza Firouzja and Arjun Erigaisi surpassing him in rating ( for now at least.) It was fun to hear Awonder reflect on his career as if he were an old man, and I look forward to seeing how his bright future unfolds.

0:00- You can subscribe to my free newsletter here-

” https://benjohnson.substack.com

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Find out more about the Create Your Own Course Contest here:

https://t.co/wUQCi0gqaC

0:03- Awonder joins the pod! Awonder has mostly been taking a break from chess while at the University of Chicago. How did it feel to play two high level tournaments recently?

0:06- Did Awonder consider pursuing chess rather than university?

0:08- Does Awonder prefer classical or online blitz?

11:00- We discuss Awonder’s Chicago Open performance

15:00- How did Awonder prepare for the Summer Chess Classic, where he finished shared 2nd?

19:00- Awonder’s thoughts on the Chicago Open cheating scandal

23:00- What makes Awonder so good at chess?

33- What does it mean to have a good chess memory?

36:00- Did Awonder read a lot of chess books?

38:00- How does Awonder use engines?

42:00- What is the story behind Awonder’s famous 2022 Scotch Gambit win over GM Levon Aronian?

Mentioned: https://www.chess.com/events/2022-us-chess-championship/05/Liang_Awonder-Aronian_Levon

45:00- What are Awonder’s other favorite games of his?

Mentioned: Liang-Caruana 2022

50:00- Awonder’s summer plan

52:00- Awonder’s post graduation plans

1:06:00- Awonder’s favorite chess memories

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Book Recap #37- My System (Fast Track Edition) with GM Alex Fishbein Jun 21, 2024

Recorded June 8, 2024 at the National Open in Las Vegas

Chess Books Recaptured returns to revisit an old book which now has a modern twist. My System by Aron Nimzowitsch is one of the best-selling and most recommended chess books of all time, but the original version has not aged well in some respects. In Book Recap #18, IM Christof Sielecki and I highlighted some of the classic book’s shortcomings as viewed through a modern lens. Luckily, GM Alex Fishbein decided to update the book for a 21st-century audience. The result is My System: Fast Track Edition, from Russell Enterprises (also available via Forward Chess). During my recent trip to the National Open in Las Vegas, Alex joined me to discuss My System’s legacy, his personal history with the book, and why he decided that the chess world needed a better version. Following our chat, Alex took some questions from the audience, and briefly shared his thoughts on my book, Perpetual Chess Improvement.Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

You can hear my discussion of prior editions of My System with IM Christof Sieleki in Book Recap #18-

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1lkGXPkegq9flj5zEoGAxi?si=f82aa751388a4476

0:02- GM Alex FIshbein joins! How does My System compare to Nimzo’s other classic, Chess Praxis?

3:30- What was the genesis of Alex deciding to edit/create the fast-track edition of My System?

12:00 - What were the challenges of translating the book?

27:00- What did Alex do with variations that modern engines say were incorrect?

Mentioned: Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean

35:00- Audience question- “Would Alex consider editing a “fast track edition” of any other classic books?’

Mentioned: Alekhine 1924

39:00- Audience question- “Did Alex include other concepts to the book in addition to those that were written about in the original?”

41:00- Audience question: “What foundational chess concepts are excluded from this book?”

43:00- Audience questions: “Is Alex familiar with the book by Raymond Keene, Nimowitsch: A Reappraisal?” “What about The Blockade?”

44:00- Audience question: “How much shorter is the fast track edition compared to the regular?”

44:00- Audience question; “Would he do a fast track edition of “Praxis” by Nimzowitsch?”

46:00- Audience question: “Do older books still matter as learning tools, as compared to playing games?”

49:00- Audience question: ‘What is the best way to read a chess book?’

Mentioned: The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

53:00- Alex shares his thoughts on my book, Perpetual Chess Improvement.

Thanks to GM Alex Fishbein for joining me in Las Vegas!

You can check out the new edition of My System, as well as his other books on Amazon, Forward Chess and other booksellers.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alex-Fishbein/author/B075N1DG4Z?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://forwardchess.com/product/my-system-fast-track-edition

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EP 387- Stories and Chess Advice from the National Open with GM Ben Finegold, GM Kayden Troff, Kamryn Hellman, Kyle Boddy & many more! Jun 18, 2024

This week’s pod is a special edition featuring 10 different short interviews from the 2024 National Open in Las Vegas. We feature stories and perspectives from GM Ben Finegold, adult improver return guests, other chess podcasters, and even two different Grandmasters named Daniel Fernandez! Big tournaments like the National Open are great opportunities to bond over a shared love of chess, and I hope this episode helps encapsulate the many ways that chess can touch our lives, teach us lessons, and bring us together. Timestamps and a brief description of each interview and guest can be found below.

GM Ben Finegold- 6:45 (recorded Wednesday, June 5) -Ben discusses his personal history at the National Open, the Nimzo-Indian defense, and dispenses some chess advice
Glenn Panner- 17:30- (recorded Friday, June 7) The tournament co-organizer discusses the tournament history , the recent cheating story from the Chicago Open, and the cheat detection methods being used at the National Open.
GM Daniel Fernandez (US) 31:00- (recorded Friday, June 7) The first of our GM Danil Fernandez guests, a Houston based player and trainer discusses how the stresses of playing compare to the stresses of coaching, and the advice he gives to his students who are competing in the tournament.
Kamryn Hellman 40:15 - (recorded Saturday June 8) The popular streamer and YouTuber reflects on her first big tournament and the recent chess lessons that she has learned. You can hear more from Kamryn in Episode 314. And check our her YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@kamrynheidi
Kevin Scull- -49:50 (recorded Saturday June 8) - The host of the Chess Journeys podcast reflects on the highs and lows of an ongoing tournament and discusses why he is trying to read fewer chess books! Be sure to sub to the Chess Journeys podcast!
Lennart Ootes- 59:30- (recorded Saturday June 8) - The renowned chess photographer and multimedia maestro compares photographing amateurs to photographing his usual subjects, the top pros of chess. Check out Lennart’s beautiful photos here: Lennart Ootes And his National Open photos here: https://www.chessphotoshop.com/National-Open-2024-Las-Vegas
Kyle Boddy- 1:10:00 (recorded Saturday June 8) -I am rejoined by the founder of Driveline Baseball to discuss why he makes time for the National Open in the middle of the baseball season,and to share the lessons he has learned from IM Calvin Blocker, IM Marc Esserman and others. You can hear more of Kyle’s chess story in Episode 303.
GM Daniel Fernandez (UK)- 1:21:00 -(recorded Sunday, June 9) The U.K. based player, author and trainer discusses what he is doing in an effort to push through mental barriers and the importance of physical training at the GM level.
GM Kayden Troff- 1:31:15 (recorded Tuesday June 11)- Kayden’s primary role at the National Open was to provide free post-mortem analysis of amateur games. What type of mistakes did he see recur after reviewing dozens of games over a long weekend? Check out Kayden’s epic game here:
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1753125
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETcq8kmlMic You can find the Chesssharkz Twitch stream with Tony Padron here: https://www.twitch.tv/chesssharkz
ElaynahTV - 1:46:30- (recorded Friday, June 14) The popular chess streamer and newly minted podcaster discusses how the women’s tournament compared to the Open event, and the challenges of streaming a tournament.

Check out Elaynah’s Twitch stream here:

https://www.twitch.tv/elaynah

And her new podcast with Dylan Quercia here:

https://chesslounge.podbean.com/

Photo in thumbnail of ElaynahTV by Lennart Ootes-

https://www.chessphotoshop.com/National-Open-2024-Las-Vegas

And thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com. If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use this link to help support the pod:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

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

EP 386- GM Arturs Neiksans- Coaching Gotham Chess, His own Journey to the GM Title & Advice for Choosing Openings Jun 11, 2024

This week I am pleased to be joined by 4-time Latvian champion, GM Arturs Neiksans. In addition to his accomplished, (and ongoing) competitive career, Arturs is a respected coach, commentator, Twitch streamer, and Chessable Author. Arturs recently added a new line to his resume as he became the trainer of IM Levy Rozman! As Levy trains for the GM title, he has been posting instructive excerpts of his frequent lessons with Arturs. In our conversation, we hear Arturs’ perspective on the origins of their collaboration and what Levy needs to work on in order to potentially ascend to the next level. Arturs also reflects on his own bumpy journey to the GM title and shares plenty of general improvement advice and . Lastly, as chess cheating has (again) been in the news, Arturs provides his personal perspective on the unfortunate fall from grace of his fellow Latvian player, GM Igors Rausis (who later changed his name to Isa Kasimi, and is now deceased). It was a pleasure to talk chess with Arturs, and I look forward to learning more from him both on his own channels, and on that of Gotham Chess!

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- How did GM Arturs Neiksans become Levy Rozman’s coach? What does Levy need to work on to become a GM?

17:00- Arturs quit chess at 18 and came back at 27. What drove him away and what brought him back?

23:00- How will Arturs balance responsibilities like playing on the Latvian national team with coaching Levy?

28:00- How challenging was it for Arturs to become a GM in his late 20s?

35:00- It was Arturs who saw GM Igors Rausis (who was caught cheating during an OTB tournament) attempting to compete under a new identity. What was the story behind that?

44:00- What was Arturs approach to chess study as a kid?

48:00- Does Arturs play a narrow or broad opening repertoire?

51:00- Thanks to Arturs for joining me!

Here is how to keep up with him:

Chess.com

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

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrqQ5BlmmGkaVmraYQw-IQ

Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/gmneiksans

Chessable courses:

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

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

EP 385- GM Eugene Perelshteyn: Recent Online Cheating Drama, Tips for Facing Dodgy Gambits & the Future of Professional Chess Jun 05, 2024

This week I got the chance to catch up with author, trainer and Chessable author, GM Eugene Perelshteyn. We begin by discussing a recent online cheating controversy. An anonymous account was banned from Chess.com after beating GM Daniel Naroditsky in an online bullet match using only the “Meadow Hay” Gambit. Is this gambit so bad that it makes cheating likely? This controversy served as a springboard to discuss both online cheating and dodgy gambits. Eugene has recently released a course “Every Gambit Refuted” so he also shared general advice on how to react when you face an unknown gambit. These days, gambits can be particularly dangerous, as creators like IM Eric Rosen and GothamChess teach their audiences tricky openings. Finally, Eugene and I discuss some issues from the world of professional chess, including a lack of affordable opportunities to compete for the non-elite, the FIDE Candidates (which Eugene attended) and “the great eval bar debate.” Eugene is always insightful and it was great to catch up with him!

ERROR CORRECTION- In the podcast, I said that the online match that led to the Viih_Sou account getting banned was a bullet match, but it was 3 0 time control. My apologies for the mistake- Ben

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- Eugene Perelshteyn joins me! We begin by discussing recent cheating controversies. This includes a recent controversy involving an account being banned after winning a bullet match against GM Daniel Naroditsky. GM Brandon Jacobson was playing the Meadow Hay Gambit. Is this gambit any good?

More info on Chess Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1claxsm/its_me_viih_sou/

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1ctu6qc/question_what_happened_in_full_with_brandon/

Mentioned: Jospem on Chess.com, Episode 368 with Erik Allebest

18:00- How have creators like IM Eric Rosen changed the paradigm when it comes to gambits?

Mentioned: Fight Like Magnus, Lifetime Repertoires: Hyper Accelerated Dragon

22:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Eugene’s advice for how to approach playing against gambits you don’t know?

Mentioned: Eugene’s Chess.com Lesson plan on Gambits is here:

https://www.chess.com/lessons/every-gambit-refuted

32:00- What is different about how a player like Pragganandhaa uses surprise openings compared to club players?

37:00- Eugene shares his own perspective on attending the FIDE Candidates in Toronto.

42:00- Does Eugene think evaluation bars should be used during chess broadcasts?

48:00- Has Eugene been pleased with the reception of his collaboration with FM Nate Solon Evaluate like a Grandmaster?

51:00- What else is Eugene working on?

Mentioned: Chess Openings for Black explained,GM Lev Alburt, GM Roman Dzindzichashvilli

55:00- What does Eugene think of recent discussion about a lack of financial opportunities for “middle-class” Grandmasters?

Mentioned: GM Jorden van Forreest tweet here:

https://x.com/jordenvforeest/status/1790333612874666440

1:08:00- Thanks to Eugene for joining me!

Check out his Chessable courses here:

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

Contact him via Twitter

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

Or Chess.com

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

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Book Recap #36- The King: Chess Pieces by GM Jan Hein Donner (with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam) May 31, 2024

The Perpetual Chess Book Review series, Chess Books Recaptured is finally back! I am honored to be joined by renowned author and chess journalist Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam to discuss GM Jan Hein Donner’s The King: Chess Pieces. The book is widely considered a 20th century classic and has been recommended by the likes of GMs Peter Svidler and Jan Gustafsson. It is a compilation of chess columns from a 3-time Dutch national champion, who spanned the chess generations between Max Euwe and Jan Timman. Donner is a brilliant, prescient and provocative writer who chronicles his own career, and also opines as the careers of Fischer, Spassky, Tal and others unfold in his proximity. Reading The King is a fun way to retrace 20th-century chess history, and the life and career of Donner. But, in my opinion, the book is not without its flaws. Donner’s writing is sometimes offensive, particularly when he bombastically shares his views about women in chess. I was grateful to have Dirk Jan help me discern whether Donner was being sarcastic in some of his more scathing columns. After we finish discussing the book, I chat with Dirk Jan a bit about his current projects, and his work on New in Chess’ excellent new podcast. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- What is Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam’s personal history with The King and with its author, GM Jan Hein Donner?

Mentioned: Dutch novelist Harry Mulisch

0:09- How is the English edition of The King, connected to the history of New in Chess publishing?

Mentioned: Allard Hoogland, Taylor Kingston’s review of the 1997 edition of The King:

https://www.chesscafe.com/text/donner.txt

12:00- We discuss Donner’s personal life, including the one, short-lived, real job that he had at IBM.

Mentioned:

Hein Donner: The Biography by Alexander Munninghoff

18:00- Some of Donner’s most famous writing is very sexist- how was it viewed at the time?

Mentioned: GM Jan Gustafsson

23:00- Did Dirk Jan work directly with Richard de Weger, the book’s translator?

24:00- Likes and dislikes from the book, starting with his acquaintance with Donner’s beautiful reflections on Fischer and Spassky.

Mentioned: Richard James’ review of Hein Donner, The Biography:

https://britishchessnews.com/2020/08/07/hein-donner-the-biography/

42:00- What was Donner’s opinion of legendary Dutch World Champion, Dr. Max Euwe?

43:00- What did Donner mean by his famous quote “Chess is a game of chance?” We also discuss a few other memorable quotes.

48:00- Was Donner being sarcastic when he wrote at length that “women cannot play chess”?

54:00- Why is Donner’s rivalry and demeaning writing about Dutch champion Lodewijk Prins, such a famous part of Dutch chess history?

Mentioned: GM Ben FInegold’s video on Donner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXqpyLUt6mM

59:00- Closing thoughts on The King

1:03:00- Dirk’s thoughts on the Candidates and his other current big project

Mentioned: The Real Paul Morphy by FM Charles Hertan, Games and Goals

1:08:00- How is Dirk Jan enjoying podcasting?

Mentioned: New in Chess Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2Mj990NfwvaOh4GCKWLMJ7?si=2ec5f58435f44686

Episode 207 with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam

Thanks to Dirk Jan for sharing his knowledge and experiences with this book! Be sure to sub to the New in Chess Podcast!

https://open.spotify.com/show/2Mj990NfwvaOh4GCKWLMJ7?si=eb1eca7173d44ae2

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

EP 384- IM Levy Rozman (GothamChess) on renewing his GM title pursuit, lessons learned from his first attempt, and what we needs to do to improve. May 28, 2024

This week IM Levy Rozman (Gotham Chess) makes his annual return to Perpetual Chess to discuss what is new with him. I was particularly excited to chat with Levy as he recently announced his renewed pursuit of the GM title. Levy has been sharing lesson snippets and discussing his tournament plans on his channel, but I wanted many more details. What did he learn from his first norm-chasing experience? What will he do differently this time? Does he think he will be able to stick with it? Although most of us will never make GM, Levy’s quest to make it to the next level is relatable for me and for many other chess players. Aside from his OTB comeback, we discussed the swift rating-rise of popular gamer, Tyler 1, and the successes and lessons learned from Levy’s book. Levy shared a few stories from meeting celebrities in recent months. It's always fun catching up with Levy, and I am especially excited to follow his renewed pursuit of the GM title! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- What will be different about levy’s second public quest for GM? Will his mental health be ok? What will he do differently?

Mentioned: Road to GM Episode 3 with GM Arturs Neiksans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFILafuQgPg&t=1704s

11:00- What will Levy do to address the weaknesses that GM Neiksans highlighted?

Mentioned: IM Alex Ostrovskiy

15:00- Levy discusses his upcoming tournament in Spain.

17:30- Will Levy stream his tournament games? What tournaments is he planning to play?

26:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What can Levy’s fans do to support his renewed GM quest?”

29:00- Will Levy hire a sports psychologist?

31:00- Does Levy have a timeframe in mind for this GM pursuit?

34:00- Levy has been covering popular Twitch streamer and gamer Tyler1’s unusual chess progress. What interests him about this story?

Mentioned:

Tyler1 is a ChessGM!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gler9fDuhRY

41:00- What led Levy to work on his fitness?

43:00- Has Levy been pleased with the reception to his book?

Mentioned: Rey Enigma, Blitzstream

49:00- What was the story behind meeting NBA superstar Luka Donkic?

53:00- What was it like to finally meet Magnus Carlsen IRL?

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Can Levy tease any upcoming collaborations?”

Mentioned: More info in an article from Tarjei Svensen here:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/4-million-buy-in-tournament-wadim-rosenstein-abdusattorov-caruana-nepomniachtchi-niemann

58:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How will Levy work on positional evaluation in his renewed GM quest?”

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagard’s books

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Jacob-Aagaard/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AJacob+Aagaard

1:00:00- Thanks, as always to Levy for joining me!

In addition to the usual channels, you can get inside access to his GM quest via his Patreon here:

https://www.patreon.com/gothamchessofficial

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

EP 383- Dan Bock: An Accomplished Adult Improver on How He Leveled Up in his 40s. May 21, 2024

This week the Adult Improver Seriesreturns with an extremely insightful guest. Dan Bock is a North Carolina-based software engineer and dad, who finally got serious about chess improvement in 2021. At this time, Dan began to compete frequently, utilize digital flashcards, and make a conscious effort to make friends in the chess world in order to help make his hobby more fulfilling. Dan’s results have been rare and inspiring, as he has seen USCF rating rise from the high 1500s to the high 1900s (USCF) in the last 3 years. As Dan explains, while he is very directed in his decisions of how to approach chess study, he does not put in outlandish an number of hours of study per day. He is very focused on what actually decides the outcomes of his own games, and has made constant progress by keeping that as his North Star. I find Dan’s story very inspiring and am excited to see his continued progress!

You can find the Adult Improver Spotify Playlist here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=29035838af4d4345

0:00- You can find more information about the National Open here:

https://www.vegaschessfestival.com/national-open/

The live “My System” podcast with GM Alex Fishbein will be on Saturday, June 8, at 7:30 PM.

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- When did Dan decide to get serious about chess improvement? How did he know how to approach studying?

Mentioned: Chess Journeys Episode 93 with Dan:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Xg3JotQTg4NoThsn9pPhw?si=14bfea1e50df4df5

Mentioned: Dan’s post 11 Things I did to Take my USCF Rating from 1547 to 1976

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/p/11-things-i-did-to-take-my-uscf-rating

09:00- Why did he decide to emphasize OTB chess for improvement?

10:45- How does Dan use checklists to help his thinking processes?

Mentioned: Dr. Nick Vasquez’s post discussing checklists:

https://nickvasquezmd.substack.com/p/simpler-chess-ask-questions

16:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Dan suggest spending one hour per day on chess?

Mentioned: Anki flashcard app:

https://apps.ankiweb.net/

23:00- Aside from using digital flashcards, what else would Dan recommend?

Mentioned: Dan’s Post: “What Really Decides Games at the 1900 Level?”

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/p/what-really-decides-games-at-the

28:00- How did Dan cure his time-trouble addiction?

33:00- What is Dan’s approach to openings, and especially the Dubov Italian?

Mentioned: Chessbook.com, CM Han Schut and GM Jan Gustaffson’s Chessable courses on the Dubov Italian

https://www.chessable.com/dubovs-explosive-italian/course/80152/

https://www.chessable.com/gustafssons-aggressive-1e4-part-1/course/207313/

41:00- Does Dan still work without a coach?

42:00- Dan and Ben’s improvement takeaways from the FIDE Candidates

45:00- We discuss Dan’s approach to the Italian Opening

Mentioned: TheOnoZone’s Blog:

https://lichess.org/@/TheOnoZone/blog/learning-to-learn/Xg3xJ4qX

Ono’s HowtoChess interview:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fKVmwuQZkWV9orWqnnchF?si=090bccbf5a284f85

52:00- What does Dan look for when choosing a chess tournament?

Mentioned: My Two Favorite Chess Tournament

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/p/my-two-favorite-chess-tournaments

56:00- How does Dan balance socialization with chess study at tournaments? Does Dan exercise during tournaments?

58:00- Closing thoughts!

Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess

1:00:00-

Subscribe to Dan’s blog here:

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/

Follow him on X here:

https://x.com/boldmovebydan

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EP 382- WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian: Why she is All-in on OTB Chess. WGM Title Pursuit, Study Recs + "Shoegate" Reflections May 14, 2024

This week I am excited to be joined by the popular chess streamer, YouTuber, commentator, and champion player, WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian. Anna-Maja joined me from her home in the Netherlands after concluding a busy few months of competitive chess. Although she had her share of setbacks, these tournaments were largely successful, as Anna-Maja recently earned her first WGM Norm!

Our conversation gave Anna-Maja the chance to reflect on the recent lessons she has learned as well as her goals both as a chess player and content creator. As she told me, Anna graduated from university somewhat recently and feels that this gives her an opportunity to devote all of her energy to chess improvement. She reflected on what aspects of the game she needs to work on, and also shared recommendations and advice for listeners. Last, and possibly least, we reflected on “Shoegate” the bizarre scandal where Anna-Maja somewhat unexpectedly made global headlines for her choice of footwear during the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz tournament. I am excited to see Anna-Maja’s continued norm pursuit and really enjoyed chatting with her. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

02:00- What is the status of Anna-Maja’s quest to earn the WGM title?

Mentioned: Anna-Maja’s The Chess Experience Podcast Interview

Anna-Maja’s game recap of earning her norm:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVm2KeXwzds

09:00- Is it challenging for Anna-Maja to focus on her tournament games when she is streaming them?

Mentioned: Episode 326 with Dina Belenkaya

18:00- What is Anna-Maja’s approach to openings?

20:00- Does Anna-Maja have a study plan? What books is she studying?

Mentioned: Zurich 1953, 100 Endgames You Must Know, Van Perlov’s Endgame Tactics, GM Jacob Aagaard’s Attacking Manual, The Steps Method

25:00- What are Anna-Maja’s upcoming tournaments?

Mentioned: Sharjah Masters

26:00-Anna discusses her professional plans after finishing university last year.

27:00- How is it received when Anna-Maja studies chess on stream?

Mentioned: StudyTime Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/studytme

33:00- What are Anna-Maja’s reflections on “shoegate”?

Mentioned: NY Times-

“Chess Federation Fines Player over her Sports Shoes”

40:00- What other tournaments does Anna-Maja have coming up?

44:00- Anna-Maja describes her work with the Chessqueens Foundation

49:00- What are Anna-Maja’s favorite open tournaments? Does she do a lot of socialzing during rounds?

52:00- Is Anna-Maja working with a coach?

55:00 Anna-Maja’s closing thoughts.

Mentioned: Alliance E-Sports

Thanks to Anna-Maja for joining me! Here is how to keep up with her:

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/amkazarian/

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/annamaja

YouTube-

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIKOoBA2bTAVj_MaPHzMSdg

X/Twitter-

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

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

EP 381- CM Azel Chua- Calculation Advice, Improving Chess Intuition, and is the concept of “Checks, Captures & Threats” overrated? May 07, 2024

Azel Chua is a 21-year-old Singapore-based self-taught Candidate Master who has built his own chess skills from the ground up. As Azel explains, he began working on his visualization skills as he sought a way to study chess during high school classes that did not especially interest him.. From there, Azel has developed a unique framework for calculating in chess that he calls “The Burger Technique,” as covered in his popular Chessable courses on Calculation. In our interview, we discuss this technique, as well as hearing Azel’s thoughts and experiences with utilizing resources such as YouTube, and Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual. Azel also shares some helpful tips on ways to improve one’s chess intuition, and he delves into his background and the chess scene in Singapore. As always, timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

03:00- What did Azel learn from studying the classic book Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual during high school classes?

Mentioned: Calculation Masterclass with Chessgoals

7:00- What was Azel’s approach to chess improvement?

10:00- Why does Azel think that the common tactic-solving advice of looking for “checks, captures and threats” might be bad advice?

12:15- What is”the Burger technique?”

17:30- Where did he come up with the name for “the Burger technique?”

21:00- What was Azel’s mix of studying vs. competing as a tournament player?

22:00- How does Azel describe the chess culture of Singapore?

25:00- What were the biggest contributors to Azel’s improvement?

27:30- What can we do to improve our chess intuition?

32:00- What was Azel’s approach to openings?

36:00- Does Azel follow professional chess? Or read about chess history?

37:00- How does Azel find teaching material?

39:00- What is reciprocal thinking?

Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew‘s Video: The Power of Reciprocal Thinking

45:00- Thanks to Azel Chua for joining me! You can check out his Chessable courses here:

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

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

EP 380- FIDE Candidates Wrap Up with GM Erwin L'Ami: Gukesh Ascends as Caruana Suffers a Heartbreaking Setback Apr 27, 2024

We are back for one more 2024 FIDE Candidates reflection as we start to take stock of a historic tournament. Joining me (again) to discuss it is renowned trainer, opening theoretician, Chessable author, and 2022 Dutch National Champion, GM Erwin Lami. Erwin has frequently collaborated with GM Anish Giri, and he was on the World Championship preparation team for GM Veselin Toplov. Erwin shares his thoughts on GM Gukesh’s impressive ascendance, Fabiano and Nepo’s disappointment, and what this result does and does not mean for the trajectory of professional chess. We also discuss the performance of the other players, the Women’s Candidates, and Erwin’s plans for 2024. I always love to hear Erwin’s perspective, and discussing this tournament was not an exception. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com! Check out what they have to offer, and if you sign up for Chessable Pro (as you should), use this link to help support Perpeutal Chess:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0;00- Upcoming events and info:

Chess in the Schools Poker Fundraiser;

https://secure.givelively.org/event/chess-in-the-schools-inc/chess-in-the-schools-poker-night-fundraiser

National Open/Las Vegas Chess Festival Info:

https://www.vegaschessfestival.com/national-open/

4:30- GM Erwin L’Ami joins me! What does he think made this tournament was so compelling?

10:00- How surprised was Erwin by Gukesh’s performance? What should we expect from him from here?

18;30- Patreon mailbag quesiton: “How can Caruana recover from his devastaiting loss to Nepo? “

.27:00- What did Erwin think of Nepo's performance?

29:30- Where does Nakamura go from here? Will this be his last Candidates?

38:00- What went wrong for GM Alireza Firouzja?

43:00 What are Erwin’s thoughts on Pragganandhaa’s performance?

46:00- What were Erwin’s thoughts on the Women’s Candidates?

49:00- Where might the World Championship be held? Would it help or hurt Gukesh if it were in India?

53:00- Who does Erwin think would be the favorite in Gukesh vs. Ding?

Mentioned: Gotham City Podcast with GM Gukesh

57:00 Does the format for the Candidates or Candidates qualification need to be changed?

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s blog post

1:08:00- What are Erwin’s remaining 2024 plans?

Thanks as always to GM Erwin L’ami for providing his perspective!

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 379- IM Renier Castellanos on How he Earned the GM Title at Age 41. Apr 23, 2024

41-year-old IM Renier Castellanos had all but given up on earning the Grandmaster title. His life was getting busier, and after 2 potential GM norms were not ratified by FIDE, he felt like it just wasn’t meant to be. But his friends and Killer Chess Training co-workers, GM Jacob Aagaard and Kallia Kleisarchaki, convinced him to keep trying. It turned out that was all it took! Two weeks ago, Renier got his final GM norm, to earn the title of Grandmaster at age 41. In our interview, Renier reflects on the lessons he has learned, and why he thinks he was still able to earn the title in this challenging era, despite not working on chess as much as he did in his 20s. Renier also shares his own advice on chess improvement, some book recommendations, and discusses what he observed from facing Super GM level players like GM Vladimir Fedoseev. This interview was conducted while the Candidates was still ongoing, but you can even hear Renier’s Candidates prediction to see how it played out. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com

New courses include - Michael Roiz’s Fighting the Grunfeld and King’s Indian

If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- Renier discusses why he had given up on the GM title

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard of Killer Chess Training, Killer Chess Training Review of Renier’s Game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeI0AazBw1I

0:08- What shortcoming in his game did Renier need to overcome in order to earn the title?

9:45- How did he think about the expense of pursuing the GM title?

16:00- What is Renier’s approach to the opening? What else did he do to train?

Mentioned; KillerChessTraining.com

22:00- How did Renier’s wife, WGM Raluca Sgircea, help him with his daily habits?

25:00- Renier discusses his early years growing up in Cuba, moving to Chile and then to Spain in his teens and 20s

Mentioned: GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista, Chess Reddit thread about Renier’s GM title

31:00- We discuss the congratulatory notes Renier has gotten, including this tweet from GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming

Mentioned: Episode 184 with GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming

34:00- Did an emphasis on physical fitness help his chess? What about community?

43:00- What is the best way to spend one’s chess improvement time?

46:00- Renier’s recommended open tournaments, based on his time on as a traveling chess professional:

Mentioned: Benasque, Spain Chess Open, Menoraca, Sitges

51:00- Renier’s favorite chess books

Mentioned: Perfect Your Chess, Dynamic Chess Strategy by GM Mihai Suba

54:00- What did Renier learn from playing Fedoseev and other super GM-level players?

1:03:00- Renier’s most memorable game

Mentioned: Video of his World Bitz victory vs. GM Peter Svidler

1:10:00- Thanks to Renier for sharing his inspiring story!

You can reach him via his Lichess coaches page or find his classes at KillerChessTraining:

https://lichess.org/coach/RenierChess

KillerChessTraining.com

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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Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 12 Breakdown (Part 2)- FM Mike Klein on the Player’s Mindsets, Historical Context, and the Alireza Shoe Controversy Apr 19, 2024

For the final FIDE Candidates bonus pod, award-winning Chess.com journalist, FM Mike Klein joins me from Toronto. We cover topics including the atmosphere in the playing hall, the presence of seconds and family members of the players, what to expect in rounds 13 and 14, and Mike provides his perspective on the controversy surrounding GM Alireza Firouzja's father. Thanks, as always, to Mike for providing so many behind-the-scenes details.

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Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 12 Breakdown (Part 1)- An Epic Finish Awaits, as Naka, Nepo and Gukesh are Tied! Apr 19, 2024

As we enter the final rest day, The FIDE Candidates tournament is set up for maximum drama with a three-way tie for first place and two rounds remaining. Joining me from Toronto to discuss it is FM Dalton Perrine. We highlight the continued trend of surprising opening choices and results, as well as the increased tension in the room as the tournament builds to a climax. In the women's section, we are down to two contenders for the Candidates title, as Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie are separated by a half a point.Dalton and I discuss all of the key matchups and surprises we have seen, as we look forward to the final chapter of an entertaining tournament. I will be back with one more bonus pod later on Friday, as Chess.com’s FM Mike Klein joins me from Toronto.

Mentioned in pod:

@ponysunrise photos:

https://twitter.com/sunrise_pony

@chessnumbers tweet -

https://x.com/ChessNumbers/status/1781113720212742568

Calib Wetheralll's Tournament Simulations-

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1c7iy1g/fide_candidates_tournament_updated_predictions/

Thanks to FM Dalton Perrine for joining me! Here is how to reach him:

Chessable Author page:

https://www.chessable.com/author/mattydperrine/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzuOx_63p9AIVkElyCh0z-A53EAAYASAAEgJY5vD_BwE

Chess.com

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

His Coaching Services:

https://nextlevelchesscoaching.com/fm-dalton-perrine/

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

Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 10 Breakdown (Part 2)- GM Jan Timman on the tournament so far. Apr 16, 2024

It is always an honor to hear 9-time Dutch Champion and former “best of the west” standout, GM Jan Timman discuss elite chess. In this interview he shares his thoughts on the 2024 FIDE Candidates. Topics include:

Who he favored going in
Who he favors now
Why the opening surprises?
His thoughts on Firouzja’s disappointing performance
His next book

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Check out GM Oliksiyenko’s course for Chessable pro members on the Candidates here:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-candidates-2024/course/243222/

If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Its always a pleasure to speak with GM Timman!

0:03- GM Timman joins me!

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 378- Lou Hays- Spending weekends with Fischer and Spassky, Getting to 2100 from Scratch as an Adult, Chess Publishing Then and Now Apr 16, 2024

For this week’s (non-Candidates) podcast I am honored to be joined by Lou Hays. Lou Hays is a businessman, accomplished chess author, and the founder of Hays Publishing, which published many popular books beginning in the 1990s. Lou also is an accomplished amateur player, who began tournament chess in his 20s and made it up to near master level. Lou has had the opportunity to meet some of the true legends of the game, and shares some amazing stories about his time spent with Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky and David Bronstein. We also discuss how chess improvement has, and has not changed over the decades, as well as Hays Publishing’s most successful books, and how the chess publishing industry has changed. I greatly enjoyed hearing Lou’s stories, and I am confident that you will as well.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses include GM Romain Eduoard’s Lifetime Repertoires: King’s Indian Attack.

If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Mentioned:

Winning Chess for Juniors

https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Tactics-Juniors-Hays/dp/1880673932

0:03- In 1992, Lou got to spend the weekend with Bobby Fischer. How did that come about, and what was the experience like?

Mentioned: Bobby Fischer, Complete Games of the World Champion, Zita Rajcsanyi, Ken Smith (founder of Chess Digest and the Smith-Morra Gambit), Fischer voicemail is on YouTube here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/CCa15k61MLY?si=igrs2WYVuyYHbltj

25:00- Lou shares his own chess story, including how chess improvement has, and has not changed

Mentioned: Hastings 1895 (Out of print), NM John Jacobs, Hal Bogner, IM Anatoly Lein

37:00- What was it like to spend a weekend with Boris Spassky?

46:00- Lou tells the story of playing legendary blitz player Israel Zelber.

49:00- How did Lou get into the chess publishing business?

Mentioned: My System: 21st Century Edition, Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Stuart Margulies, Yasser Seirawan

55:30- Patreon mailbag question: Would Lou consider putting Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors on Chessable?

Mentioned: James Stallings

1:00:00- Lou is also an accomplished improver at golf! Are there any parallels to chess improvement?

Mentioned:Lou’s book Make Your Golf Dream a Reality ,

1:01:00- What was it like to spend time with legendary GM David Bronstein?

Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein by Genna Sosonko, Mikanes Bronstein 1965

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

Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 10 Breakdown (Part 1)- Nepo and Gukesh lead Narrowly as Naka and Fabi are in Pursuit Apr 16, 2024

Heading into the penultimate rest day, I provide a quick rundown of the standings and key stories of a closely contested and entertaining FIDE Candidates. Plus I briefly share my thoughts on the drama surrounding GM Alireza Firouzja's noisy shoes.

Watch this feed for part 2, which will feature an interview about the Candidates with legendary former Dutch Champion, GM Jan Timman.

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

Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 7 Breakdown (Part 2)- GM Daniel King on the Tournament So Far Apr 12, 2024

We are back for with an in-depth breakdown of the first half of the FIDE Candidates. I am honored to be joined by commentator, author, Chessable author and Excellent YouTuber, GM Daniel King to discuss all that has transpired so far. What makes Nepo so good in these tournaments? Does Fabi have another gear? What has surprised Daniel the most? Tune in for this, plus player-by-player analysis. Timestamps of topics discussed below as always!

0:00- Brief big picture thoughts on the tournament

0:05- Nepo! What stands out about his performance?

Mentioned: The Chess Mind’s Blog Post:

https://thechessmind.substack.com/p/candidates-round-7

22:00- Fabiano

Mentioned: Anthony Levin’s Round 7 Recap:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/2024-fide-candidates-tournament-round-7

30:00- Gukesh

Final moments of Firouzja-Gukesh:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1c1sxzb/final_moments_of_gukesh_vs_firouzja/

37:00- Firouzja

41:00- Pragganandha

48:00- Nakamura

53:00- Vidit

57:00- Abasov

59:00- Final thoughts on Open Section

1:00:00- Women’s sections

1:05:00- Viewer Q & A- Daniel’s next projects, Genna Sosonko, Collusion

Mentioned: Daniel’s Anti-Sicilian Chessable Course (forthcoming to New in Chess as a book) , The Essential Sosonko

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

Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 7 Breakdown (Part 1)- Nepo and Tan Zhongyi Lead after a Dramatic First Half of the Tournament Apr 12, 2024

We are at the halfway point of a wildly entertaining 2024 FIDE Candidates! Ian Nepomniathchi continues to lead the Open Section, while Tan Zhongyi is in front in the Women’s Candidates This is the first part of what will be 2 podcasts discussing the tournament through 7 rounds. In this solo pod, I briefly run through the standings, upcoming pairings and share a few thoughts on the tournament. For part 2 (coming soon to this feed), I will be interviewing GM Daniel King of the Powerplay Chess YouTube Channel.

Links Mentioned:

Live stream of my chat with GM Daniel King Friday at 9AM EDT/1PM GMT on the Powerplay Chess YouTube Chess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiOR9OnXOEk

(and later to this feed)

Mentioned:

Final moments of Firouzja-Gukesh:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1c1sxzb/final_moments_of_gukesh_vs_firouzja/

Be sure to tune in for tomorrow Candidates interview with GM Daniel King, as well as our regular Tuesday weekly pod.

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

EP 377- NM Dan Heisman and NM Laura Smith. Two Accomplished Trainers on Capturing, Counting, and other Chess Concepts To Know Apr 09, 2024

For this week’s regular edition, (no FIDE Candidates talk) of Perpetual Chess, we are honored to be joined by two highly respected trainers and Chessable Authors. NM Dan Heisman is an engineer, turned author, YouTuber and trainer, who is particularly insightful regarding topics of adult chess improvement. I am a particular fan of his book, A Guide to Chess Improvement: The Best of Novice Nook. NM Laura Smith is a school teacher, chess trainer and former youth champion, who was the highest rated 13 year-old in the United States in 2002. Together, Laura and Dan have just collaborated on a new Chessable course, Can I Take It? A Beginner's Guide to Capturing Pieces. The course is geared toward beginner players and provides a comprehensive guide to an important tactical concept that Dan Heisman calls “counting.” In addition to discussing lessons from the course, we discuss some of the other original chess terms Dan has coined, Laura’s recent return to OTB chess, and upcoming projects for both authors. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses includeIntroduction to Chess Calculation, and GM Ganguly’s Lifetime Repertoires: Sidelines and Flank Openings for Black

If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Prior interviews with our guests:

Episode 138 with NM Dan Heisman

Laura Smith on How to Chess

0:01- How did Laura and Dan decide to collaborate?

Back to Basics Chess Tactics by Dan Heisman

5:30- What does Dan mean by the term “counting”?

Mentioned: GM John Nunn’s Learn Chess Tactics

10:30- What is the genesis of the term “Reinfeld values”

Mentioned: GM Larry Kaufman, The Evolution of Material Imbalances by IM Larry Kaufman, FM Charles Hertan

12:30- Dan and Laura on the differences between how adults and kids learn

Mentioned: NM Dan Benjamin, IM Josh Waitzkin, Everyone’s Second Chess Book by NM Dan Heisman

19:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Dan’s advice for improving visualization?

Mentioned: Evaluate like a Grandmaster by FM Nate Solon and GM Eugene Perelshteyn

Chessable’s Visualize Courses

25:00- Laura’s lessons learned from a recent OTB tournament, her first in years.

28:00- We discuss some of our favorite books.

Mentioned: Dan’s recommended book page, My recommended book page, Chess Steps books, Interviews mentioned IM Jop de la Marre, NM Han Schut, Chess Steps Walk-Through with Han Schut,

30:00- Dan and Smith discuss forthcoming books and projects

Mentioned: Laura Smith’s Forcing Moves for Beginners

39:00- What is a floobly?

46:00- Thanks to Dan and Laura for rejoining! Here is how you can reach them:

https://www.danheisman.com/lessons.html

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

Get their course here: https://www.chessable.com/can-i-take-it-a-beginners-guide-to-capturing-pieces/course/174891/

Sub to Dan's YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/user/danheisman

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

Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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

Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates First 4 Round Breakdown. Nepo leads (As usual). Plus a Fan's Toronto Trip Report Apr 08, 2024

The 2024 FIDE Candidates tournament is off and running with some entertaining chess and plenty of surprises. (Although perhaps the identities of the leaders in the Open and Women’s sections aren’t as surprising.) I have been riveted by this tournament and am hoping to provide audio analysis and perspective from different guests on each rest day. In today’s pod, I briefly share my early impressions, than welcome recent guest Denis Markov back to the podcast. Denis had just returned from attending Rounds 1 and 2 in Toronto and described what it was like to attend the event. We went into everything from FIDE’s cheat prevention methods, to what the viewing experience is like within the venue. Whether you are thinking of making a last minute trip to Toronto, or just want to live vicariously through Denis, I think you will enjoy his report of a trip that Denis says he definitely will not regret. We will be back with more coverage of this fantastic tournament on the next rest day, Friday April 12.

00:02 - Introduction and Plan for Perpetual Chess Coverage

02:00- Tournament Standings and Ben’s early Impressions

11:00 -Preview of Round Five Pairings

13:30- Denis Markov joins for a trip report from Toronto (previously heard on Episode 359)

13:57- Buying Tickets and Ticket Options

15:40- VIP Tickets and Balcony Experience

17:32- What it is like watching the players

19:50- Player Interactions and Autographs

23:00- The Fan Zone and Chess Personalities

26:47 -Spotting Chess Personalities

31:41-Meeting Gukesh and Viswanathan Anand

33:57-- Comparing the Candidates Tournament with attending the 2016 World Championship Match

36:57- Denis' Final Thoughts

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

Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 376- Adult Improver Jordan Groff on What it Takes to Make Master in 2024 Apr 02, 2024

The Adult Improver Series returns this week, with a guest who has improved his chess rapidly. Jordan Groff is a 24 year old Connecticut-based chess instructor who was recommended as a guest to me by GM Eugene Perelshteyn. Jordan resumed chess in 2018 after some years away, and has gone from 1864 to more than 2260 in about the last few years. During our interview, Jordan shares several ‘secrets” to his success. Aside from a lot of hard work and frequent competition, Jordan particularly credits a focus on the psychological aspects of OTB chess, and on opening preparation and tactics work. You can find out many more details in my interview with Jordan. it is inspiring to see such fast progress! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses includeIntroduction to Chess Calculation, and GM Ganguly’s Lifetime Repertoires: Sidelines and Flank Openings for Black

If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- You can find all of the information you need about the Las Vegas Chess Festival and the National Open here. I hope to see you there!

https://www.vegaschessfestival.com/national-open/

0:01- What got Jordan back into chess in 2018, after some years away?

Mentioned: Ginger GM, Chess Network

13:00- What is Jordan’s approach to the study of openings?

Mentioned: GM Eugene Perelshteyn, FM Nate Solon

20:00- Has Jordan studied a lot of tactics?

25:00- What made Jordan decide to “play up” and play in higher sections?

32:00- What is Jordan’s approach to studying endgames?

37:00- What sort of stuff does Jordan do in his lessons with GM Eugene Perelshteyn?

43:00- Was it challenging for Jordan to earn the National Master title? What are his next goals?

Mentioned: Here is Jordan’s LiChess coaches page:

https://lichess.org/coach/jmwgroff

48:30- What is Jordan’s best advice for people who are stuck?

52:00- Jordan’s recommended chess resources:

Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, Under the Surface, Seven Deadly Chess Sins

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 375- FIDE Candidates Mega Preview with GM Rafael Leitão, Chess by the Numbers, and On the Queenside Mar 26, 2024

The FIDE Candidates Tournament begins on April 4 in Toronto, Canada, and I could not be more excited to see who gets to challenge for the FIDE World Championship. As is tradition on Perpetual Chess, we have a few great guests joining to help discuss the action. First up is 7-time Brazilian champion & Correspondence GM, Rafael Leitão. In addition to a vast resume as a player, Rafael regularly annotates top-level games for Chess.com news coverage. Reviewing these games in detail on a daily basis gives Rafael unique insights into the tendencies of the world’s top players. Rafael and I discuss what to watch for in each player’s performance, fun facts, and what opening choices we might see from each player.

Following Rafael, I am joined by Tai Pruce Zimmerman, a/k/a Chess by the Numbers. Tai shares and discusses the win probability of both the open and the women’s candidates, and we also compare the output of Tai’s probabilistic model to the betting markets. Last but not least, I am joined by “On the Queenside,” who has built a large following on Twitter and Lichess for covering Women’s Chess in detail. We discuss whether it is a good idea to run the Women’s Candidates concurrently with the open, and which players we are excited to watch. As always, the timestamps of the guests, as well as the topics and players discussed can be found below.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses includeIntroduction to Chess Calculation, and GM Ganguly’s Lifetime Repertoires: Sidelines and Flank Openings for Black

If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- Format notes on the FIDE Candidates, including tournament schedule, tiebreak rules, and the Perpetual Chess’ plan for covering the event.

Mentioned: More info on the Candidates here, including tiebreak info:

More from Chess.com here

09:30- GM Rafael Rafael Leitão joins me for a detailed Candidates discussion!

Mentioned: Rafael’s prior interview was episode 147.

15:00- Can Ian Nepomniatchtchi “threepeat” at the Candidate?

21:50- GM Nijat Abasov.

25:30- GM Fabiano Caruana

Mentioned: Leitao-Caruana 2010

30:00- GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshababu

32:30- Hikaru Nakamura

Mentioned: GM Daniel King’s YT Candidates Previews:

Gelfand-Nakamura 2010

37:45- Alireza Firouzja

44:00- GM Vidit Gujirathi

47:00- GM Gukesh Dommaraju

51:30- Who does Rafael predict will win?

Mentioned: Bwin’s betting market on the Candidates:

54:00- Rafael shares his thoughts on the Women’s Candidates. More info here:

59:00- Rafael discusses his own chess career, and what is new from our prior interview. This includes a compelling argument for Chess960.

Mentioned:GM Luis Paolo Supi, Supi-Carlsen 2020

1:09:00- Thanks to Rafael for joining me! Here is how to keep up with him:

Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/@rafaelleitaogm

X/Twitter- https://twitter.com/rafpig?lang=en

Website- https://rafaelleitao.com/articles/

1:10:00- Tai Pruce Zimmerman aka Chess by the Numbers rejoins me to talk Candidates statistiics!

Mentioned: Betting market here

1:31:00- What does Tai’s model say on who is most likely to win the Woman’s Candidates?

1:41:00- Thanks to Tai for joining me! Follow him on X here:

1:42;00- On the Queenside joins. Is it a good idea to have the Women’s Candidates run concurrently with the Open Candidates for the first time?

Mentioned: On the Queenside’s preview of the Reykjavik Open

1:50:00- Be sure to follow On the Queenside on Twitter/X and on Lichess!

Twitter/X

LiChess

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EP 374- GM Noel Studer- Chess Improvement Q & A- Avoiding Burnout, Addressing Weaknesses, Avoiding Blunders, & Lots More! Mar 19, 2024

This week we return with another “Chess Improvement Q & A” episode, with another top trainer. Our returning guest is 2-time Swiss National Champion, turned trainer and blogger, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always insightful on everything related to chess improvement. He answers a wide range of questions from the online chess community. Topics discussed include: how to diagnose weaknesses, what to look for in a chess trainer, limiting blunders,and improving tactics, as well as Noel’s helpful advice for dealing with various common psychological pitfalls that chess players face. After 75 minutes of chess improvement talk, we turn our attention to Noel’s new course, Beginner Chess Mastery. It is a comprehensive guide for newer chess players, designed to take you up to about the 1200 level. If this describes you or someone you know, you will want to stay tuned until the end of the pod. Timestamps of all the topics discussed can be found below.

If you or someone you know is below 1200 and looking to improve their games, check out Noel’s course. (on sale for a limited time)

(Using this link helps to support Perpetual Chess)

Beginner Chess Mastery

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com

https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter/

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses includeIntroduction to Chess Calculation, and GM Ganguly’s Lifetime Repertoires: Sidelines and Flank Openings for Black

If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Prior Noel Studer appearances on episodes 248 and 312

04:30- Chess improvement Q and A! Is it possible that an amateur player would be a better teacher for a beginner than a Grandmaster would?

Mentioned: Nate Solon’s Tweet

Also Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard

18:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Noel diagnose what a student needs to do to improve? How does he know when a weakness has been sufficiently addressed?”

22:00- Advice for limiting blunders

25:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Noel’s advice for someone who struggles at rapid speed compared to slower time controls?”

31:00- Advice for improving at tactics

Mentioned: 600 Practical Chess Exercises

36;30- Is it more effective to have a coach than to use online training courses?

38:00- Noel’s excellent advice for avoiding making impulsive moves.

45:00- Noel’s advice for a player who struggles to embrace complications when short on time

51;00- Is one better off studying the games of lower level masters compared to those of Super GMs and the all-time greats?

56:00- What does Noel think of solitaire chess/guess the move?

1:00:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Diet and weight loss are known as the keys to losing weight. What are the chess-improvement analogs to diet and weight loss?”

1:03:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are some ways to evaluate improvement besides rating?”

1:05:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Noel’s favorite chess book on the middlegame?”

Mentioned: Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios

1:07:00- Does Noel think its better to repeat tactical puzzles a la the Woodpecker method, or to solve new ones?

1:09:00- Noel’s tips for avoiding burnout

1:13:00- What is the best time control to practice online?

1:15:30- We discuss Noel’s new course, Beginner Chess Mastery

1:19:50- Who is the target audience for this course?

Thanks to Noel for joining me again!

https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter/

And get his course here (using this link helps support Perpetual Chess):

https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/beginner-chess-mastery?affcode=1152624_qcx_s87s

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

EP 373- Carol Ann Caronia: Advice for Chess Parents & Scholastic Teachers from an Author and Longtime Teacher Mar 12, 2024

This week on the podcast we delve into the topic of how to teach chess to kids who are new to the game. My guest, Carol Ann Caronia has been teaching curriculum and afterschool chess classes in Brooklyn, New York for decades. Her new book, Strategic Moves: Mind-Building Chess Exercises for Kids, shares all that she has learned from these experiences. The topics we cover include, differences she has noticed between teaching girls and teaching boys, managing after-school classes, and whether or not we should let new students/our kids win when we play them. Carol Ann has accumulated some amusing stories during her time teaching, including a tale of two parents getting into a fight over their kids chess game. As we discuss, Carol Ann has worked closely with legendary teacher Bruce Pandolfini, and taught a 5 year-old Fabiano Caruana! If you are a chess parent, a teacher, or simply someone who would like to be able to teach a new player the game effectively, this is the episode for you. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. In addition toGM Friedel’s course,Endgame Labyrinthsis now on Chessable. If you use the link below to sign up for Perpetual Chess, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- What advice would Carol Ann give to those facilitating scholastic chess classes?

12:00- What recommendations would Carol Ann give for anyone teaching chess to a brand new player? Should we let the kids win?

15:00- Has Carol Ann noticed a difference in teaching chess to girls and teaching chess to boys?

Mentioned: My 60 Memorable Games

20:00- What advice does she give to parents whose kids become tournament players?

23:00- Carol Ann discusses some of her star students, including a 5 year-old Fabiano Caruana

Mentioned: Bruce Pandolfini, GM Robert Hess

27:00- How is it different teaching chess as part of a curriculum compared to after school classes or chess clubs?

28:30- Carol Ann shares a story of two parents getting in a fight over a game during parent visitation day.

32:00- In the age of devices, does Carol Ann notice any difference in the attention span of kids?

Mentioned: Paul Morphy, Judit Polgar

34:00- Should “touch-move” be enforced with kids?

36:30- What can teachers and volunteers do to help make up for any shortcomings in the school systems?

39:00- Has Carol Ann noticed any change in the popularity of chess in the wake of Queen’s Gambit?

40:30- What skills does Carol Ann think chess might help develop?

43:00- Carol Ann shares some closing recommendations for resources Mentioned:

Jeff Coakley’s books, Everyone’s First Chess Workbook

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 372- GM Jan Gustafsson: Learning 1. E4, Life after Team Magnus, Chess Cheating, the FIDE Candidates & more Mar 05, 2024

This week we get to catch up with one of the original and most popular Perpetual Chess guests, GM Jan Gustafsson. Jan, of course, is a renowned opening theoretician, commentator and trainer, who has worked on GM Magnus Carlson’s World Championship team, and is currently the coach of the German National Team. Jan has recently released a highly anticipated Chessable course, Gustafsson’s Aggressive 1. E4 (co-authored with CM Vjekoslav Nemec).

We discuss the lines Jan selected for this course, but also catch up on a wide variety of topics including life after Team Magnus, life after Chess24, life after the Chicken Chess Club podcast, chess cheating, the Bundesliga and the FIDE Candidates. It is always amusing and informative to chat with Jan, and this time is no exception! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Chessable has tons of new offerings in addition toGM Jan Gustafsson brand new course on 1. E4! If you use the link below to sign up for Perpetual Chess, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- Welcome back Jan! Patreon mailbag question: “What chess generation does Jan identify with?”

0:05- Jan recently competed in the renowned German Chess League, the Bundesliga. How were the games, and what was his schedule like?

Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand, Nakamura, GM Vincent Keymer

9:30- How did Jan enjoy the Chess.com Team Challenge match, where he and Peter Svidler lost to a team with GM Robert Hess and GM Daniel Naroditsky

You can watch the match replay here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pl3TNUTtqQ

11;00- Will Jan be playing his aggressive 1. E4 repertoire in the Bundesliga? Was it challenging to work on this course as a lifelong 1. D4 player.

14:30- Why did Jan decide to focus on the Dubov Italian within his course?

20:00- Why did Jan pick the classical against the Pirc?

24:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Why did Jan make an aggressive repertoire rather than a “chicken” repertoire?”

27:00- Did Jan have a secret blitz account to try these lines?

28:15- Patreon mailbag question: “Why does Jan stream in German rather than English?”

30:00- What does Jan miss most from Chess24?

32:00- Will Jan do a banter blitz for Chess.com ?

33:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Whither the Chicken Chess Club Podcast?”

36:00- What are Jan’s thoughts about the upcoming FIDE Candidates?

41:00- Is Jan still working with GM Anish Giri?

42:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What emotions did Jan feel when Magnus announced his stepping down from the World Championship cycle?”

46:00- What does Jan think of Chess960/Freestyle chess?

50:00- Jan’s 2024 calendar including coaching the German Olimpiad team.

57:00- Jan asks me for chess book recommendations

Mentioned; Think Like a Super GM, In Black and White

59:00- Has Jan seen any good movies or TV shows lately?

Mentioned: Mr and Mrs. Smith, Shogun, Blue Eyed Samarui, The Bear,

1:02:00- How are Magnus’ Carlsen’s Fantasy Basketball skills?

1:04:00- Has Jan seen GM Hans Niemann’s vlog?

Mentioned: GM Hans Niemann’s YouTube

1:06:00- What does Jan think of all of the recent cheating accusations we have been hearing about?

Mentioned: Episode 368 with Erik Allebest

1:10- Thanks to Jan for joining me again!!

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EP 371- GM Josh Friedel- Common Beginner & Intermediate Mistakes, Freestyle Chess, and Advice for Goal-Setting Feb 27, 2024

GM Josh Friedel is the 2013 US Open Champion and is a state champion of 3 different states! Josh has also been teaching chess for decades, and he always presents chess in a clear and instructive fashion. Here in 2024, Josh has released his first Chessable course, Beginner Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. In addition to sharing some key advice from this course, Josh also discusses common errors he sees at the intermediate level. It has been more than 5 years since my first interview with Josh, so we also catch up on his OTB career, goal-setting, and on what he learns about chess improvement from working to improve at cooking, tennis, and his newest hobby, guitar.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. In addition to GM Friedel’s course,GM Jan Gustafsson is out with a brand new course on 1. E4! If you use the link below to sign up for Perpetual Chess, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- What gave Josh the idea to cover the topic of Beginner Mistakes. What are some common beginner mistakes?

0:11- Josh covers some of the most common intermediate-level (1600-2100) mistakes he sees.

Mentioned; GM Josh Friedel’s YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/user/joshfriedel

0:22- Josh shares his thoughts on Chess960 aka Freestyle Chess

0:27- Patreon mailbag question: What is Josh’s advice for how chess players should go about setting goals?

29- Josh’s plans for an OTB comeback

36:00- Patreon mailbag question: What has Josh learned from working with coaches like GM Kaidanov, GM Goldin, NM Hal Terrie, and GM Larry Christiansen?

Mentioned; GM Daniel Naroditsky, Lev Psakhis, Viktor Mikhalevski, Vinay Bhat

45:00- Are Josh’s abilities in his other interests, such as tennis and cooking, also progressing?

Mentioned: GM Ray Robson, IM Eric Rosen, IM Marc Esserman

48:00- What is the topic of the chess book Josh is working on?

Thanks to Josh for joining the pod! You can reach him via the LiChess coaches page, and be sure to check out his Chessable course!

https://www.chessable.com/beginner-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them-the-opening/course/204684/

You can contact him via his LiChess coaches page:

https://lichess.org/coach/JFriedel

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 370- GM Paul van der Sterren- Breakthroughs, Declines, Mindfulness and the Odyssey of a 20+ Year Professional Career Feb 20, 2024

This week’s guest is two- time Dutch Champion, eleven-time Olympian, author and former candidate for the World Championship Title, GM Paul Van der Sterren. Paul had an unusual career trajectory, in that after 15+years as a chess professional, his “breakout” year occurred at the age of 37. What happened that year (1993)? That is one of the many questions tackled in his fantastic, newly-translated game collection/memoir In Black and White: The Chess Autobiography of a World Championship Candidate. In New in Chess Magazine, GM Matthew Sadler calls this book “simply the finest chess book I’ve ever read.” After retiring from professional chess, Paul became a meditation teacher. His new book, Mindful Chess, traces the development of his mindfulness practice and offers reflections and tips for chess players interested in the topic. In addition to reflecting on the lessons from these books, Paul shares wonderful stories about his clashes with the Polgar sisters, Korchnoi, Tal and many others. I cannot recommend Paul’s books highly enough, and I think that this interview will give you a good sense of the lessons they contain. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. Be sure to check out new courses like FM Dalton Perrine’s The French Simplified. If you use the link below to sign up for Perpetual Chess, it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- Free previews of Paul’s books are available from New in Chess here:

In Black and White

Mindful Chess

0:03- GM Van der Sterren achieved a legendary chess breakthrough in 1993 at age 37 . What changed?

10:30- In his one career Candidates’ match, Paul lost to a young GM Gata Kamsky. How does he reflect on that match now?

16:00- For Chess in Black and White, how did Paul remember so many details from throughout his chess career?

24:00- Aging comes across as a major theme of the book, Chess in Black and White. Was this by design?

Mentioned: GM Matthew Sadler, Sasha Chapin’s All the Moves That Matter, GM Ben Finegold

32:00- Patreon mailbag question:

“What is Paul’s opinion as to why adults struggle to improve at chess?”

Mentioned: The Facebook Chess Book Collector’s Group

41:00- We discuss Mindful Chess. When did Paul become interested in meditation and Western philosophy?

Mentioned; The Bhagavad Gita, Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Vidit

50:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does GM Van der Sterren have any recommendations for connecting psychology and chess?”

Mentioned; Mental Toughness in Chess, The Rider by Tim Krabbe, The Essential Sosonko

55:00- Story time! What was it like to play the young Polgar sisters, Jan Timman, Korchnoi and Jan Timman?

1:22:00- One more Korchnoi story!

1:24:00- Paul discusses his work at the historic Max Euwe Chess Center.

Mentioned: You can help support the Max Euwe via this link:

https://steunactie.nl/actie/het-max-euwe-centrum-gaat-verhuizen-the-max-euwe-centre-is-moving/-29071

1:30:00- Will there be an update to Paul’s excellent opening encyclopedia, Fundamental Chess Openings?

Thanks so much to GM Van der Sterren for joining me!

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

EP 369- NM Robert Ramirez on the difference between Adult and Youth Chess Students, Chess in Cuba, and Why He Loves the Pirc Defense Feb 13, 2024

This week I am excited to be joined by chess YouTube star and popular Chessable author, NM Robert Ramirez. Robert has a unique story amongst master-level players, as he spent his early years in Cuba and began tournament chess at the relatively late age of 12. As one of the older kids in his chess class in Cuba, Robert felt like he had to “play catch up” from the beginning, and this perspective steered him toward less popular openings like the Pirc defense and the King’s Indian Defense. Robert continued his pursuit of chess when his family emigrated to the U.S. in 2016, and ultimately became a successful chess teacher. With less work and extra free time during the pandemic, Robert launched his YouTube channel. Robert’s channel took a while to catch on, but he now has over 120,000 YouTube subscribers. His Chessable course, which is based on his battle-tested repertoire, has drawn rave reviews. Robert showcases an ability to relate to people and a lucid teaching style that likely contributes to the success of everything that he does. It was a lot of fun hearing his story and his chess advice. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. In addition to NM Robert Ramirez’s course, be sure to check out new ones like FM Dalton Perrine’s The French Simplified. If you use the link below to sign up for Perpeutal Chess it helps to support the pod!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- We start with a tournament rundown. What has Robert learned since coming back to OTB a few years ago, and what was different about his approach in a successful recent tournament?

Mentioned: Tournament crosstable here, 6000 Problems de Ajedrez, Lessons with a Grandmaster

15:00- What are the origins of Robert’s YouTube channel?

Mentioned: Robert’s series with Omar, aka Chess von Doom

21:00- What are the secrets to the Pirc defense?

Mentioned: 2 Adult Improvers and one Training Plan

28:00- Does Robert need to switch his openings since he is known for the Pirc and King’s Indian Defense?

30:00- Robert discusses his childhood in Cuba and what it was like coming to the U.S. at age 16 and resuming chess here?

46:00- The differences between adults and kids in chess learning .

Mentioned: Fallow123 on Chess.com

56:00- Robert’s closing chess improvement advice

58:00- Where do Robert’s skills as a presenter come from?

Thanks to Robert for joining the show! Here is how to keep up with him:

Youtube:

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

Chessable:

https://www.chessable.com/counterblow-a-complete-fighting-repertoire-for-beginners/course/199358/

Twitter/x:

https://twitter.com/NMRobertRamirez

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EP 368- Erik Allebest (Chess.com CEO)- Online Cheating, The Magnus-Hikaru match that fell through, the Chess24 closure & more Feb 06, 2024

Recorded on January 31, 2024

Featuring guest co-host FM Nate Solon

With talk of online cheating recently dominating chess conversations, Chess.com CEO and co-founder Erik Allebest joined me (and guest co-host FM Nate Solon) to discuss the issue at length. While Erik acknowledges that chess cheating is an existential threat to the game, the research of his Chess.com team suggests that people overestimate the frequency of online cheating occurrences. Erik also discussed Chess.com’s current and forthcoming anti-cheat measures, their policy regarding not naming suspected cheaters, and Erik’s thoughts on some recent headline-grabbing comments by GM Fabiano Caruana. We also covered a lot of topics unrelated to online cheating, including The Magnus-Hikaru match that fell through last year, the closures of Chess24 and the Pro Chess League, Chess.com’s relationship with FIDE, and Erik’s reflections on the Niemann-Carlsen story. As Erik discussed, there will still be a lot more information coming out about that story in a forthcoming Netflix documentary. I appreciated Erik’s willingness to speak so openly about so many issues and think that you will learn a lot from the conversation.

0:00- Be sure to check out Chessable’s new courses including GM Srinath Narayanan’s brand new course on the Classical Sicilian, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and/or make a Chessable purchase, it will help support Perpetual Chess.

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:01- Here are the links to subscribe to guest co-host FM Nate Solon’s blog and to check out his new learning cohort, The Chess Gym:

https://thechessgym.com/

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/

0:03- Erik Allebest joins the podcast! We begin by discussing chess cheating.

Mentioned: Erik’s first interview with Ilya Levitov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZDRrWAx2Rk

(there is a part 2 to that interview that was released after this podcast was recorded)

NY Times article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/crosswords/chess-cheating-online-fide.html

13:30- What does Erik think of GM Fabiano Caruana’s recent suggestions of widespread cheating during Titled Tuesday?

Mentioned; Nate’s post called Beating Hikaru

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/beating-hikaru

27:00- More on cheating, including whether they have considered having players play from centralized locations and other issues.

31:00- What goes into their policy of not naming cheaters, might that policy be changed?

40:00- Has Chess.com had discussions with FIDE about sharing info about who has been banned from their site?

42;00- Would Chess.com consider being involved in a new chess governing body?

Mentioned: Episode 364 with GM Patrick Wolff

49:00- What happened with the match between Magnus and Hikaru that fell through last year?

Mentioned: The State of Chess.com 2023:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri3Z809CbS8

55:00- What will be the subject of a forthcoming Netflix chess documentary?

Mentioned: GM Sam Sevian

57:00- What did the CHess.com team learn from the Niemann-Carlsen controversy?

1:01:00- Why was the Pro Chess League shut down? What about Chess24?

1:11:00- Was selling a partial stake of Chess.com to the private equity firm General Atlantic related to the Play Magnus acquisition?

Mentioned: Isai Scheinberg, General Atlantic Announces Investment in Chess.com:

https://www.generalatlantic.com/media-article/chess-com-announces-growth-investment-from-general-atlantic/

1:20:00- Closing thoughts- what is Erik excited for in the coming year?

Thanks to Erik for joining us, and to FM Nate Solon for co-hosting!

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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Book Recap #35- Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning- What should chess players know about how to learn and retain information? (with Dr. Nick Vasquez) Feb 02, 2024

Our book review series, Chess Books Recaptured, is back to discuss a “non-chess” book for the first time. However, the information in this book is vital for any student of the game. Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning is an extremely insightful encapsulation of best practices for learning and retaining information. The book is written by Peter C. Brown, Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel, and was the culmination of 10+ years of research. Joining me to discuss the book is emergency room physician and dedicated chess amateur Dr. Nick Vasquez. Nick has been blogging about how Make it Stick changed his thinking about learning and chess study, and we thought it was worth expanding the blog posts into a conversation. Key precepts of the book include the importance of mixing study themes, spacing out your study, testing your knowledge frequently, and emphasizing understanding and contextualization of the study material. Timestamps of the topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and/or make a Chessable purchase, it will help support Perpetual Chess.

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Interviews Mentioned:

Episode 286 Adult Improver Series Interview with Dr. Nick Vasquez

Episode 349 with Dr. Anique de Bruin

Nick’s blog posts about Make it Stick:

Book Review- https://nickvasquezmd.substack.com/p/make-it-stick

Chess Implications: https://nickvasquezmd.substack.com/p/making-it-stick

0:02- How did Make it Stick change Nick’s thinking about learning and studying chess?

0:09- What are the implications for opening learning of Make it Stick

Mentioned: Make it Stick website

21:00- What is the difference between varied practice and interleaving?

24:30- How did the book alter Nick’s training plan?

Mentioned: The Chess Steps, Practical Chess Exercises, GM Wojciech Moranda’s Books, GM Winning Chess Exercises for Kids, Anki

29:00- When trying to ingrain something into one’s memory are you better off studying things over decreasing time intervals or increasing time intervals?

33:00- More chess study conclusions

Mentioned: FM Nate Solon’s How to Learn an Opening in 2023

40:00- Is is true that “there is no such as a learning style?”

45:00- Final thoughts and favorite quotes and studies cited.

50:00- What is a “memory palace?

Mentioned; Moonwalking with Einstein

57:00- Thanks to Dr. Vasquez for rejoining me! Be sure to sub to his blog here:

https://nickvasquezmd.substack.com/

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

EP 367- Adult Improver Julio Calcina: A Chess and MMA Enthusiast on the Life Lessons that Each Can Provide. Jan 30, 2024

The Adult Improver Series is back, and we have a very entertaining guest for you. Julio Calcina is a 32-year-old, Nottingham, England-based chess and Mixed Martial Arts enthusiast. Julio has found chess to be a transformative force for him and views chess as a microcosm of life. As Julio tells it, he used to be impetuous and aggressive in both chess and life, and made choices that sabotaged relationships and even contributed to his enduring a stint in prison. Throughout the years, Julio has stuck with the game, and it has helped teach him to be more contemplative and patient both over the board and away from it. Julio loves to play daily chess on Chess.com, and also reports on the British O.T.B. scene, shares chess improvement recommendations, and discusses his near-term goals and plans in chess and beyond. It was a lot of fun chatting with Julio and I think you will enjoy the conversation.

Thanks to Perpetual Chess Patreon subs! If you would like to join the community you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Spotify “Adult Improver Series” Playlist-

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=f12d20ae06fd4a89

0:00- If you would like to be considered for, or suggest someone as an adult improver guest, you can submit your information via this online form:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adult

02:00- Julio Calcina tells his “chess origin story.”

8:00- What has chess taught Julio about his own personality?

14:00- What has helped Julio improve his game?

Mentioned: The Backyard Professor

https://www.youtube.com/@TheBackyardProfessor, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course

17;00- Julio describes his OTB experiences

18:00- What happened that caused Julio to end up in prison?

22:00- That time Julio caught his romantic partner engine cheating against him in a chess game

Mentioned: Man’s Search for Meaning by VIktor Frankl

Meditations: Marcus Aurilieus

30:00- Patreon mailbag question: As a martial arts practitioner, why does Julio think that chess improvement is more difficult than improving at ju-jitsu?

40:00- Patreon mailbag questions: Does Julio consider chess a martial art in itself? Should chess be taught as part of martial arts curriculums?

47:00- Patreon mailbag questions: How does Julio balance cardio, weights, and chess? Can chess help those with ADHD?

50:00- What was the chess culture like in prison?

55:00- The link between drinking and chess in England

1:00- What are Julio’s 2024 plans?

Thanks to Julio for sharing his amazing story! Here is how to keep up with him:

LiChess

Chess.com

JulioPDC Instagram

Facebook Julio Calcina

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EP 366- GM Raven Sturt: Chess Improvement Deep Dive with a Self-Taught Grandmaster. Board Visualization Tips, Book Recs & Lots more. Jan 23, 2024

This week’s guest is Grandmaster and Chessable Author, Raven Sturt. Raven was a National High-School champion, but considers himself a late bloomer in chess because he had to work very hard to earn the Grandmaster title in his 20s. During this period, GM Sturt intensively trained his board visualization and pattern recognition skills, and he shares the fruits of his labor in his excellent Chessable Course, Developing Chess Intuition: Domination & Other Lesser Known Positional Concepts. Duringour conversation, we discuss the course, his book recommendations, and his unique approach to studying openings. Raven is working on a course on the Bird Opening (1. f4) , and has come to believe it is an underrated weapon for White. We also discuss Raven’s unique life trajectory. Raven grew up in New York City, went to McGill University in Canada, and has recently settled in Paraguay after traveling extensively. I really enjoyed chatting with Raven, and if you are interested in improving your chess game, you will definitely enjoy this conversation!

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

02:00- What does Raven think are the core tenets of chess improvement?

07:00- What has Raven noticed in the differences in how kids and adults learn?

09:00- After graduating from McGill University, Raven ended up pursuing chess full-time. What went into that decision? How did he approach his chess study?

11:00- Raven offers helpful visualization and calculation advice

Mentioned: Evaluate Like a Grandmaster

16:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Does Raven find that his focus on improving intuition resonates with adult students?”

22:40- Is competing OTB overrated as a method of chess improvement?

25:00- How did Raven get better at practical play without competing frequently?

Mentioned: MVL on C-Squared Podcast, GM Giga Qupardaze

31:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “What tips does Raven have for getting good at blindfold visualization?”

Mentioned: Book Recap #10- Blindfold Chess, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall

Domination by Kaspayan

38:00- How does Raven recommend dividing chess study time?

Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual

45:00- Raven’s favorite chess books:

Chess for Zebras, Dvoretsky’s Positional Play, Book Recap #32- Chess for Zebras, Strategic Play by GM Jacob Aagaard, Shankland’s Small Steps to Giant Improvement

50:00- What made Raven decide to study at a university outside of the U.S., to travel extensively, and to relocate to Paraguay?

53:00- What international open tournaments are Raven’s favorites to attend?

Mentioned: Sitges International, Floripa Chess Open, Paleochora International Chess Tournament in Crete

1:00:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Why doesn’t the U.S. offer more tournaments with one round per day?”

1:03:00- Is Raven training and competing right now?

1:04:00- Why is the Bird opening underrated for White?

1:06:00- What are Raven’s plans for his Youtube channel?

1:08:00-

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

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

EP 365- GM Abihimanyu Mishra: The Young Phenom on his Chess Improvement Regimen, His Next Goals, and his 2024 Plans Jan 16, 2024

This week we are honored to be joined by the 14-year-old record-breaking prodigy, GM Abhimanyu Mishra. Abhimanyu made worldwide headlines when he became the youngest Grandmaster in history in 2021. Since breaking that record, GM Mishra has continued his rapid ascension and is now rated 2635. As the number #10 junior in the world, Abhimanyu is the only junior in the top 20 under the age of 16! In our conversation, we discuss Abhimanyu’s training regimen, both now, and as he quickly climbed up the ranks. His chess growth was well-chronicled in the enjoyable book, The Youngest Chess Grandmaster in the World, as well as his Chessable course, Youngest Grandmaster: Abhimanyu Mishra Abhi also discusses how he balances chess and school work, his 2024 tournament plans, and the difficulties he has encountered in receiving invitations and sponsorship opportunities. Lastly, Abhimanyu reflects on unforgettable experiences, like training with Kasparov, and recently beating the legendary players such as GMs Vasyl Ivanchuk and Levon Aronian. I greatly enjoyed chatting with Abhi and can’t wait to see where the future takes him.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

2:00- What motivates Abhimanyu Mishra to work so hard on chess? Why does he love it?

4:00- Abhimanyu discusses his current training regimen.

Mentioned: GM Karsten Muller’s Endgame Magic, Abhi’s interview on C-Squared

13:00- How structured is Abhi’s chess-study schedule?

18:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Abhi think chess learning has changed over generations?’

23:00- Abhimanyu discusses how he approached studying Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual

30:00- What are Abhi’s favorite games that he has played?

Mentioned:-Mishra-Ivanchuk 2023, Mishra-Aronan 2023

Post mortem video of IVanchuk game via Chessbase India:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPQ3S9KgUY

34:00- Is Abhi still interested in table tennis and other sports? (He wrote about this in his book.)

38:00- Abhi discusses the financial challenges of being a young elite player.

Mentioned: GM Praggnanandhaa gets big sponsor

40:30- Abhi discusses his famed journey to the GM title.

43:00- How does Abhi select tournaments? Was he invited to Wijk an Zee?

46:00- What was it like to work with Kasparov? Who is the GOAT?

50:00- Would Abhi consider going to university?

54:00- What shows does Abhi watch?

Mentioned: C-Squared podcast

58:00- Thanks to GM Mishra, for joining me, you can follow him via these social media channels:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu.mishra2509/?hl=en

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

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

EP 364- GM Patrick Wolff: Recent Chess News Breakdown: Prearranged Draws, Bizarre Dress Codes, the Candidates Cycle- Is it time to Replace FIDE? Plus, a Chess and AI update Jan 09, 2024

GM Patrick Wolff is quite accomplished on and off the chess board. In the 1990’s he was a 2 time US Chess Champion and a member of GM Viswanathan Anand's prep team. Patrick is also the author of Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, a book that is always one of my first recommendations for newer players. In more recent years, he has worked as a hedge fund analyst. This varied background gives Patrick unique insights into the intersections of the chess and the business worlds. In our conversation, Patrick shared his opinions on all of the recent controversies which have plagued the chess world. As Patrick explains, the recent flare-ups involving dress codes, prearranged draws and a chaotic qualification process for the FIDE Candidates are all connected. Patrick thinks that the chess world needs a new governing body, and that the game is poised for more explosive growth if this can occur. In addition to all of the news, we caught up on lessons Patrick learned from playing in the US Senior Championship, and his observations on the continued evolution of chess engines. There is always lots to learn from GM Wolff, and I appreciated hearing his perspective.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, , and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess.

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

03:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on prearranged draws in light of the Dubov-Nepomniachtchi prearranged draw.

Mentioned: Background info here, Video and discussing of it here

13:00- What did Patrick think of the controversy surrounding Anna Maja Kazarian’s footwear?

Mentioned: NY Times article

20:00- We discuss the chaotic FIDE Candidates qualification cycle, which culminated in GM Alireza Firouzja scrambling to gain a few rating points.

Mentioned: C Squared pod discussion of the issue

28:00- Patrick discusses the history of FIDE, as it has evolved during his career.

Mentioned: Florencio Campomanes

51:00- Why didn’t Kasparov’s PCA work?

55:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on the April 2024 FIDE Candidates.

57:00- Patrick reflects on his performance in the US Senior Championship.

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, You can view the games discussed here:

https://www.chess.com/events/2023-us-senior-chess-championship/games

1:12:00- What age-related effects does Patrick notice, aside from struggling to remember opening lines?

1:15:00- Patrick discusses the way computers are effecting opening theory.

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EP-363 Jennifer Shahade on Playing Like a Champion, Building Confidence, and what "Zapping" is in Chess. Jan 02, 2024

This week’s return guest is 2 time US Women’s Champion and award-winning author, podcaster and commentator Jennifer Shahade. Jennifer has recently released the excellent and inspiring new tactics book, Play Like a Champion. Play Like a Championis a collection of biographical sketches of top woman players, featuring memorable tactics for a wide range of experience- levels. In our conversation, we discuss Jen’s writing and puzzle selection process, new chess vocabulary, Jen’s advice for starting chess clubs, and her decision to leave US Chess. We also discuss Jen’s next projects and her plans for 2024. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

Be sure to check out their new courses, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess.

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

03:00- We discuss Jen’s recent event at the Marshall Chess Club.

04:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What is Jen’s advice for starting a Women’s meetup/chess club?”

07:30- Why does Jen think there might be a “confidence gap” between how women and men assess their own chess skills?

Mentioned: Elizabeth Spiegel, Shawn Martinez

14:30- What led to the shift in Jen’s confidence level as a chess player when she was a teenager?

15;00- How did Jen decide on the wide range of difficulty within her puzzles?

Mentioned: The Botez Sisters, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, IM Sara Khadem

25:00- New chess strategy terminology: What is a “zap”? What does it mean to “think sideways?”

29:00- How is Jen’s next book progressing?

31:30- Jen discusses her collaboration with IM Jeremy Silman, who was her publisher for the book Chess Bitch.

Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Anna Hahn, Irina Krush, Pal Benko: My Life, Games, and Compositions

38:00- Will Jen be blogging more frequently?

Mentioned: Jen’s substack

40:00- Jen discusses her decision to leave US Chess in the wake of the Alejandro Ramirez allegations.

Mentioned: How Sexual Assault Allegations Against a US Chess Grandmaster went Unaddressed for Years,French female players Open Letter, Article regarding Steve Shutt, coach at Masterman High School (which Jennifer and I attended), Carol Meyer stepping down as US Chess Executive Director

48:00- Jen on her 2024 events and plans:

Chesskid National Festival, Russell Makofsky’s Impact Coaching Network, FM Mike Klein, FM James Canty, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Daniel Rensch, ASAP Philly

53:00- How to enter to win a copy of Play Like a Champion signed by Jennifer Shahade

1) Either leave a podcast review on Spotify/Apple Podcasts, Sub to the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel, OR subscribe (for free) to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest Substack. You can also subscribe to to Jen Shahade’s YouTube Channel or Jen’s Substack
2) After completing step 1, email a screenshot to ben@perpetualchesspod.com subject line- Contest!

SIGNED BOOK IS US ONLY, outside the US, you can still enter to win a free Forward Chess Digital Copy of Jen’s book. (there are two prizes in total) Please specify in the email whether you are in the US or outside of the US.

Entries will be closed on January 16 and winners will be announced via email shortly thereafter

55:00- Thanks, as always to Jen for joining me. Be sure to check out her book and to subscribe to her blog.

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EP 362- IM Jeremy Silman tribute: IM John Donaldson and IM Cyrus Lakdawala look back on their friend's life and legacy Dec 26, 2023

Legendary chess author IM Jeremy Silman valued his chess friendships highly, and referred to his inner circle as his chess ‘“posse.” This week, two members of that posse, IMsJohn Donaldson and IM Cyrus Lakdawala join me to share stories and biographical details about their friend. As one might expect from Silman’s books, they recall a friend who was funny, empathetic, extremely strong as a chess player, and a brilliant writer and gifted public speaker. John and Cyrus both begin with their first recollections of meeting Jeremy in 1981, and they take us through his chess life and his journey from a chess nomad to a devoted husband, cat dad, and one of the most successful chess authors of all time. Thanks to John and Cyrus for helping us all learn more about Jeremy’s life. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. .

Noteworthy obituaries of IM Silman:-

https://new.uschess.org/news/im-jeremy-silman-1954-2023

https://www.chess.com/news/view/jeremy-silman-1954-2023

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/books/jeremy-silman-dead.html

Fred Wilson’s old interviews with IM Jeremy Silman will be posted to the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel by the end of the week.

Interview #1-

https://youtu.be/FVDGwFIUjkA

Interview #2 coming soon.

01:30- John and Cyrus share their first memories of meeting IM Jeremy Silman, both in 1981.

Mentioned; Chuck Johnson

07:00- John and Cyrus describe Silman’s “hippie days.”

12;00- How did Jeremy get his start in chess?

Mentioned: IM John Grefe, Dennis Waterman, IM Jack Peters, Bob Long, and

Silman’s article describing his ‘posse’-

https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-books-and-youth-vs-old-age

Silman’s Chess Odyssey

22;00- Cyrus discusses the legacy of How to Reassess Your Chess, as well as Jeremy’s unique insight into a need for literature addressing club players.

26;00- Why did The Complete Book of Chess Strategysell so well? How did his other books do?

33;00- John and Cyrus discuss Jeremy’s abilities as a speaker, and the success of the series he did for “Great Courses”

Mentioned: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-play-chess-lessons-from-an-international-master

38;00- Did financial success change Jeremy? John also discusses some of Jeremy’s students.

Mentioned: von Frankenstein, Allan Horn, Brady Anderson, NM Vanessa West

43;00- Could Jeremy have been a GM?

Mentioned: Ken West?, IM Jack Peters, IM Douglas Root

50:00- John and Cyrus discuss the challenges of fe as a chess author and how chess content has changed.

1:13:00- John discusses the health challenges Jeremy faced late in life.

1:16:00- What jobs did Jeremy have outside of chess?

1:21:00- John discusses Jeremy’s love for chess books, and for Japan!

Mentioned: The Games of Tigran Petrosian by Shekhtman

1:26:00- Should we care about analytical mistakes?

Mentioned: Vitiugov vs. Robson 2013

1:31:00- Favorite Silman stories

Thanks so much to John and Cyrus for sharing their memories of IM Silman

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Book Recap #34- IM Jeremy Silman's The Amateurs Mind (with David Hamm) Dec 22, 2023

In the wake of IM Jeremy Silman’s recent passing, Chess Books Recaptured returns to review one of his classic books, The Amateur’s Mind. The Amateur’s Mind sold over 90,000 copies, and IM Jeremy Silman said that he thought it was his best instructional book. What made this book, and Silman’s writing so unique? We dive into that topic, share many memorable (and amusing) quotes from the book, and briefly discuss some of the other works from IM Jeremy Silman’s illustrious canon. Joining me for this discussion, is David Hamm. As a 1000 (ish) rated, relatively recent chess devotee, who is also an attorney with 3 kids, David is just the type of reader that Silman likely had in mind when writing this book. While The Amateur’s Mind might not be my #1 recommendation if your goal is to improve your game, it was a ton of fun to read it and to discuss it, and reflecting on IM Jeremy Silman's legacy has left me more impressed with his work than ever. Timestamps of topics discussed and links of articles referred to are below.

IM Jeremy Silman’s How to Reassess Your Chess is now on Chessable, and The Amateur’s Mind will be coming in 2024! Use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess.

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- Thanks to Fred Wilson of Fred Wilson Books for allowing me to share Fred’s old interviews with IM Jeremy Silman. They will be posted soon to the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel, so make sure you are subbed.

Interview #1-

https://youtu.be/FVDGwFIUjkA

Interview #2 coming soon.

0:03- David Hamm joins me to discuss the book. We begin by discussing how David got into chess, and to IM Jeremy Silman.

0:07- We briefly go over IM Jeremy SIlman’s bio, and discuss some of Silman’s works.

Mentioned: NY Times obit by Dylan Loeb McLain, Chess.com obit by Tarjei Svensen

John Donaldson’s obit for US Chess

12:30- What makes SIlman’s writing stand out?

Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess, Nick Visel’s Review of Amateur’s Mind

19:00- If chess improvement is your primary focus, what books could one consider as alternatives to Amateur’s Mind?

Mentioned: Simple Chess, Winning Chess Strategies, Mastering Chess Strategies, Techniques of Positional Play

22:00- We read the first few paragraphs and discuss Silman’s meticulous approach to writing.

Mentioned: Dojo Talks Episode 92: Remembering IM Jeremy Silman, Zen in the Art of Archery

29:00- We read our favorite quotes from the book!

Mentioned: Alekhine-Maroczy 1923 , IM Willy Hendriks, Silman response to Hendriks ADD LINK

52:00- Closing thoughts and our favorite Silman’s books ranked!

Mentioned: Autobiography of a Goat, Make it Stick, How to Reassess Your Chess, Silman's Complete Endgame Course, Silman's Chess Odyssey

Volunteer to co-host a book review podcast via the following form:

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

Thanks to David for doing a great job co-hosting! Here is how you can reach him:

LiChess Chessdad1979

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hamm-1a3a325?trk=public_post_feed-actor-name

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 361- Professor/ GM David Smerdon: Renewed Chess Cheating Allegations and the new “Gender Equality in Chess Index.” Dec 19, 2023

This week we are joined by the economist, award-winning author, and top Australian player, GM David Smerdon. David is a professor at the University of Queensland. With a statistical background, David is a particular expert in the intersection of statistics and chess and is frequently able to combine his chess expertise with his academic research. Since chess cheating has been in the news again, we begin by getting David’s thoughts on the renewed allegations against GM Hans Niemann, as well as the recent concerns about rampant online cheating voiced by GM Vladimir Kramnik. David drew some interesting comparisons between these cheating scandals and a recent one in the academic world. David also had some recently published chess research to discuss, as he and a team of collaborators have recently launched the “Gender Equality in Chess Index. (GECI)” What is the goal of his index and how did they arrive at the numbers? Lastly, we catch up on David’s chess career. As David details, he doesn’t have a ton of time to study, but is competing when he can with a specific goal in mind. There is always lots to learn from GM Smerdon, and it was a pleasure to catch up with him Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! Help support Perpetual Chess by signing up for Chessable pro using this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- Intro

Mentioned: Tarjei’s Svensen’s article, Dojo Talks EP 101 with GM Vladmir Kramnik

0:02- David discusses cheating in the chess world, and draws parallels to some scandals in the academic world.

Mentioned: Did an honesty researcher fabricate data?, GM Alex Fishbein

10:00- Has any good come of the recent chess cheating scandals?

Mentioned: GM Mamedyarov withdraws from 2018 tournament after accusing opponent of cheating, Hans Niemann competes in London Chess Classic after stunning result in Zagreb

17:00- Chess.com statement regarding Kramnik allegations against Nakamura

23:00- Do continued allegations against Niemann cause concern about the viability of the future of OTB chess?

Mentioned: Poker pro alleged to have used special contact lenses to see through a deck

26:30- Can statistics help detect “smart cheating”?

29:00 What was the genesis of the idea for a “chess gender index”?

Mentioned: Mongolia Tops Chess Gender Index by Leon Watson

34:00- Did Queen of Katwe likely contribute to the success of women’s chess in Uganda?What did he notice about other high ranking countries?

41:00- What are the components of the index?

51:00- David discusses his other chess-related research

52:00- How is David’s chess game, and what is his current chess goal?

Mentioned: Episode 30, The Complete Chess Swindler

Thanks to David for joining me again, here are links to keep up with him:

X: https://twitter.com/dsmerdon

David’s Blog;

https://www.davidsmerdon.com/

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EP 360- Adult Improver Ben Hodgkiss just quit his job to pursue chess full-time. Here is his story. Dec 12, 2023

Ben Hodgkiss is a 32-year-old chess enthusiast who has worked in a few different fields, but feels like he has not yet found his professional calling. Ben knows that he loves chess though, and for at least the next year, he has decided to live the life of a chess professional and to chronicle this pursuit on his YouTube channel. Many chess players have fantasized about taking such a leap, so I was fascinated to hear that Ben is actually doing it! In our conversation, we cover the nuts of bolts, of how Ben will pay the bills, and what Ben will study, but we also discuss his goals for the project and his chess-related goals. Ben has already collaborated with well-known presenters like IM Eric Rosen and IM Andras Toth and recently played his first of what will likely be many OTB chess tournaments. I really admire Ben’s dedication to his chess passion and am excited to share his story with you! Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com! Find out more about becoming a Chessable pro member, and receiving a wide range of features here:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- How did the idea of doing a year of full chess come about?

Ben’s Reddit post is here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/17anc4k/quit_your_job_chess_full_time_for_a_year_how_do

0:08- What are Ben’s goals for this project? What is his chess history?

13:30- Patreon mailbag questions: Does he think it will be more challenging to maintain motivation? Would taking a week or a month off be beneficial for one’s chess?

22:00- Patreon mailbag questions Is it possible that working full time subtracts 200 points from your chess strength?

Mentioned: Check out Tactics Time author Tim Brennan’s rating graph here:

https://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=12718954

30:00- What was Ben’s first OTB tournament like?

37:00- Ben discusses his study regimen more, and why he decided to join the Chess Dojo.

41:30- We discuss the best potential ways for Ben to chronicle his chess pursuit on YouTube.

50:00- Ben read my book and wanted to discuss some topics on it! We start with discussing visualization. What does one see when visualizing a chess board?

Mentioned: Chess Steps 2, Thinking Ahead, Visualize Courses on Chessable

1:03:00- Ben asks me: which chess weakness of mine am I working on?

1:07:00- Thanks so much to Ben for sharing his inspiring story, be sure to check out his YouTube channel here:

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

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

patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 359- Davaun Williams (aka Chess Knowledge with H1) on Chess TikTok Stardom, Opening Traps, and Improvement Recs Dec 05, 2023

This week I am joined by a rising star in chess media, Davaun Williams. To his 200,000+ Tiktok followers and nearly 80,000 Instagram followers, Davaun is better known as “Chess Knowledge with H1.” In our conversation, we discuss H1’s chess origins, the origins of the nickname “H1,” and how he gained fame for using a demo board and throwing the captured chess pieces during his entertaining videos. Davaun’s videos feature a lot of opening traps, and he has just released his first Chessable course, “Opening Traps You Must Learn.” In addition to discussing chess openings, Davaun shares other chess improvement advice, and even advises me on whether or not I should continue to post videos on TikTok. All in all, this was a fun conversation, and it was great to learn more about Davaun’s background. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. You can see their latest courses here:

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

Make sure you are also subbed to the How to Chess Podcast on your podcast app of choice:

https://open.spotify.com/show/74A0JotybXUvnviTCzsSUp?si=e58986b2ce124911

And sub to my free newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest, here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

0:02- Davaun has been making chess content for years, but during the past year he has seen his TikTok channel explode. What changed?

0:05- Does Davaun have plans to dedicate himself full time to chess content?

0:06- Davaun discusses his unusual USCF rating history:

12:00- Davaun’s favorite chess content creators

Mentioned: Gotham Chess, IM John Bartholomew, KingsCrusher, The Chessbrahs

13:00- Davaun’s chess origin story

Mentioned: Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition

17:00- How did Davaun develop the habit of throwing the Demo board pieces after they are captured in his videos?

20:00- How did Davaun decide to write a Chessable course on Opening Traps?

Mentioned: Davaun’s video about the Polish/Orangutan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQQW_ZHbut4

23:00- What is Davaun’s theory as to why his shorter videos get more traction than the longer ones? How is his podcast, Chess Knowledge with H1 doing?

https://open.spotify.com/show/6AefOx7Atzw3bgyfHG2bjR?si=3ed28f8e7d794837

27:00-Is Davaun interested in, and does he cover, top-level chess?

Mentioned: Agadmator, Gotham Chess

30:00- Will Davaun’s kids play chess?

33:00- What is Davaun’s favorite aspect of chess? What is his favorite opening to play?

39:00- Davaun gives both chess improvement and chess content advice.

44:00- I ask Davaun’s advice: Should I continue to post videos to TikTok if noone is watching them?

Thanks to Davaun for joining me on the pod, here is his linktree:

https://linktr.ee/H1chess

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EP 358- GM Robert Hungaski on Teaching Chess Teachers, Nakamura, Shirov, Niemann The Indian Chess Boom & more Nov 28, 2023

This week a favorite guest returns to the pod, GM Robert Hungaski. Robert wears many hats in the chess world, as an accomplished player, Fide Senior trainer and International arbiter. His newest project involves organizing and presenting FIDE-sanctioned chess teaching seminars from some of the top trainers in the world, including Grandmasters Gregory Kaidanov, Alexey Shirov, Antoaneta Stefanova and many others. These seminars provide a unique opportunity to learn tricks of the trade from some chess legends. In addition to this project, Robert always has plenty of entertaining and insightful stories, and this interview is no exception. Robert reflects on his encounters with young Nakamura and Niemann, his trip to the 2022 Chess Olympiad, his friend GM Ulf Andersson, and, of course, he leaves with a bit of chess study advice and a book recommendation. It is always fun to talk chess with GM Hungaski!

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com:

Check out their new courses here:

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

Check out my favorites here:

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

More information about the FIDE trainer seminar’s here:

https://fideamerica.net/tca/registrations/?fbclid=IwAR1TQF5uATurqzF0Prwmr6QEg8LWJ165d0ttZrvOG2N0LlqLjqZkbEWdJ6w

Prior Interview 2019- Episode 149

02:00- Robert describes his “chess upbringing” and why his contemporaries (such as Nakamura, Vitugiov and Le Quang Liem) made him feel like he had no chess talent.

Mentioned: GM Joel Benjamin, Jen Shahade

08:00- Robert reflects on the rise of chess in India and describes his trip to the 2022 Olympiad.

11:00- Robert discusses the teachers’ seminars he is arranging featuring top GMs like Shirov, Kaidanov, Illescas and many others. It will take December 8-10.

Also Mentioned: Stefanova, Cheparinov, Bologan, Yottachess.com

25:00- Robert tells stories about GM Alexei Shirov.

Mentioned: GM Andy Rodriguez

31:00- Who are the most impressive players Robert has analyzed with?

Mentioned: GM Grande Zuniga, Ulf Andersson

32:00- As a fellow Connecticut native, what have been Robert’s interactions with GM Hans Niemann?

39:00 Robert tells a few stories about spending time with GM Bill Lombardy, Boris Spassky and others

46:00- Ulf Andersson stories

50:00- Robert’s chess improvement advice

55:00- Patreon mailbag question-

“How many openings does Robert suggest that his students learn?”

Mentioned: Boom Boom- The World vs. Boris Becker

1:01:00- Who is the most impressive blitz player Robert has ever seen?

1:02:00- Book talk!

Mentioned: Domination by Kasparyan

Thanks to GM Hungaski for joining me, you can contact him via his website:

https://gmhungaski.com/

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EP 357- Adult Improver Denis Markov on How a Calm and Consistent Approach has Elevated his Chess Game Nov 21, 2023

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns with another guest with a great story. Denis Markov is a 39 year-old working dad with a passion for chess. Denis has deep chess roots which date back to a childhood in Russia where he took classes at the fabled “Palace of Pioneers.” According to Denis, he did not show exceptional talent in those days and eventually set chess aside for some years. Now based in Pennsylvania, Denis returned to competitive chess in mid-2021 and since then, through hard work and consistency has elevated his USCF rating from 1742 to over 2050! While this type of improvement is quite unusual, Denis is adamant that he isn’t doing anything to “reinvent the wheel.” In our conversation Denis details an approach focused on frequent competitive play, game review and lots of hard work. I found our conversation grounding and inspiring at the same time. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

Adult Improver Series Spotify Playlist here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=680ff07480434ec9

0:00-

Thanks to those who help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon! If you would like to join the community, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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

New Chessable courses including Silman’s Endgame Course, and new ones by GM Erwin L’ami, GM Johan Hellsten.

You can check out their latest offerings here:

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

2:00- Denis joins the show! What is his “ why”?

What does he do when his motivation to study chess is low?

Denis’ Reddit post detailing his success:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/16sw628/1740_to_2040_uscf_in_2_years_adult_improver/

11:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How will Denis approach teaching chess to his kids?’

14:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘Does Denis think that his Russian background helped his chess development?’

21:00- What got Denis back into chess in his college years?

Mentioned: Aron Nimzowhitsch’s My System

25:00- Denis’ study routine

Denis’ coach:

https://lichess.org/coach/Davjan

34:00- Denis discusses his approach to openings, especially as it relates to playing the same opponents repeatedly.

42:00- How did Denis settle on studying via ChessTempo and the Chess Steps workbooks?

Mentioned: Arthur Yusupov’s series, Chess Steps Method

48:00- What is the nature of Denis’ work with his coach?

54:00- Does Denis have any theories on why he is seeing gains while others might be struggling?

1:03:00- More book recommendations!

Mentioned: Sam Shankland’s books, Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky, GM Johan Hellsten’s books, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios, GM Ivan Sokolov’s Winning Middle Game Strategies, Sokolov’s interview with Chessbase India, His How to Chess Interview is Now Out!

1:08:00- Thanks to Denis for joining me! You can email him at dvmarkov at gmail dot com

Or follow him on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/dvm0101/

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EP 356- FIDE Grand Swiss Recap/FIDE Candidates Lookahead plus LiChess Catchup with Community Manager Chris Callahan Nov 10, 2023

Next week’s podcast is arriving early, and it's a double episode! For the first segment, I am joined again by Chessable author and trainer CM Vjekoslav (Vjeko) Nemec. Vjeko and I discuss the riveting, recently concluded FIDE Grand Swiss. India’s ascension continued as GM Vidit Gujirathi and IM R. Vaishali’s had impressive victories in the Open and Women’s Sections respectively. With more spots in the 2024 FIDE Candidates now settled, we also look ahead to what is shaping up to be quite an entertaining fight for the right to challenge for the World Championship titles. Lastly, Vjeko followed this event quite closely, so he recommends several interviews and games from an action-packed tournament for us to check out.

Following Vjeko, I catch up with Chris Callahan (38:00) about what is new with LiChess.org since our last chat in 2021. Chris reports that LiChess is continuing to see solid growth, and discusses their plans in terms of both community outreach and potential additional features on the website. We also discuss the latest in cheat detection and LiChess’ decision to stop working with US Chess and with the St. Louis Chess Club in the wake of the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez. It is always fun to catch up with Chris and hear about what is going on with LiChess. As always, timestamps of the many topics discussed can be found below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! Silman’s Endgame Course is now on Chessable and on sale if you act quickly!

https://www.chessable.com/silmans-complete-endgame-course-from-beginner-to-master/course/199399/

0:00- Intro

Up to date information about ordering my book, and events can be found here:

5:00- CM Vjekoslav Nemec joins me to recap the FIDE Grand Swiss

5:30- Who won and earned Candidates’ spots in the FIDE Grand Swiss?

More info here

13:00- What can chess do to make more tournaments feel as important as the Grand Swiss and the FIDE World Cup?

Mentioned: Tarjei Svensen’s article about GM Ding Liren

19:00- What players and personalities stood out in the tournament?

Mentioned: L’ami-Gujirathi 2023

Bogdan-Daniel Deac interview with Fiona Stiel-Antoni:

Mishra’s amazing analysis of his win over Ivanchuk:

Sevian’s analysis of his win over Firouzja

L’ami-Gujirathi 2023

24:00- Who are the early favorites to win the 2024 Candidates?

27:00- What stood out from the Women’s section?

Mentioned: GM Pia Cramling, GM Tan Zhonkyi, GM Humpy Koneru

IM Vaishali’s analysis of her round 3 win over Garifullina

32:00- Early thoughts on the 2024 Women’s Candidates Field

36:00- Thanks to Vjeko for coming back to talk with us- check out his Twitter page here:

37:00- Chris Callahan joins the pod to talk LiCHess

38:00- How LiChess has changed in recent years?

Mentioned: Episode 221 with Chris Callahan,

LiChess game database available for download here:

42:00- How do LiChess blogs work? How is it determined which posts get on the home page?

Mentioned: FM Nate Solon

46:00- How do they treat blog posts that are somewhat promotional in nature?

48:00- What, if any, are the technical upgrades the LiChess team is working on?

50:00- What are most requested features for LiChess?

52:00- Chris’ discusses the financial situation of LiChess.

LiChess’ costs spreadsheet here:

54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does LiCHess have plans to become a non-profit (501c3) in the US?’

57:00- What is the latest on LiChess’ cheat detection efforts?

1:03:00- What went into Lichess’ decision to stop working with US Chess and the St. Louis Chess Club?

Mentioned: Breaking the Silence, Chris’ interview on Ono Another Chess Podcast

St. Louis Chess Club Statement

1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How can one volunteer with the Women in Chess Foundation?”

1:13:00- Thanks to Chris for joining the pod! You can email him at chris.callahan at Lichess dot org

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EP 355- Cecilia Albertini and Chandler Toffa- Two filmmakers discuss their touching new chess documentary, The City of Human Chess Nov 07, 2023

My guests this week are Cecilia Albertini and Chandler Toffa the director and co-producer (respectively) of the charming new documentary The City of Human Chess. This short documentary tells the story of Marostica, Italy, where a famous chess game is recreated by human volunteers on a bi-annual basis. The event has a long tradition and draws upwards of 4000 paying customers. It is a touching story about people working together and the connective power of chess, and I greatly enjoyed watching it and discussing it with its creators. We also discussed Cecilia and Chandler’s backgrounds both in chess and away from it. Timestamps for topics discussed can be found below.

If you sign up for MagellanTV, use link code to save 30%!

http://go.chess.com/livingchess.

Trailer for the film here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kdaZSb-5Z0

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com.

You can check out new courses, including the excellent Silman’s Endgame Course, presented by IM Alex Banzea, here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/?page=2

0:02- Cecilia and Chander discuss how they became aware of the bi-annual human chess game.

0:07- What is the history of the human chess game in Marostica, Italy?

0:12- Which chess game is demonstrated by the humans in the game?

Mentioned: Nimzowitsch-Alapin 1914

0:13- How much time on location did Ceclia spend?

20:00-How did they decide to show the film on the Magellan platform?

25:00- Chandler discusses his prior collaboration with Chess.com, Griffin’s Gambit, which you can watch for free on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5_D11NJI3I

28:00- Chandler and Cecilia discuss their own chess games!

33:00- Thanks to Cecilia and Chandler for joining me! Please be sure to check out their film via this link to save 30%!

http://go.chess.com/livingchess

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

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?”

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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

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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

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

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

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

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

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

52:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Todd’s advice for improving thinking processes at the board?

Mentioned: The Amateur’s Mind by IM Jeremy Silman

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Should amateurs invest the time to learn antidotes to dodgy but popular amateur openings like The Stafford Gambit?”

1:01:00- What other chess books made a difference for Todd?

Mentioned: Attacking Chess with Josh Waitzkin, Best Lessons of a Chess Coach by FM Sunil Weerumantry

1:04:00- What has Todd learned from watching his son pursue chess?

1:07:00- Todd’s final chess improvement advice?

1:12:00- Thanks to Todd for joining!

Follow him on Twitter here:

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

Or chess.com here:

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

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

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EP 345- WFM Maaike Keetman on The Best Open Tournaments in Europe, The Chess Steps Method & Chessable's Create Your Own Course Contest Aug 29, 2023

This week our guest is WFM Maaike Keetman. Maaike is a 2016 Dutch Chess Olimpian and youth champion, who is also a Chessable author and member of its content creation team. Maaike joined me shortly after competing in a big open tournament in Europe, The Czech Open. Maaike reflected on her own performance and also highlighted what anyone considering playing in this tournament in future years could expect. Following that, we discuss the September 1 launch of Chessable’s ‘Create Your Own Course’ contest. This contest is a unique opportunity for community members to share their passion for chess, and to potentially win prizes and earn extra income. Lastly, we discuss a few topics important to Maaike’s chess experience, including The Chess Steps Method, and the most memorable moments of her chess career.

The Chessable Contest Launches September 1, here is all the info you need:

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

0:02- Maaike joined me shortly after returning from The Czech Open in Pardubice. For prospective tournament players, she discusses what she liked and disliked about the tournament, and she assessed her own performance. Maaike had to withdraw from the tournament due to sickness, so she was unable to finish the tournament.

Mentioned: CM Vjekoslav Nemec, More Czech Open Info here:

https://www.czechopen.net/en/, Sunway Sitges, Reykjavik Open

11:00- Maaike plays in the Dutch Chess League and the English 4NCL League as well. She discusses the formats of these leagues.

15:00- What are Maaike’s current objectives with her chess game?

19:00- Maaike discusses her work at Chessable and the annual “Create Your Own Chess Course” contest. Upon context launch on September 1, there will be more info at this link:

https://go.chessable.com/create/

Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual, Visualize by Benedictine, CM Can Kabadayi’s Chessable Courses, GM Maurice Ashley’s Secrets of Chess Geometry, Maaike’s How to Create a Chessable Course Video

31:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the best practices of the most accomplished Chessable users?’

Mentioned: NM Han Schut, NM Todd Bryant, Perpetual Chess Improvement, Available November 1!, Alex Crompton’s Blog Post, EP 256 with Alex Crompton

35:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What changes have taken place at Chessable since it was acquired by Chess.com?’

40:00- What was it like growing up vis-a-vis The Chess Steps system in The Netherlands?

Mentioned: EP 335 with Matthew Ball and WIM Natasha Regan

43:00- Maaike shares her memories of playing on the Dutch National Team at the Olympiad.

47:00- If Maaike were to emphasize improving her chess game, what would she prioritize?

50:00 Maaike’s fondest and least fond chess memories!

51:00- Thanks to Maaike for joining the pod!

If you have questions about the Chessable contest, email hello at chessable dot com

Or post in the Chessable forums:

https://www.chessable.com/discussion/

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

You can pre-order my forthcoming book here:

https://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Chess-Improvement-Practical-World-Class/dp/9083336549/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32H1VUUP9AHO8&keywords=perpetual+chess+improvement&qid=1692411671&s=books&sprefix=perpetual+chess+%2Cstripbooks%2C119&sr=1-1

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EP 344- GM Melik Khachiyan on How Staying Active OTB and Emphasizing Physical Fitness helped him Finally win his First National Title! Aug 22, 2023

GM Melik Khachiyan is a top player and former chess Olympian. He is also a trainer who has taught many future GMs and has coached the US Women’s national team for many years. Despite his many successes, Melik had never won a US Championship of his own…until this year. In 2023, Melik beat out many higher-rated U.S. legends to comfortably win the U.S. Senior Championship! In our conversation, Melik takes us behind the scenes of the games and opening preparation, and his training regimen during the weeks leading up to the tournament. Melik thinks that he was propelled to victory by a couple of decisions in particular: 1) a focus on physical fitness and 2) his staying active in competitive chess. Melik always has lots of chess knowledge to impart, but his recent successes highlight the importance of perseverance, both at and away from the board. And of course, as GM Levon Aronian’s childhood coach, and a former student of World Champion Tigran Petrosian, Melik always has a few stories to share. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com.

New courses include:

Starting Out: The Scotch by Fiona Steil-Antoni and IM Alex Astaneh

Techniques of Positional Play featuring GM Peter Heine Nielsen

Check out my favorite Chessable courses here:

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

My prior interview with Melik:

Episode 64 with GM Melik Khachiyan

0:00- Melik explains the story behind his last-minute invitation to the U.S. Senior Championship.

5:00- What did Melik do to change his chess training and fitness routine leading up the tournament?

Mentioned: Khachiyan-Root 2023

12:00- Patreon mailbag question- “How has Melik’s tournament approach changed over the years?”

20:00- Did Melik gain an edge over his competitors by continuing to compete?

Mentioned: GM Alex Fishbein

25:00- Patreon mailbag question: Has Melik changed his opening repertoire in recent years?

30:00- What was the story behind Melik’s game with Dlugy which began with the unusual sequence 1. Nf3 c5 2. C3 ? Melik also discusses his unusual preparation for GM Patrick Wolff

Mentioned: Khachiyan-Dlugy 2023, Khachiyan-Wolff 2023

39:00- What does Melik do to deal with sleep problems that occur during tournaments?

42:00- What are Melik’s memories of competing in the 1996 Olimpiad in Yerevan, with his then student FM Levon Aronian, also on the Armenian team?

44:00- In my recent interview with GM Aronian he discussed traveling to tournaments in the cargo department of a plane. What were Melik’s recollections of those rides? What does Melik think Levon learned from growing up so poor?

Mentioned: Episode 341 with GM Levon Aronian

50:00- How was World Champion GM Tigran Petrosian’s table tennis game? What did Tigran think of speed chess?

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Bonus Pod- FIDE World Cup Update- Magnus and Fabiano on a Collision Course? Featuring CM Vjekoslav Nemec and IM Michael Rahal reporting from the tournament in Baku. Aug 18, 2023

We catch you up on the riveting 2023 FIDE World Cup. I am joined by Chessable author and blogger, CM Vjekoslav Nemec to discuss the tournament so far, then FIDE Press officer IM Michael Rahal joins me from the playing hall in Baku to describe the venue and what it has been like to do post-game interviews with the players, including one with Magnus Carlsen that went viral.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.

Check out FM Nate Solon’s new course here:

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

And check out GM Pepe Cuenca’s Lifetime Repertoires: Queen’s Gambit Declined here:

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-queens-gambit-declined/course/57401/

0- Rundown of the results at the FIDE World Cup.

4:30- Vjekoslav Nemec joins the show. What have the most noteworthy stories of this World Cup? What do we expect in the final round?

24:00- FIDE Press Officer IM Michael Rahal joins me from Baku!

You can check out all of Michael’s interviews in Baku on the FIDE YouTube Channel:

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

You can follow Michael on Twitter here:

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

You can follow Vjekoslav here:

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

Read his blog here:

https://t.co/1tZcgGs5uW

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EP 343- Rating Deflation Roundtable- Statistician Jeff Sonas and Data Scientist FM Nate Solon discuss FIDE’s Proposed Changes to their Rating System, Plus Historical Chess Nuggets from Jeff’s Great Site “ChessMetrics” Aug 15, 2023

Jeff Sonas is a software engineer and database consultant who is also one of the world’s leading experts on chess ratings. As you may have read, FIDE recently proposed some changes to its rating system (partially due to Jeff’s advice). . In our conversation, Jeff explains the background of his work on ratings, and why he feels that changes to the system are necessary. Following a detailed and fascinating conversation about chess ratings, we discuss Jeff’s excellent historical chess site, Chessmetrics.com, which compares the relative strength of top chess players across eras. Due to his expertise on the topic, I also invited FM Nate Solon to co-host this episode. Nate writes about chess and data on his excellent blog, Zwischenzug.As always, you can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

https://benjohnson.substack.com

FIDE Press release about Proposed Rating Changes- https://fide.com/news/2538

Jeff’s paper-

https://www.fide.com/docs/presentations/Sonas%20Proposal%20-%20Repairing%20the%20FIDE%20Standard%20Elo%20Rating%20System.pdf

NM Vanessa West's Summary of the Proposed Changes:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/fide-mathematician-proposes-changes-to-improve-rating-accuracy

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable. Here are some courses to check out FM Nate Solon’s course here:

100 Repertoires: Reti (1.Nf3)

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

04:00- We welcome Jeff Sonas to the show!

04:30- He begins by discussing the history of his work in ratings, and specifically with FIDE. Jeff also discusses how he has gone from worrying about inflation to deflation?

Mentioned: Rating Inflation: Its causes and Its possible cures

26:00- Patreon mailbag question- Could Jeff put a number on the amount of deflation? Is there deflation on the chess playing websites?

36:00- More explanation of the causes of deflation

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Tweet, Article by Tarjei Svensen about Velpula Sarayu’s Record Performance

42:00- Does the deflation matter, other than for reasons of vanity?

48:00- What does Jeff think of the Glicko system?

Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman, Jeff’s Archive of Chess Writing

53:00 Patreon mailbag question: How feasible is a universal rating system based on engine move matching?

Mentioned: Read Jeff’s paper here:

https://www.fide.com/docs/presentations/Sonas%20Proposal%20-%20Repairing%20the%20FIDE%20Standard%20Elo%20Rating%20System.pdf

59:00- Jeff discusses the history and methodology of his awesome chess history website, Chessmetrics

Mentioned: Jeff’s Series: Who is the Greatest Player of All Time

1:10:00- Where would Carlsen rank?

1:14:00- What would be the biggest challenge to creating a chess site similar to a basketball reference or ultimate tennis statistics?

1:16:00- Has Jeff ever gotten inquiries about his data from top players?

Mentioned: Chess24 top 50 of all time Series with GM Jan Gustafsson and GM Peter Heine Nielsen

1:18:00- Which historical player is underrated?

1:25:00- What is Jeff’s own chess background?

1:28:00-

Thanks so much to Jeff for joining the podcast! You can reach him via the Chessmetrics website:

http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/Introduction.asp

And be sure to subscribe to FM Nate Solon’s free blog here:

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/

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EP 342- GM Simen Agdestein: The Norwegian Chess Legend on Coaching Young Magnus, Life as a Pro Footballer, and What he Learned from Career-Altering Injuries Aug 08, 2023

This week we are joined by a legend of Norwegian Chess, GM Simen Agdestein. Simen was the first Norwegian Grandmaster, a childhood trainer of Magnus Carlsen, and is a nine-time champion of Norway, who holds the record of being both the country’s youngest and oldest national champion, after winning the title again this year at age 56. As if these feats weren’t impressive enough, at the time Simen was around his chess peak (#16 in the world) he was also a star football/soccer player, who played striker on Norway’s national team! With such an accomplished resume, one might think things have been easy for Simen, but that has been far from the case. As he discusses in our interview, injuries derailed his chess and football careers simultaneously, and SImen was forced to reassess everything. In our conversation, Simen shares what his vast life experience has taught him about life and chess improvement. Simen also discusses the current chess scene in Norway, and of course, tells plenty of stories about what it was like to coach a young Magnus Carlsen.

Thanks to our Presenting Chess Education Sponsors, Chessable.com Here are a few of their Magnus related courses:

Fight Like Magnus

Grind Like a GM

Magnus Carlsen: Endgame Virtuoso

You can check out my favorite courses here:

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

0:02- GM Agdestein reflects on his recent, record-setting National Championship. How does the feeling of this one compare to prior championship wins? How did he prepare for this one?

Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar’s Interview with GM Simen Agdestein, IM Elham Abdrlauf, GM Jonathan Speelman’s Chessbase column about Simen’s recent win, SImen’s book

15:00- How does Simen structure the chess study time at his famed chess institute for talented chess players?

Mentioned: GM Aryan Tari, GM Magnus Carlsen, Magnus Carlsen on The Lex Fridman Podcast

22:00- What stood out about Magnus in his early years?

Mentioned: GM Torbjorn Ringdal Hansen

27:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Are the live TV broadcasts attracting new tournament players?”

31:30- How did Simen become a GM with so little chess infrastructure in Norway at the time?

35:00- Does Simen think he was more talented in chess or in football?

37:00- Simen tells how injuries derailed his football and chess careers simultaneously.

Mentioned: Chess.com’s Tarjei Svensen

44:00- Why did Simen turn down a lucrative professional football offer from the Turkish club Besiktas?

45:30- How did Simen recover from the physical and mental setbacks in his mid 20s?

49:00- When Simen reflects on his 20s does he think of chess or soccer first?

52:00- Why did Simen turn down a lucrative football contract with a Turkish pro club in his 20s?

55:00- What does SImen remember about a young Alexei Shirov coming to visit his house?

57:00- What was it like facing Kasparov?

1:00:00- What are Simen’s memories of Kasparov’s visit to Norway to work with Magnus at age 14?

1:04:00- More Magnus stories!

1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is the proper way to determine a world champion in chess?”

1:12:00- Why does Simen advise to “always take pieces?”

1:16:00- Thanks so much to Simen for joining the pod! You can learn more about his experience coaching Magnus in his book:

https://www.amazon.com/Magnus-Carlsen-Became-Youngest-Grandmaster/dp/9056914375

And keep an eye out for the forthcoming book, Games and Goals by IM Atle Gronn. It should be available in English in 2024

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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Book Recap #32- GM Rowson's Chess for Zebras a classic book that tackles the challenges of adult improvement, and the differences between playing White and Black (with guest co-host, Professor David Franklin) Aug 04, 2023

After a lengthy hiatus, the book review series Chess Books Recaptured, returns to discuss another classic chess book. This time we discuss Chess for Zebras. Originally published in 2003, Zebras is a followup to Rowson’s classic first book The Seven Deadly Chess Sins. While the book has some tonal similarities to its predecessor, it is a bit more narrow in focus. My guest co-host is Law Professor David Franklin. (David also co-hosted our discussion of Seven Deadly Chess Sins) Like me, David is a fan of GM Rowson’s writing, although both of us have our quibbles with different parts of the book. All in all, though, we both find the book highly worthwhile. Key concepts discussed in the book (and on the podcast) include the difference between knowledge and skill in chess, the challenges of handling each color, and the underrated chess skill of “just being.” Tune in to find out more! Timestamps below:

Thanks to our Presenting Chess Education Sponsors, Chessable.com

Chess for Zebras Free Preview:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-for-zebras-free-lesson/course/92638/

Chess for Zebras:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-for-zebras-thinking-differently-about-black-and-white/course/61560/

Check out my favorite courses here:

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

02:00- Law Professor and USCF Expert David Franklin joins me. Why did he suggest this book? How is it different from GM Jonathan Rowson’s other chess classic, Seven Deadly Chess Sins?

Mentioned: Book Recap #14- Seven Deadly Chess Sins with David Franklin

04:30- How did Rowson choose the title, Chess for Zebras?

Mentioned: Chess for Tigers by Simon Webb, GM Rowson’s 2023 interview with Chessbase India

08:30- We discuss the major points and framework of the book, as well as the level of players who could most benefit from this book.

13:30- We discuss Part 1 of the book, which focuses on the challenges of adult chess improvement and the “knowledge-skill” gap.

Mentioned: Move First, Think Later by IM Willy Hendriks, The Best of Novice Nook

18:30- As a lawyer, does David think that aging effects his ability to practice law differently than his ability to play chess?

22:30- What is GM Rowson’s recommendation for acquiring skills as opposed to knowledge?

Mentioned: IM Andras Toth

30:00- We discuss part 2, called “A Mental Toolkit for the Exponential Jungle”

Mentioned: GM Tony Miles, GM Johann Hjartarson, IM Dina Belenkaya

34:00- What does it mean to “keep it between the hedges”?

Mentioned: GM Michael Adams, GM Luke McShane, Mentioned Magnus and David Howell’s course: Grind Like a Super GM, Magnus’ Book Recommendations

40:00- Part 3- Thinking Colorfully About Black and White

Mentioned: Andras Adorjan, Mihai Suba’s Dynamic Chess Strategy, GM Vasilios Kotronias

52:00- We share a few more memorable quotes from the book

Mentioned: The Moves That Matter

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 341-Double Episode! GM Levon Aronian on The Global Chess League, How to Better Promote Chess, and Reflections on his Bumpy Ride to the Chess Elite + Global Chess League Chairperson Jagdish Mitra on Plans for Future Seasons Aug 01, 2023

Perpetual Chess is back with a banger of a double episode. First up is chess superstar, GM Levon Aronian! Levon joined me from Spain after returning from the first season of the Global Chess League in Dubai. Levon reflected on the success of his championship-winning team, and we discussed why he thinks initiatives like this league are vital to the future health of chess. We then broadened the scope of our conversation, and Levon shared memorable stories about his humble beginnings and Armenia, and the lessons he had to learn when he shot to chess stardom in the mid 2000s. Lastly, Levon discusses his move to the U.S., his 2023 plans, and why he is not playing in the ongoing FIDE World Cup.

Following Lev, we are joined by Jagdish Mitra. Jagdish is Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth at Tech Mahindra, and served as Chairperson of the first season of The Global Chess League. Jagdish looked back on a successful first season, and discussed the ambitious plans and long term vision that the league has for upcoming years. Both interviews left me excited about the future of chess! You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable. Here are some courses to check out:

Techniques of Positional Play with GM Peter Heine Nielsen

Lifetime Repertoires: Gawain Jones 1.e4 e5

100 Repertoires: Alekhine Defense by CM Vjekoslav Nemec

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

4:00- GM Levon Aronian joins me from a park in Spain! How was Levon added as a last-second replacement to the Global Chess League? What sort of things does he usually negotiate before signing a contract to participate in an event?

Mentioned: Chess.com’s Dog-Themed Bots including Levon’s Famous Dog, Ponchik

10:00- What was it like to be in Dubai for the Global Chess League?

15:30- How can new players be incorporated into future Global Chess Leagues?

17:30- What steps are necessary to continue to grow chess and attract corporate sponsors?

Mentioned: Indian Express article by Amit Kamath

25:00- Levon’s scouting reports on Hikaru and Gukesh

26:30- Which young star is most likely to emerge as a world champion?

30:00- What was it like to play games for money to support his family as a kid?

36:00- Levon tells an amazing story of how Boris Gelfand taught him to treat chess professionally.

40:00- Why does Levon think chess has become increasingly professionalized?

41:30- Is Chess960 the solution to the over-abundance of opening theory?

Mentioned: GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jan Timman

49:00- Is it true that Levon traveled in the cargo department of a plane to get to tournaments?

Mentioned: Sean Williams’ 2017 New Yorker feature on Levon Aronian, GM Melik Khachiyan

55:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What obstacles did Lev encounter in moving to the US?”

1:03:00- Will Levon write a book some day?

Mentioned: GM Surya Ganguly’s “In Conversation with GM Levon Aronian”

1:08:30- What is Levon’s study routine?

1:09:00- Thanks to Levon for joining me!

1:11:00- Jagdish Mitra, the Chairperson of the Global Chess League joins the podcast! We begin by discussing the origins of the Global Chess League.

1:25:00- How did they decide on the unique format?

1:30:00- How will they acquire new players? How can teams foster allegiance with chess fans?

1:41:00- Thanks so much to Jagdish for sharing the vision behind the Global Chess League. Here is how you can keep up with it:

Twitter:

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

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Bonus Pod- Jen Shahade joins for a FIDE Women's World Championship Wrap Up Jul 27, 2023

Fresh off of commentating the match for Chess.com, Award-Winning Podcaster, Author, and 2-time US Women's Champion Jen Shahade joined me to reflect on GM Ju Wenjun's dramatic comeback. Jen shares what it was like to cover the decisive Game 12, and describes the moment when she realized we might not be going to rapid tiebreaks after all. We also discuss the historical context of GM Ju Wenjun becoming just the 6th player to win the Women's World Championship 4 times or more. After discussing the match, we catch up with Jen on her many ongoing projects, and her upcoming book, Play Like a Champion. Finally, Jen reminisces about the life and legacy of Isabella Choko, the Holocaust survivor and French Women's Champion who Jen had the honor to meet and interview. As always, the timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:01- We begin by discussing the entertaining and instructive clinching game. When did Jen realize we might see a decisive result?

Mentioned: Game 12, J. Shahade-Perelshteyn 2003

10:00- Were the opening choices surprising?

Mentioned: GM Jovanka Houska, GM Judit Polgar, GM Daneil Naroditsky, GM Alexander Kosteniuk, GM Wei Yi

14:30- Should the prize fund be higher?

Mentioned: Norway Chess to Sponsor Women’s Tournament with Equal Prize Fund to Open

20:00- Who could be the next potential challenger to Ju Wenjun?

Mentioned: IM Alice Lee, GM Alexandra Goryachkina, GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Lei Tingjie, IM Vaishili R.

22:00- Jen discusses her upcoming book, Play Like a Champion!

Mentioned: 700 Chess Problems by Edith Baird, FM Yosha Iglesias

27:00- Jen shares her memories of Isabella Choko who recently passed.

Mentioned: Ladies Knight Episode 33 with Isabella Choko

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

EP 340- FIDE World Cup Preview with Mr. Dodgy- The Best Tournament of the Chess Year starts Sunday! Magnus looks for his first World Cup Win, and Hikaru, Fabiano, and a host of Challengers hope to Earn Spots in the 2024 Candidates Tournament Jul 25, 2023

The FIDE World Cup is a unique, bi-annual tournament that is distinguished by its elimination format, its wide variety of time controls, and its significant prizes, both in terms of cash ($110,000 for first) and in the form of 3 spots that are awarded in the 2024 FIDE Candidates. This year’s edition starts Sunday, and I am joined by Chessable author, tournament organizer, chess superfan, and Twitter celebrity, Mr. Dodgy (Michael Duke) to preview the tournament. Mr. Dodgy and I share our “likes and dislikes” about the tournament and its format, discuss players we are excited to see, make feeble attempts at prognosticating the results, and discuss the FIDE Women’s World Cup, which runs concurrently and is also a star-studded tournament with spots in the Women’s Candidates on the line.

0:01- What is unique about this tournament? What notables are playing, and who is missing from the field?

0:07- Who will the commentators be?

09:30- We review the current state of the FIDE Candidates Cycle. More information here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidates_Tournament_2024

More information on the FIDE Circuit standings here:

https://wcc.fide.com/

15:00- What do we like about the FIDE World Cup?

Mentioned: GM David Howell, GM Christopher Yoo

26:00-Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com.

Mr. Dodgy recommends Jan Gustafsson’s 1. E4 e5 course, and Ginger GM and IM Richard Palliser’s “Harry Attack” course.

https://www.chessable.com/the-harry-attack-fighting-kingside-fianchettos-after-1-d4/course/99939/

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-jan-gustafssons-1-e4-e5/course/28860/

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

29:00- Dislikes- What are common critiques of the World Cup?

Mentioned: Episode 149 with GM Robert Hungaski, GM Harikrishna, GM Hans Niemann,

48:00- Who are the pllayers we are excited to see?

Mentioned: GM D. Gukesh, GM Erigaisi, GM Pragganandhaa, GM Gregory Kaidanov, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Vincent Keymer

54:00- Why isn’t Alireza playing?

58:00- Predictions! Who will win the Open Section and who will emerge with the Candidates spots?

1:01:00- Who are we excited to see in the Women’s Event? Should it take place at the same time as the men’s event?

Mentioned: IM Eline Roebers, IM Oliwia Kiolbasa, IM Carissa Yip, IM Jennifer Yu, IM Teodora Injac

1:09:00- Predictions for the Women’s World Cup

Mentioned: IM R. Vaishali, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina

Thanks again to Mr. Dodgy for joining us! You can follow him on Twitter here:

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 339- WGM Anna Zatonskih: The Four-Time US Women’s Champion Shares the Story Behind Earning Her First GM Norm at age 44! Jul 18, 2023

This week’s guest is the four-time U.S. women's champion and perennial US National Team Member WGM Anna Zatonskih. Anna joined me the week after her inspiring victory at the 2023 Cairns Cup to reflect on her standout performance. As Anna recounts, as the second to lowest seed in the tournament, most people had modest expectations for her, but despite self-doubt and busy life, she nonetheless decided to prepare rigorously for the tournament and hoped to put her best foot forward. As it turned out, Anna not only won the tournament but unexpectedly secured her first Grandmaster norm at 44 years of age! Anna shares the advice that helped motivate her to double down on her study, how she went about studying, and she discusses how she plans to spend the $45,000 she won. We also discuss Anna’s emigration to the U.S. in 2002, her study regimen as a top youth player in Ukraine, and how she approaches teaching chess to her kids as a mom. I was so inspired by Anna’s story and I think that you will be as well! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below:

Recorded June 21, 2023

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com.

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

01:00- What was Anna’s mindset going into the Cairn’s Cup? How did she work on her game?

Mentioned: Vladmirov’s 1000 Chess Studies, GM Daniel Fridman

28:00- Does Anna have family members in Ukraine? What rules should FIDE have place for Russian players competing from different countries?

Mentioned: IM Irina Bulmaga’s Blog post

35:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Anna approach teaching chess to her own kids?”

38:00- How did Anna study chess as a child in the former Soviet Union?

40:00- How does Anna describe her first days in the US in 2002?

45:00- Anna discusses her upcoming chess plans and life in Germany.

47:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Should the “WGM” title have a different name?”

Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s FAQ

52:00- What are Anna’s next chess plans?

Mentioned: Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources

Thanks to Anna for sharing her story!

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

Bonus Pod- The FIDE Women's World Championship is at the Halfway Point: American Chess Olympian WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins to discuss it Jul 13, 2023

After 6 games, the 2023 FIDE Women’s World Championship is closely contested. The challenger, GM Lei Tingjie leads the Champion, GM Ju Wenjun 3.5-2.5 as the players take a 2-day break to switch host cities. One of the top female players in the United States, WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins me to share her thoughts on the match. Begim was the 2018 Uzbek Women’s Champion and is now a member of the U.S. National team and a student at the University of Missouri. She has been annotating the games for Chess Life Online, you can view her annotations here.

Thanks as always to Chessable for sponsoring Perpetual Chess! I forgot to mention in the podcast, but if you want to play the Italian game like Lei Tiangjie check out WGM Tatev Abrahmayan’s new course: The Italian Game: Inside & Out!

You can check out some of my favorite courses here:

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

0:01- WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins the podcast. Begim joins and shares her perspective on the match and on the openings we have seen so far.

Mentioned: Cover Stories with Chess Life December 2022 (#49)

11:30- Begim discusses her experience playing both GM Lei Tiangjie and GM Ju Wenjun

13:30- Can either player make any stylistic adjustments other than switching openings?

17:30- Begim discusses her plans for her own chess career including her study plans and her upcoming tournaments.

Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman .

26:00- Thanks so much to Begim for joining us! Here is how to keep up with her:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/begim09/?hl=en

Twitter:

begim09 https://twitter.com/Gulruhbegim

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

EP 338- Dr. Daniel Simons and Dr. Christopher Chabris- Two Award Winning co-authors and Professors on Growth Mindset, Cheating in Chess, Chess Improvement & Much more! Jul 11, 2023

This week’s guests on Perpetual Chess are the award-winning co-authors and tournament chess players, Dr. Christopher Chabris and Dr. Daniel Simons. Dr. Chabris, of course, is a cognitive scientist, USCF Master, chess dad, and frequent guest on Perpetual Chess. Dr. Simons is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois-Urbana and a tournament chess player in his own right. Their excellent new book, Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken in and What We Can Do About It is not exclusively about chess, but touches on the subject repeatedly, and has many implications for our game. In our conversation, we talk about the book generally but also try to focus on “chess takeaways,” from the book material, with a particular emphasis on the future of cheating in chess. Dr. Chabris has also been active on the tournament scene since we last spoke, so he shares a few fresh observations about chess improvement. I learned a lot both from the book and from our conversation, and I am confident that you will enjoy it.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Check out Anish Giri’s new course Lifetime Repertoires: Giri’s 1. E4 Part 3. You can also see a list of my recommended courses here:

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

0:00- What is misunderstood about “Growth Mindset”?

Mentioned: Chess Improvement, It's All in the Mindset, Episode 199 with Dr. Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells

7:00- What is replication and why is it important for scientific studies?

12:00- What is “desirable difficulty?”

16:30- Dan and Chris discuss a famous chess study that they recreated on their own involving the ability of chess players of different levels to recall chess positions. Watch the video here:

Memory for chess positions (featuring grandmaster Patrick Wolff)

24:00- Are there any studies of chess players that Dan and Chris would like to see done?

31:00- We have a brief digression on how to deal with email scams, I was surprised by the advice given in Nobody’s Fool.

35:00- What can we do about cheating in chess?

Mentioned: FM Nate Solon’s article Beating Hikaru

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/beating-hikaru

More info on Apple Vision Pro:

https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

48:00- Chris Chabris just played in two tournaments. What were his chess observations and conclusions?

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EP 337- NM Nate Shuman- A Scholastic Champion on How Mindfulness Practices Helped Him & Can Help All Competitive Chess Players Jul 04, 2023

Nate Shuman is a New York City-based high school student who founded an organization called Mindmates. Mindmates has already facilitated workshops for many of the top scholastic chess organizations in the New York City area. Nate has experienced the benefits of mindfulness first-hand, as it helped him get through a lengthy chess plateau that he felt threatened to sap the joy of chess from him. In our conversation, Nate shares a couple of basic mindfulness techniques that can help any tournament player, and he reflects on his own chess career, including a 7-year plateau while going from 2100 to 2200 USCF. You can find the timestamps for the topics discussed below.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Their new courses include Starting out with 1. D4 by GM Ben Finegold. And The Audacious Milner-Barry Gambit by NM Han Schut. You can also see a list of my recommended courses here:

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

0:02- Nate shares how he got into chess at one of the top chess programs in the U.S. The Dalton School. How is chess taught there?

Mentioned: WIM Beatriz Marinello, David MacEnulty, FM Gus Huston, NM Corey Evans, NM Yevgeny Feldman, GM Max Dlugy

13:00- What did Nate learn from experiencing a lengthy chess plateau at the 2100 level?

21:00- What is the vision behind Mindmates, Nate’s mindfulness-based organization, ?

Mentioned:

Episode 289 with Tony Ballard of The Gift of Chess

Episode 155 with Elizabeth Spiegel

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What adjustments does Nate make for teaching younger kids?”

Mentioned:

How to Chess Episode 12 with Dr. Benjamin Portheault

Dr. Benjamin Portheault’s course: https://mindfulness-for-the-tournament-player.teachable.com/p/mindfulness-for-the-tournament-player

38:00- Nate walks us through a couple of simple mindfulness exercises

46:00- Nate gives examples of affirmations chess players can use before games.

47:00- Nate discusses his future plans for MindMates.

You can learn more about Mindmates via their website:

https://www.mindmates.org/

Email: Nate.Shuman at Mindmatesdot.org

Follow @MindmatesChess on Instagram

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

Bonus Pod- Three Amateurs on Chess Lessons Learned and Adventures Had at the National Open in Las Vegas Jun 30, 2023

We are trying a new format here on Perpetual Chess and are featuring tournament trip reports from 3 different amateurs who recently competed in the National Open in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have long wanted to know more about what it is like to attend and compete in this venerable chess festival, and I lined up 3 guests to share their reflections on the tournament and the chess lessons that they learned.

My 3 guests are:

1) NM Todd Bryant (aka StrongChess) joins the podcast to discuss his experience in the Under 2300 section. Todd is a Software Engineer for Chess.com, a chess dad, and a blitz and weight lifting enthusiast.

2) Lindsey Newhall joins to report on the Under 1300 section, the Women’s Open tournament, and a family reunion of sorts. Lindsey is a California-based chess player, chess teacher and tournament director.

3) Returning guest, Twitch streamer and chess teacher Cody Smith reports on the Under 1900 Section, and some Twitch streamer meetups.

I hope you all enjoy this format, please let me know if you enjoy it and if it is something you would like to hear more of for big tournaments. Timestamps for guest appearances and info is below:

0:01- Intro to the pod

Subscribe to my free newsletter here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

Thanks to Chessable for the support, check out their latest courses:

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

0:03- NM Todd Bryant “StrongChess” joins.

23:00- Lindsey Newhall joins the podcast.

Lindsey was featured in Episode 58 of Chess Journeys

46:00- CL Smith rejoins the pod! CL Smith was in Episode 270 of Perpetual Chess

Follow Cody on Twitch here:

https://www.twitch.tv/clsmithxv

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

Bonus pod- Law Professor David Franklin returns to Discuss the Dismissal of the Hans NIemann/Chess.com Lawsuit Jun 28, 2023

David Franklin is a constitutional law professor and practicing appellate lawyer. David also is a USCF expert and chess enthusiast who follows the chess world closely. In 2022, David came on Perpetual Chess to help explain the Hans Niemann lawsuit after it was filed. At the time he felt it was an uphill battle for Hans, which has proven to be the case given the lawsuit's dismissal. David rejoins the podcast to review the dismissal and to discuss what further recourse GM Hans Niemann might have, if any.

You can hear David’s prior discussion of the lawsuit here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ciBvYBT6BD69w1TR3j1nJ?si=969ca9c1d61e4765

0:01- Brief addendum

0:02- Professor David Franklin joins the podcast.

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

EP 336- GM Jan Timman: The Legendary Author and Dutch Champion discusses his new book on Max Euwe, How his Generation Compares to the Current One, and Magnus and the Modern Chess Landscape Jun 27, 2023

This week we are re-joined by a legend of the game, 9 time Dutch champion and award winning author, GM Jan Timman. GM Timman has just released his latest book, Max Euwe’s Best Games, which puts the games of his fellow Dutch legend under a modern microscope. We discuss Jan’s personal relationship with Euwe, and Jan answers some questions about the World Champion’s legacy. Is it fair to say that Euwe only beat Alekhine in 1935 due to Alekhine’s drinking problem? What were Euwe’s best games? How did he develop his tactical flair? Why did he blunder more often than other elite players? We also discuss other news from the chess world, as GM Timman shares thoughts and stories on Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, Garry Kasparov, and the state of Dutch chess. It is always an honor to speak with GM Jan Timman!

Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.

Prior GM Jan Timman appearances:

Episode 196

2021 Discussion of the Carlsen-Nepo match

0:02- GM Jan Timman shares his personal recollections of former World Champion Max Euwe, who Jan played in a simul as an 11 year old boy.

0:07- Jan took a trip for a chess training camp to the Soviet Union as a 19-year-old in 1970. What was that trip like?

10:00- Jan has described one of Max Euwe’s books as formative for him as a child, what does he remember about the “book with a blue cover?”

14:00- Does Jan consider quantitative analyses of players’ ability, such as that done by Chessmetrics to be useful?

Mentioned: Euwe-Pirc 1949, Boguljubow

15:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is the perception that Max Euwe was a weaker world champion an accurate one?

18:00- Is it true that Euwe beat Alekhine because Alekhine was drunk the entire match?

20:00- How does Jan think Euwe developed such a creative style, as evidenced in his games against Alekhine and Geller?

Mentioned: Euwe-Alekhine 1934, Euwe-Geller 1953

21:45- GM Timman discusses the approaches to chess of Karpov, Kasparov and Tal.

23:00- Why did Euwe blunder so often?

26:30- What are Jan’s favorite games of Euwe’s?

Mentioned: Euwe-Geller 1953 Euwe-Pirc 1949 Euwe-Alekhine 1935 (Pearl of Zandvoort)

29:30- Jan discusses the Max Euwe center in Amsterdam.

Mentioned: More information on the center here:

https://maxeuwe.nl/en/home-english/

31:30- Jan shares his thoughts on the World Championship match.

35:00- What does Jan think of Magnus Carlsen’s slump? He also shares his thoughts on the World Championship cycle format.

Mentioned: Caruana-Nakamura Norway Chess 2023

41:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is there any facet of chess where Timman’s generation of GMs are better than modern GMs?

44:00- What would be the best way to study endgames today?

Mentioned: GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Rook Endings, Levinfish and Smyslov’s Rook Endings

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: Any chance GM Timman would do a 21st century update to The Art of Chess Analysis?

50:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Jan have a good GM Ljubomir Ljubojević story?

51:00- Which players in the younger generation does Jan admire?

Mentioned: GM D Gukesh, GM Hans Nieman

52:00- Jan’s thoughts on the Niemann-Carlsen controversy

Mentioned: 2023 Samford Fellowship Winners

56:00- Jan discusses his upcoming tournament plans.

58:00- Jan shares his memories of a television interview he did with Kasparov in 1997 as well as some of their games

Mentioned: Timman-Kasparov 1985 , Kasparov-Timman 1992

1:00:00- Does Jan ever look at his old games with engines?

Mentioned: Stockfish 14

1:04:00- Jan discusses the state of Dutch chess.

Mentioned: GM Anish Giri, IM Eline Roebers, GM Jorden van Foreest

1:06:00- Thanks to GM Timman for sharing his wisdom and stories, you can order his new book here:

From New in Chess:

https://www.newinchess.com/max-euwe-best-chess-games

Free Sample here:

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9180.pdf

You can also read it on Forward Chess:

https://forwardchess.com/product/max-euwes-best-games?section=New%20Arrival

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

EP 335- Adult Improvers and Chessable co-Authors, WIM Natasha Regan and Matthew Ball on Improving at Chess in Your 50s, Tips for Playing against Kids and The Similarities between Shogi and Chess Jun 20, 2023

The Adult Improver Series returns with two insightful guests joining the podcast. WIM Natasha Regan is an author and actuary who among many other chess accomplishments recently became the British over 50 Women’s National Champion! Natasha recently collaborated on a Chessable course with Matthew Ball, who is a chess dad and dedicated improver who has made significant rating progress since returning to competitive chess in recent years. Natasha and Matthew shared lots of helpful chess study tips covering topics ranging from The Woodpecker Method, to the Chess Steps series, to whether one should alter their approach to a game against a younger opponent. We also discussed their fun and instructive new course, Zwischenzug: A Comprehensive Guide to Intermediate Moves. You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below.

0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com!

Check out Natasha and Matthew’s new CHessable course here: :

https://www.chessable.com/zwischenzug-a-comprehensive-guide-to-intermediate-moves/course/139623/

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

0:03- Matthew Ball and Natasha discuss their shared background as junior players, and how their paths recrossed in recent years.

7:30- Patreon mailbag question- Does Natasha have any different strategies when playing against kids as compared to adults?

17:00- Matthew came back into chess a few years back and his seen some rating gain. He discusses his training regimen.

Mentioned: Chess for Life, Chess Steps Books, Woodpecker Method

22:00- More on the Woodpecker Method

Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating by GM Axel Smith, Book Recap #6 on the Woodpecker Method

23:00- How does Natasha tune up for a tournament?

26:00- Natasha discusses some similarities between Shogi and Chess.

Mentioned: Karolina Styczyńska of the Shogi Harbor Twitch Channel

32:00- Matthew shares a few more improvement recommendations.

35:00- Why did Natasha and Matthew decide to do a course on intermediate moves?

45:00- Natasha and Matthew discusses their approaches to openings

52:00- Do they work with coaches?

56:00- Natasha and Matt discuss their tournament and summer plans.

Thanks so much to Natasha and Matt for joining the show!

Check out their course here:

https://www.chessable.com/zwischenzug-a-comprehensive-guide-to-intermediate-moves/course/139623/

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

EP 334- GM Ben Finegold on the Possible Decline of Magnus, his New 1. d4 Chessable Course, and more Stories from his Years of Chess Travels Jun 13, 2023

This week’s return guest is the always entertaining and informative, GM Ben Finegold. Ben is a popular Twitch Streamer and YouTuber who has just released his first Chessable course, Starting out with 1. D4. Ben is always among my favorites to interview because he offers a unique blend of entertaining stories, hot-takes on top level chess and improvement advice. This episode is no exception, as Ben discusses the status of his OTB retirement, whether Magnus Carlsen’s best OTB days are behind him, the resurgence of Hikaru and Fabiano, and why doing a course on 1. D4 was an easy choice for him. You can find a full list of topics discussed below, as well as timestamps.

0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com!

Get Ben’s new Course Starting out with 1.d4 here:

https://www.chessable.com/course/156667

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

0:03- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ben ever regret pursuing chess, or think that adult amateurs should not devote so much energy to it?”

Mentioned: IM Stuart Rachels, GM Patrick Wolff, Stuart Leaf

0:08- Is Ben having any second thoughts about retiring from OTB chess?

Mentioned: The National Open

11:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Ben’s advice for amateurs who want to improve at chess?”

17:30- How does Ben think back on the four years he was covering lots of events for US Chess in Europe in the 1990s?

Mentioned: Chess Life Magazine Archive, Kasparov-Karpov 1991

22:00- Ben shares more memories from the 1988 World Chess Festival

Mentioned: Ray Stone, Fred Lindsay, GM Jonathan Speelman, GM Valery Salov, GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, Ivanchuk-Kasparov Linares 1991, Linares, Linares

30:00- Ben’s updated thoughts on the Magnus-Niemann controversy

33:00- Why did Ben decide to do a course on 1. D4 ?

42:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ben have a refutation to Marc Esserman’s refutation of Finegold’s line in the Mayhem in the Morra book and Chessable course?”

47:00- We discuss Norway Chess and whether Ben is surprised by GM Fabiano’s Caruana’s resurgence.

48:00- Has Magnus peaked?

Mentioned: GM Alex Fishbein, GM Dmitri Gurevich, GM Eric Lobron

50:00- How does Hikaru stay so strong?

52:00- Which junior has the best chance of being World Champion?

55:00- Ben’s wife Karen won a seat to the World Series of Poker Main Event! Will Ben go? Will he play poker?

57:00- Other summer plans

Mentioned: Episode 292: Adult Improver Interview with Karen Boyd

58:00- Thanks, as always, to Ben for joining the pod! Here are the links to keep up with him.

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/itsbenandkaren

YouTube

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

Chessable Course

https://www.chessable.com/starting-out-with-1d4/course/156667/

Chessable Course and Master Class Bundle-

https://www.chessable.com/starting-out-with-1-d4-queen-s-gambit-fundamentals-masterclass/course/182439/

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

EP 333: IM James Sherwin- A US Chess Hall of Famer Looks Back on his Chess Career and Shares Stories about Fischer, Reshevsky, Seirawan and Many More! Jun 06, 2023

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is U.S. Chess Hall of Famer, IM James Sherwin. An 89-year-old New York City Native, Sherwin has played and met many chess legends. He knew Bobby Fischer from his teenage years. Jim did not pursue chess professionally and had a successful career as an attorney and a corporate executive, but he still managed to compete extensively and participated in 8 US Championships, often finishing near the top of the standings. Sherwin now lives in the London area, and as recently as three years ago, was still winning chess tournaments! After talking to him, I can see why he is still able to perform so well, because James’ memory of his games and encounters with Fischer, Petrosian, Tal, Reshevsky, and many others was truly dazzling. You can find timestamps for the topics discussed below.

0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! You can check out some of my recommended courses here:

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

Check out what's new here:

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

0:03- Jim begins by discussing his childhood summers in Vermont, where he improved at chess by practicing against himself.

Mentioned: My System, Cambridge Springs 1904, Dr. Elliot Hearst

10:00- Jim discusses the Columbia University Chess Team, which won the intercollegiate championship.

CORRECTION- When discussing the Columbia University chess team, Jim notes that he regrets not mentioning that Ralph Italie and Ed Sher also both performed substantial service for the team.

12:30- Did Jim ever consider becoming a chess professional?

15:00- Jim reminisces about a few tournaments including the World Junior Championship in Copenhagen in 1953 and Portoroz 1958, an Interzonal tournament, featuring Fischer, Tal and many others.

Mentioned: Boris Ivkov, Penrose, Reshevsky, Penrose

22:00- What are Jim’s first memories of Fischer?

Mentioned: Fischer-Sherwin 1958

32:00- Jim shares his recollections of Fischer-Spassky 1972, as well as his own games against Fischer.

Mentioned: Sherwin-Fischer Log Cabin Open 1957, Fischer-Sherwin 1957

37:00- What does Jim recall about his games with Tal and Petrosian?

40:30- Does Jim ever review his old games? Does he use an engine?

43:30- Jim’s Memories of the legendary tournament in Lone Pine 1976, featuring Petrosian and Smyslov.. How did his blitz battles with a young Yasser Seirawan go?

47:00- Did Jim know the well-known authors like Fred Reinfeld, Al Horowitz and Irving Chernev?

50:00- Jim discusses his time supporting American professional chess as head of the American Chess Foundation.

Mentioned: GM Boris Gulko, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Judit Polgar, Allen Kaufman

57:00- How are Jim’s chess skills at age 89? How does he keep up with the game?

1:03:00- Jim recalls the only game in which he beat GM Andy Soltis, where Fischer joined the post mortem analysis.

1:09:00- What were Jim’s closest friendships in the chess world?

Mentioned: IM Donald Byrne, GM Larry Evans, Dr. Edward Lasker, GM Arthur Bisguier, GM Edmar Mednis, Dr. Eliot Hearst

1:11:00- Which is Jim’s favorite of his games?

Mentioned: Sherwin-Gligoric 1958

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

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

EP 332- GM Vinay Bhat: A Former Child Prodigy Turned Data Scientist Shares Lessons Learned and Memorable Stories from his Chess Career May 30, 2023

This week’s guest is Author and Data Scientist, GM Vinay Bhat. Vinay was one of the top chess prodigies in modern US History. He amassed many scholastic titles and held the record of the youngest ever US National Master before Hikaru Nakamura broke his record. Despite Vinay’s extraordinary chess success, he always maintained many interests and put a particular emphasis on his school work, and then his career. Now 38 years of age, Vinay has written an excellent new book with Quality Chess, How I Became a Chess Grandmaster. Part memoir, part chess manual, in the book, Vinay reflects on his career, annotates memorable games, and takes a big picture look at the study choices and decisions he made over the years, including the tough decision to walk away from chess as a profession. Vinay places a particular emphasis on the few steep plateaus he faced in his development. In our conversation, Vinay reflects on his career and shares plenty of chess lessons and memorable anecdotes. A Bay Area native and resident, Vinay has gotten to know many people who will be familiar to Perpetual Chess listeners. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.

0:00- My Recommended Chessable Courses:

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

Check out ChessDojo’s 1.e4 Repertoire for White here:

https://www.chessable.com/chessdojos-1e4-repertoire-for-white/course/150049/

0:02- As Vinay reflects on his chess career, how does he reflect on his first real plateau, which occurred around 2200.

Mentioned: The Best I Saw in Chess by IM Stuart Rachels, GM Gregory Kaidanov, Episode 295 with GM Gregory Kaidanov

13:45- What is Vinay’s advice for when an opening change might be in order?

Mentioned: Vinay’s Chessbase India interview with IM Sagar Shah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4IIiYe5Vb8

20:00- What conclusions does Vinay draw from reflecting on his whole chess career?

Mentioned: Savely Polovets

24:00- How did Vinay utilize one page writeups in his opening prep?

28:00- Vinay shares his thoughts on various players he knows and has met, including GM Sam Shankland, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Eduard Gufeld, the RZA from Wutang Clan,

Mentioned: Joe Lonsdale Jr., Peter Thiel, The GZA, Josh Waitzkin

45:00- What were Vinay’s first impressions of Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana?

47:00- What was it like to live in the “chess house” with IM David Pruess and GM Jesse Kraai?

49:00- Vinay is an avid reader and discusses some of his favorites.

Mentioned: ChessDoJo video- The Best Chess Books , New York 1924, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, How Not to Play Chess, The Books of Irving Chernev

57:00- What have Vinay’s interactions with GM Viswanathan Anand been like? What about Spassky, Kasparov and Karpov?

1:01:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: As a data scientist has Vinay discovered any useful statistical patterns in his play?

1:05:00- What does Vinay think of the acceleration of Chat GBT and similar products? Could it have a further impact on the chess world?

1:10:00- Vinay reflects on the difficult decision he made not to pursue professional chess.

1:15:00- Is there anything Vinay wishes he could have done differently?

1:18:00- Thanks so much to Vinay for joining the show! Here are the links for his excellent book:

Check out the book here:

Quality Chess

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/436/how_i_became_a_chess_grandmaster_by_vinay_bhat/

Free Excerpt of the Books:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIbecameaChessGrandmaster-Excerpt.pdf

Forward Chess

https://forwardchess.com/product/how-i-became-a-chess-grandmaster?section=

Vsbhat02 at gmail

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

patreon.com/perpetualchess

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

EP 331- Adult Improver John Neely (aka Benedictine) on lessons learned and recommendations from a long journey to 1800. May 23, 2023

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns to hear some more reflections from an accomplished chess amateur. This week we are joined by John Neely. John started competitive chess at the age of 36 in 2011 and has had a long road to the ECF equivalent of about 1800. John has put in plenty of hours, both as a student of the game, an OTB competitor, and as a Chessable community author who created the popular series Visualize. In our interview, John reflects on the lessons he has learned in his years of studying chess. John is pleased with his approach in some aspects of his study, but he also thinks he could have done a few things differently. Finally, we discuss John’s new project, as he is taking a break from competitive chess in order to work on a series of mystery novels. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

0:00- Be Sure to Sub to the Free Newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest!

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

0:01- Thanks to recent Perpetual Chess Patreon subs, you can join the community here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

0:02- My Recommended Chessable Courses

Fire on Board

GM Niclas Huscenbeth;s 1. E4 Repertoire

Benedictine’s Chessable Courses

03:00- John Neely joins the show! He begins by discussing how he got into competitive chess at age 36 in 2011.

12:00- What did John do to improve his game?

Mentioned: Dan Heisman’s YouTube channel, ChessTempo Tactics Trainer

16:00- How do team leagues work in Great Britain?

21:30- When John was playing online games as a training method, did he feel like they worked as well as training by playing OTB League games?

26:00- How did John come up with the idea for his Visualize series on Chessable?

https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/, Episode 327 with Geert van der Velde

35:00- John shares his approach to analyzing his games

Mentioned: How to Batch Analyze Your Games, Blunder Busters

44:00- What would John do differently if starting serious chess all over again?

Mentioned: Silman’s Endgame Course, Alekhine’s Best Games of Chess

50:00- How did John get into writing mystery novels?

Mentioned: Lavender and Brown: York Mysteries

56:00- What was it like to play GMs like David Howell, Luke McShane, GM Simon Williams and Mickey Adams in simuls?

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

EP 330- Chess Improvement Q and A with Top Trainer and Author, GM Wojciech Moranda Topics Include: Annotating Games, Improving Positional Chess, and Learning from Playing vs. Learning from Studying May 16, 2023

GM Wojciech Moranda is an insightful author, trainer, and one of the top players in Poland. He rejoins Perpetual Chess this week to do a deep dive on all things related to chess improvement. Wojciech answers questions related to memorizing and annotating games, improving at positional chess, the value of playing compared to reading, plus many more questions that can help your game and study routine. In the second half of the interview we expand our conversation to discuss Wojciech’s excellent new book Supreme Chess Understanding, Wojciech discusses his experience coaching IM Levy Rozman, he shares advice for becoming a chess trainer, and of course, shares his thoughts on Nepo-Ding. I always learn a great deal when speaking with Wojciech, and this week’s pod is no exception. You can find timestamps for the many topics discussed below.

Wojciech’s Prior Appearance, Episode 203

Universal Chess Training

Supreme Chess Understanding

0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here:

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

Stomp the Stafford Gambit

Shankland’s Neo-Catalan 2

03:00- Chess Improvement Q and A begins- Is it worthwhile to memorize complete games as a chess improvement method?

Mentioned: Rapid Chess Improvement, Book Recap #6- Woodpecker Method/Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce

08:00- Is it worthwhile for amateurs to annotate GM games as an improvement method?

Mentioned: Zurich 1953, San Luis 2005, The Power of Defence and the Art of Counterattack in 64 Pictures, The Road to Chess Improvement

18:00- Wojciech shares his thoughts on the AI revolution

22:00- How should a 1600 level player with little opening knowledge approach learning them?

Mentioned: Everyman Move by Move Series

27:00- Should a lower-rated player study imbalances? (The topic of Wojciech’s new book)

33:00- What method is the most effective for getting better at positional chess? Mentioned: GM Johan Hellsten’s Mastering Chess Strategy (on Amazon) (and on Chessable)

38:00- What are the traits of Wojciech’s most successful students?

45:00- What are the most common mistakes that Wojciech sees students making in different phases of the game? (Openings/Tactics/Endgames)

Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know (on Amazon) (and on Chessable)

51:00- Should Dr. Kevin Scull of Chess Journeys stop reading chess books and play more in order to improve?

1:00:00- We discuss Supreme Chess Understanding. How does Wojciech find so many original and creative puzzle positions?

Mentioned: Available on Forward Chess, Free Preview of the Book via Thinker’s Publishing

1:08:00- What are the “three types of chess players” when it comes to sacrificing material?

Mentioned: Beyond Material (on Amazon) (and on Chessable)

1:12:00- What was it like to coach Gotham Chess?

1:20:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What resources would Wojciech recommend for someone thinking of becoming a chess trainer?”

Mentioned: WFM Michalina Rudzińska, Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos, Episode 66 with Adam Weissbarth, The Chess Instructor 2009, Chess Training for Budding Champions by IM Jesper Hall, How to Study Chess on Your Own, For Friends and Colleagues by IM Mark Dvoretsky, Thinking Inside the Box by GM Jacob Aagaard , Chess for Educators by Karel van Delft

1:42:00- Wojciech’s World Championship Thoughts

Mentioned: Sean Ingle’s story on Nepo’s Missing Sleeping Pill, written for The Guardian

1:47:00- Thanks to Wojciech for joining the pod!

You can contact him via his Lichess and his Chess.com Coaches Pages:

https://lichess.org/coach/gmmoranda

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

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

EP 329- GM Sam Shankland: One of the the top Players in the U.S. on How he Improved His Rapid Game and his Endgame Play, His 2023 Tournament Plans and his Advice for Overcoming Setbacks in Chess May 09, 2023

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is one the United States’ top players, GM Sam Shankland. Sam is a two- time Olympic Gold Medalist, the 2018 US Champion, and an acclaimed author and Chessable creator. A dedicated teacher, Sam is also a lead trainer and the co-founder of Killer Chess Training. As a late starter by the standards of a chess professional, Sam is always especially insightful on the topic of chess improvement. In our conversation, we reflect on his own ups and downs in recent years, as well as the common traits of his most successful students. Sam also shares his thoughts on the first half of the World Championship match, discusses what he did to improve at endgames and at rapid chess, and outlines his 2023 tournament schedule. There is always lots to learn from chatting with Sam, and I greatly enjoyed our discussion! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Interview Recorded on Monday, April 24, 2023.

Prior interview with Sam, Episode 8

0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here:

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

02:00- How does Sam follow the World Championship? What were his impressions after Round 11?

09:00- How is Sam feeling about his own chess game at the moment? What is his study routine?

Mentioned: Prague Masters, FIDE World Cup

15:00- What inspired Sam’s choice to write the forthcoming book, Theoretical Rook Endings?

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard, FM Nate Solon’s blog post, What’s the Point of Studying the Endgame

21:00- What was Sam’s approach to endgames as an up-and-coming player?

Mentioned: GM Alex Yermolinsky’s Every Russian School Boy Knows

24:45- Does Sam think he can make another leap forward as he did in 2018?

27:00- Does Sam track the progress of his students?

Mentioned: GM Abhimanyu Mishra, IM Shahil Dey

29:00- Sam discusses the explosion of chess learning tools

32:00- Who from the younger generation does Sam think might someday be World Champion?

35:00- Will Sam make it a priority to try to get into the 2023 Candidates?

Mentioned: 2021 FIDE World Cup

41:00- What did Sam do to strengthen his rapid game?

41:30- What, in Sam’s opinion, is the best way for adult amateurs to try to improve?

43:30- Does Sam think one should do “Puzzle Rush” type tactics as well?

46:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Should strong amateur players try to find less-explored opening moves to gain an edge on their opponents?”

51:00- What is Sam’’s advice for how to study opening structures?

55:00- How is Sam using engines?

58:00- What is Sam’s advice for overcoming setbacks?

1:04:00- What advice did Sam give IM Levy Rozman when he was mired in an OTB chess slump?

1:08:00- Does the explosive growth of chess affect Sam’s life at all? Should top GMs be jealous of lower rated chess content creators with big followings?

1:14:00- What can we expect in Sam’s new Chessable course on the Neo-Catalan?

1:16:00- Is Sam watching any new TV shows?

1:20:00- Thanks to Sam for joining me! Here are the links to keep up with Sam and his educational material:

Chessable courses

Books

Killer Chess Training

Twitter

Sam’s Website

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 328- Ding delivers in dramatic fashion! World Championship wrapup with Dutch National Champion and Top Trainer, GM Erwin L’Ami. May 02, 2023

On the heels of a thrilling rapid playoff, I am joined by GM Erwin L’ami to discuss the crowning of GM Ding Liren as the FIDE 17th World Chess Champion. Erwin is a return guest, and a popular Chessable author, who has worked on the team of former FIDE World Champion GM Veselin Topalov, and of GM Anish Giri. In our interview, Erwin shares his impressions of the dramatic playoff, the opening choices, and the psychological ups and downs that both players endured over the course of a long and closely contested match. We also take an early look ahead at the next World Championship cycle and discuss Erwin’s plans for a busy 2023. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

GM Erwin L’Ami’s Prior Appearances:

Episode 186

Episode 257

0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here:

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

0:04:30- GM Erwin L’Ami joins the pod. We begin by discussing the clinching game in the rapid tiebreak.

Mentioned: Kasparov-Topalov 1999

16:00- What did Erwin think of Ding’s opening choices?

23:00- What about Nepo’s propensity to move too quickly at times?

30:00- Were they playing at a higher level in the rapid than the classical?

32:00- Patreon mailbag question: As a high level trainer, what would Erwin do to try to help coach his player to avoid some of the psychological pitfalls on display in the Ding-Nepo match?

38:00- Should they change the format of the press conferences?

40:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Erwin think that Ding caused Nepo’s difficulties in game 12 or was it the pressure of the moment?

47:00- What does Erwin think of the format of the match, and of the existence of the Rapid playoff in particular?

54:00- Early discussion of the next Candidates/World Championship cycle. Will Magnus return?

1:03:00- What are Erwin’s plans for the rest of 2023?

Mentioned: Norway Chess 2023, TePE Seigman 2023 in Malmo, Sweden

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

Bonus Pod- Tied with just one classical game to go! GM Alex Lenderman helps break down the Blunders and the Bouncebacks of this Fascinating FIDE World Championship Apr 27, 2023

0:00-

Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here:

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

Check out what’s new from Chessable here:

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

01:30- Ben goes over some programming notes and does a quick rundown of recent games

05:30- GM Alex Lenderman joins the pod! We begin by discussing how to recover from difficult losses, a recurring theme in this match.

Mentioned: Video of Ding and Rapport walking to the hotel elevator:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvtdAgLW1xo

17:00- Openings- Will the unusual opening choices continue?

Mentioned: Naroditsky-Lenderman 2023

17:00- Openings- Will the unusual opening choices continue?

Mentioned: Naroditsky-Lenderman 2023

23:30- What openings might we see in Game 14?

25:00- Is one player a favorite if it goes to rapid tiebreak? Is it possible nervousness might subside for the players in a rapid tiebreak?

29:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Alex have any advice for players who misevaluate positions and thus misplay positions as a result?”

Mentioned: Analyzing the Chess Mind by Dr. Joel Sneed and GM Boris Gulko

37:00- What advice would Alex have given Nepo coming into today if he were on his team?

46:00- Does Alex have trouble sleeping during tournaments? Might that be a factor again for Nepo?

53:00- Chess improvement talk- Why does Alex disagree with IM Andras Toth’s recent statement that he doesn’t believe anyone suffers from a problem of calculating too much?

Mentioned: ChessDojo interview with GM Avetik Grigoryan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=JVfoM6kkaVw&t=83s

1:01:00- Alex recommends a chess book!

Mentioned: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, also on Chessable, Book Recap #14 discussing The Seven Deadly Chess Sins

1:07:00- Final thoughts on the match and goodbye!

You can email Alex at:

Alexlenderman33 at hotmail.com

Here is his Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076504712336

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

EP 327- Geert van der Velde, CEO of Chessable, on the Chess.com Merger, “Chessable 3.0,” Including the Courses and Improvements Chessable Users Can Expect this Year Apr 25, 2023

Recorded in Washington Square in New York City on April 8, 2023.

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the CEO of Chessable, Geert van der Velde. As longtime listeners know, Geert is a former rock star, devoted chess improver, dad, and avid runner. We recorded on location from the “chess tables” at Washington Square Park on April 8, 2023, in NYC, where Geert was visiting. In our interview, we discussed Geert’s “visitor’s perspective” on the iconic chess tournaments in Reykjavik and Wijk an Zee, forthcoming Chessable courses, the many user interface upgrades that are coming for Chessable, and the impact of Chessable’s recent merger with Chess.com. We also discussed Geert’s own chess game. As a bonus, we were briefly visited by National Master Han Schut, Chessable Author, who was in New York playing a tournament. As always, links and topics of timestamps discussed can be found below.

Geert's Prior Appearance- Episode 161

0:00-

Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here:

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

0:02- Introduction: Geert’s recent travels to NYC, filming content with Gotham Chess

0:08- Geert shares a quick trip report on the Reykjavik Open, which he attended in a non-playing capacity.

14:30- Geert discusses the transition in the wake of the acquisition of Chessable by Chess.com

22:00- How will Chessable’s focus shift with multiple courses on all of the major openings now available?

Mentioned: How to Chess Podcast, IM Alex Banzea, IM Christof Sielecki

27:00- Is there still room for non-titled community members to create Chessable courses?

Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual

29:00- How does Geert respond to critics who say that Chessable opening courses are too voluminous?

33:00- What is Chessable 3.0? What upgrades is Chessable planning?

Mentioned: Email Chessable at hello at Chessable.com

43:00- Geert’s own chess study and play: What was it like to play in an amateur section of Wijk an Zee?

48:00- Special guest, Chessable Author, and Chess Steps Trainer, NM Han Schut joins the interview!

Mentioned: Benji Portheault’s Blog, Han’s Forthcoming Course is on The Milner Barry Gambit

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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Bonus Pod - World Championship Round 9 Update- Dramatic Games, Leaked Prep and Chess Improvement Takeaways for Amateur Players with IM Andras Toth Apr 21, 2023

We are back with another "bonus pod" discussing the unpredictable and riveting World Championship Match between GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi and Ding Liren. After Round 9, Nepo clings to a one game lead as they head into a rest day Saturday. To discuss this eventful match, I am joined by return guest, the popular YouTuber, Twitch Streamer and Chessable Author, IM Andras Toth. Andras is especially insightful when it comes to helping amateur chess players, so I thought he was the perfect person to discuss all of the drama of the match, as well as what we can lessons we can learn for our own games. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable. Check out IM Andras' Toth's excellent courses here:

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

Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here:

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

CORRECTION- I mention "5 wins in a row" having taken place in the match a few times- it was actually only 4 wins in a row. My apologies.

2:00- Big picture - What has made this match so compelling?

14:30- Patreon mailbag question- what does Andras think of the approach the players have taken to opening prep

20- Patreon mailbag question why haven’t we seen a Sicilian or a Kings Indian Attack?

24- We discuss the “leaked prep” via anonymous Lichess accounts that were playing several opening lines that subsequently appeared in the match- More info here

30- What are the chess improvement lessons to be taken from the match so far?

1:04- Closing thoughts on the match

Thanks to Andras for joining again, be sure to sub to his YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessCoachAndras/videos

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 326- Popular YouTuber and Streamer WGM Dina Belenkaya on Lessons Learned from Recent Tournaments, Twitch Streaming OTB Games and her Content and Chess Goals for 2023 Apr 18, 2023

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the ever popular Commentator, Streamer, YouTuber and traveling chess professional, WGM Dina Belenkaya. Dina is a 4 time Women's champion of St. Petersburg, which is no small feat given her native city's rich chess legacy. These days, Dina is based in France, represents Israel internationally, and competes frequently in various locations. Dina joined me shortly after returning home from the Reykjavik Open, an annual open tournament which is always popular among professionals and amateurs alike. This year several streamers competed and streamed their games, including Dina, Alexandra Botez, Eric Rosen and Simon Williams. In our interview, Dina discusses her recent tournaments, her study regimen, and how she balances streaming, content creation and her competitive chess goals. We also discuss her “chess upbringing” including her study tips and learning methods,and her childhood interactions with GM Anish Giri who was an early chess student of her mother’s. You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below.

This episode was recorded live on April 7 on Dina’s Twitch stream (before the World Championship started)

0:00-

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here:

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

02:00- Reykjavik Open- trip report. How did Dina decide to attend and compete along with other streamers such as Alexandra Botez, Eric Rose, Anna Cramling and Simon Williams?

Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy, Johnson-Belenkaya, Belenkaya-Gajewski 2023, Dina’s YouTube

26:00- What has changed since Dina switched from representing Russia to Israel?

30:00- Who is Dina’s secret chess trainer? What advice does he give her?

Mentioned: GM Brendan Jacobsen, The GM Ran Away From Me

36:00- What will Dina do to work on her chess? Does Puzzle Rush help her calculation abilities?

Mentioned: Puzzle Rush

42:00- What was Dina’s chess upbringing like in the chess mecca of St. Petersburg?

Mentioned: IM Andrey Praslov, Asya Kovalyova (Dina’s Mother), Anish Giri, Endgame Studies 101

50:00- Does Dina remember GM Anish Giri as a kid in St. Petersburg?

1:01:00- What are Dina’s 2023 Chess and Content plans?

1:05:00- Does Dina get nervous when playing OTB games on stream?

1:07:00- Dina trash talks my chess skills (mildly)

1:11:00- If DIna had children would she encourage them to play chess?

1:12:00- Does Dina have a favorite chess “destination” tournament?

Mentioned: Reykjavik Open, Sunway Sitges Open

1:14:00- Thanks to Dina for joining the show!

Check out her YouTube channel here:

Dina’s YouTube channel:

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

Dina’s Twitch channel:

https://www.twitch.tv/thebelenkaya

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dinabelenkaya/?hl=en

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DinaBelenkaya

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

Bonus Pod- Ding Deadlocks the World Championship Match after 4 games, with FM Mike Klein of Chess.com Apr 13, 2023

An ongoing World Championship match means more bonus coverage from Perpetual Chess! I am joined by FM Mike Klein from on-site in Astana, Kazakhstan. Mike and I chat about the surprising turns that have taken place in a match that has already seen 2 decisive results in 4 games, as GM Ding Liren looks to have overcome a rocky start. In addition to discussing the openings, Mike shares details about what the venue is like and how it compares to the other World Championships he has attended. You can find brief notes and timestamps below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here:

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

Ding Liren course here:

https://www.chessable.com/world-class-ding-liren-/course/164045/

02:00- What is the venue like, are there lots of fans there? Which chess personalities are at the match?

10:00- Ding’s mindset- has he turned the tides in the match after a slow start?

18:00- We have seen a different opening in all 4 games, will we start to see some variety?

23:00- How does Astana compare to Dubai and the other World Championships Mike has attended?

28:00- Thanks to Mike Klein for joining me! Follow him on Twitter here:

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

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EP 325- Adult Improver Chris Duncan on the Popularity of Chess in the Military and the Connective Power of the Game to bring Cultures Together Apr 11, 2023

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns to spotlight another amateur from the chess community. This week’s guest is Chris Duncan. Chris is a 24 year old Army logistician and Psychology Graduate Student who shares a powerful story of the power of chess to bridge cultural gaps.In our interview, we discuss Chris’ background and “on/off” relationship with chess, but we primarily focus on the way that chess became a welcome distraction from the stresses of being stationed abroad in 2022. As Chris explains, a shared interest in chess amongst many military members culminated in a memorable chess tournament that brought together US and Polish military members. Chris also discusses some of his favorite chess learning resources, and the role that he hopes chess will play in his life in future years and decades. I really enjoyed hearing Chris’ unique story and thank him for sharing it with us. Timestamps for topics discussed and relevant links can be found below.

0:00-

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here:

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

To be considered as an Adult Improver Guest, please fill out this form here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover

Adult Improver Webpage:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover

Adult Improver Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=d3cb77595b0049e7

0:03:00- What was Chris’ introduction to chess, and how did he get back into it?

0:05:00- What is the chess scene like within the US Armed War Forces?

10:00- What did Chris do to work on his game?

Mentioned: Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Seirawan Winning Chess Series, The Seirawan series is also available on Chessable, Episode 303 with Kyle Boddy

14:00- Chris tells the remarkable story of how he and other members of the US Armed Forces got to play a tournament with members of the Polish military while stationed there.

28:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does chess improve Chris’ graduate school studies in psychology?

Mentioned: Logical Chess Move by Move

31:00- Would Chris ever try an OTB tournament?

35:00- How does Chris approach following chess content that is a bit complex for his chess level?

Mentioned: St. Louis Chess Club YouTube Channel

40:00- Thanks again to Chris for coming on to the podcast, and for his service in the US Military.

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 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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

EP 315- Dr. Jon Edwards- The Correspondence Chess World Champion on what Top Engines think of Different Openings and his Road to the World Title Jan 31, 2023

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess an author, an American Chess Magazine columnist, and the recently-crowned World Champion of correspondence chess, Dr. Jon Edwards. Correspondence chess historically was played by mail, without assistance. These days it is played by email, with engine assistance allowed. The current format makes for incredibly accurate games that often end in draws. So what enabled Jon to win the Championship? Did luck play a role?

Jon is an expert on how modern engines work, and what they say about various openings. We discuss the current opening battlegrounds of top engines, and discuss how correspondence chess has evolved as engines continue to get stronger. Should the rules of correspondence chess be tweaked because so many games end in draws? Among many other topics, we also discuss Jon’s massive chess book and chess stamp collections, and why Petrosian is his favorite player. Please read on for timestamps and links related to topics discussed.

0:00- How has Jon’s life changed since winning the title of World Correspondence Chess Champion?

Mentioned: FM Alex Dunne passed away, Jon Edwards wins 32nd World Correspondence Championship

08:00- It is pretty rare to win in modern correspondence chess. What happened in the two games that Jon won in the championship tournament?

14:00- What type of computer does Jon use to power his chess engines?

17:00- We take a quick detour to discuss Jon’s early investment in Apple Stock in 1984.

24:00- 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

25:00- Jon tells me how engines are evaluating a handful of openings, including the Najdorf and the Semi-slav.

Mentioned: Chinese database referenced here:

https://www.chessdb.cn/queryc_en/

34:00- Why does Jon prefer correspondence chess to OTB chess?

38:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Would Jon consider doing a course on advanced uses on Chessbase?”

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- Patreon mailbag question: “What type of engine does Jon use?”

Mentioned: Stockfish 15.1

52:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Jon think of the idea of changing the format of the correspondence championship due to the preponderance of draws?”

54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Are there stylistic changes made in how correspondence games are played based on the strength of the engines?”

Mentioned: Dubov-Karjakin 2020, Joppen vs. Petrosian 1954, Edwards-Lobonov

59:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the biggest contributions of correspondence chess to OTB chess?”

1:01:00- Does one see the French defense or the Caro Kann at top level Correspondence Chess?

1:04:00- Jon discusses his large chess book collection and his chess stamp collection.

Mentioned: Great Moments in Modern Chess

1:11:00- Jon discusses why Petrosian is his favorite player

Mentioned: Joppen vs. Petrosian 1954, Joseph Platz

1:16:00- Jon mentions his current favorite stock investment. :)

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Bonus pod- Tata Steel in the Home Stretch- FM Michiel Abeln assesses the Tournament so Far Jan 27, 2023

We are back with another Tata Steel focused bonus pod. As we recorded the venerable tournament has 3 rounds left and has been filled with beautiful games and fascinating storylines. We are re-joined by renowned author/ Chessable author, FM Michiel Abeln to assess what we have seen so far. Timestamps of topics and players discussed are below.

0:00- What has struck Michiel about the first 10 rounds of the Masters tournament?

06:00- We briefly discuss the Challengers section.

09:00- We discuss the performance of the players one by one, beginning with GM Vincent Keymer

14:30- GM Arjun Erigaisi

16:00- GM Jorden van Foreest

18:45- GM Parham Maghsoodloo

23:00- 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%.

25:00- GM Gukesh

Mentioned: Vanessa West’s Recap of Round 10 for Chess.com

32:00- GM Ding Liren

35:00- GM Praggnanandhaa

38:00- Rapport, Caruana and Aronian

Mentioned: Erigaisi-Rapport 2023, Caruana-Carlsen 2023

46:00- GM Wesley So

47:00- GM Magnus Carlsen

51:00- GM Anish Giri

53:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

55:00- Anish Giri continued…

59:00- Finally… GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov

1:05:00- Michiel’s closing thoughts

Thanks again to Michiel for joining us from the Netherlands. Here is how to keep up with his work:

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MichielAbeln

His Book- The Anand Files

His Chessable Courses-

Trompowsky Simplified- https://www.chessable.com/the-trompowsky-simplified/course/134623/

The Leningrad Dutch-

https://www.chessable.com/leningrad-dutch-an-uncompromising-attacking-opening/course/72081/

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 314- Adult Improver Kamryn Hellman on How Discovering Chess via Queen's Gambit turned her into a Fast Improving Chess Obsessive Jan 24, 2023

The Adult Improver Series of Perpetual Chess returns today. It is a series devoted to sharing the stories of dedicated chess amateurs. This week’s guest is Kamryn Hellman. Kamryn is a 23 year-old who got swept up by chess in 2021 after seeing Queen’s Gambit. At that time she learned the game from scratch, and in the subsequent time she has become immersed in the culture and brought her Chess.com rapid rating to a peak of over 1900. Kamryn has also gotten involved in her local chess community and has enjoyed her forays into tournament chess, despite the challenges that it created. I was really impressed with Kamryn’s quick rise in the chess ranks, and also her analytical approach to improving her game. She shared lots of useful advice in our interview, and it was fun to hear her story. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.

Resources mentioned in intro:

Spotify Adult Improver Playlist

Adult Improver Webpage

Submit Your Info to Potentially be a Guest on the Pod

Support Perpetual Chess Via Patreon

Also be sure to subscribe to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, for a free weekly email of the week’s biggest chess stories and chess improvement related blog posts.

0:04- After Kamryn discovered chess via Queen’s Gambit, how did she dive deeper into the game?

Mentioned: Gotham Chess

0:09- How did Kamryn begin to find a community IRL? Was she welcomed at her local chess club?

Mentioned: Todd Wolf

14:00 - Kamryn is doing some teaching of beginners. Does she think it helps her chess?

16:00- 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

18:00- What was the tournament experience like? How has Kamryn learned to deal with nerves?

27:00- What is Kamryn’s approach to analyzing her games?

33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Kamryn work on her thought processes?

36:00- Does Kamryn have any other hobbies that have helped with her approach to chess?

38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here:https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

40:00- How does Kamryn approach working on endgames?

Mentioned: GM Naroditsky’s Principles of Chess Endgames

44:00- What motivates Kamryn to work so hard on her game?

Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s Chess Queens

46:00- How does Kamryn study openings?

53:00- Compared to most adults, Kamryn’s unusual rise in the ratings have been meteoric. How does Kamryn contextualize the unusual gains she has made?

58:00- What other content creators does Kamryn enjoy?

Mentioned: Hanging Pawns, Eric Rosen teaches Andrea Botez the London

59:00- Has Kamryn read any chess books that have really helped her?

Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Everyone’s First Chess Workbook, Best Lessons of a Chess Coach

1:02:00- What do Kamryn’s friends think of her chess obsession?

1:04:00- What is Kamryn’s advice for new chess enthusiasts?

1:06:00- Thanks so much to Kamryn for joining me! You can follow her on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/kamrynheidi

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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Bonus pod- Dispatch from the Tata Steel Chess tournament with Renowned Author, FM Michiel Abeln Jan 18, 2023

We’ve got some bonus content for you guys, as renowned author/ Chessable author FM Michiel Abeln joined me on the first rest day to discuss the ongoing Tata Steel Chess tournament. Tata Steel is an annual tournament in the Netherlands which routinely attracts many of the world’s top players as well as rising stars. It is run concurrently with tournaments open to all, and is celebrating its 85th anniversay this year! We recorded the podcast the day after Anish Giri beat Magnus Carlsen in impressive fashion, but we focus more on the “big picture” of the tournament rather than the current standings. Michiel and I discuss questions such as: What makes Tata Steel such a special tournament? What is it like to be there right now? What should amateurs who are considering attending or playing in the tournament in the future know? Which players and games have impressed Michiel so far? Michael lives near the tournament venue and has been visiting it for over a decade, so he was very helpful in putting this year's event into context. He has also been writing about the tournament for The Week in Chess. Tata Steel has such a storied legacy in the chess world and it was great to get some perspective from a knowledgeable local about the past and present of this classic tournament!

Our Prior Interview: Episode 156 with Michiel Abeln

04:00- What would surprise a recreational chess player who decided to show up and play in the Open Tournament at Wijk an Zee?

Mentioned: Kings, Queens and Rookies (new book from New in Chess)

07:30- How much can fans interact with the top players there? Who has Michiel seen there?

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

17:00- Patreon mailbag Question: Are the youngsters taking over in the open tournaments in Wijk an Zee?

Mentioned: Episode 186 with GM Erwin L’Ami, Elina Roebers-Erwin L’Ami 2023

25:00- Michiel discusses the formats of the amateur tournaments

32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

34:00- What are some of the standout games worth reviewing from the tournament?

Pragganandha-Ding Liren 2023, Gukesh-Ding Liren 2023, Giri-Gukesh 2023, Giri-Carlsen 2023, Rapport-Caruana 2023

46:00- Michiel’s shares his closing thoughts on Tata Steel. Here are the links to keep up with him…

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MichielAbeln

His Book- The Anand Files

His Chessable Courses-

Trompowsky Simplified- https://www.chessable.com/the-trompowsky-simplified/course/134623/

The Leningrad Dutch-

https://www.chessable.com/leningrad-dutch-an-uncompromising-attacking-opening/course/72081/

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 313- FM James Canty on Staying Motivated and His Grind Toward the IM Title and Beyond. Jan 17, 2023

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the hardest-working man in chess. He is Twitch Streamer, Chess.com commentator, and ambitious improver, FM James Canty. I have been a fan of James for a long time, so I was glad to finally get to ask him some questions about what motivates him to work so hard on his game. Naturally we also discussed what James specifically is studying, his pursuit of the IM and GM titles, and some of his favorite chess improvement resources. I find it energizing and motivating to talk chess with James, and I think you all will as well. As always, timestamps for topics discussed can be found in the show description.

02:00- What motivates James to keep working on his OTB game? What is his goal?

Mentioned: Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, GM Maurice Ashley

05:00- What is James’s current study regimen? How does he balance working on his game with streaming tons of chess?

Mentioned: Test Your Tactical Skill, GM Kenny Solomon, GM Amon Simotowe

16:00- What are James’s favorite Chessable courses and books?

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation, Thinking Inside the Box, Encyclopedia of Combinations, Woodpecker Method, Tactics Time, Benedictine’s Visualization Series

28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

29:00- James discusses his love for the Scotch Gambit and his pending Chessable courses

35:00- What is his upcoming tournament schedule? What did James have to learn about how FIDE ratings and norms work?

Mentioned: 2023 Charlotte Open

44:00- Does James ever get burnt out from chess?

47:00- 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

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: What inspires James’s dedication to fitness and weight lifting?

59:00- True or false: James is a rapper as well?

1:00:00- What did James learn from legendary trainer, GM Roman Dzindziashvilli?

1:02:00- What was James’s fondest memory from attending the Global Chess Championship in Toronto?

Mentioned: GM Wesley So, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, IM Danny Rensch, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Robert Hess, GM Wesley So’s Chessable Courses, Chessgames.com

1:06:00- What advice does James give to younger players?

Thanks so much to James for sharing his passion for chess with us! Here are all of the links to keep up with him:

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EP 312- GM Noel Studer- The Swiss National Champ Turned Trainer Shares Advice on Overcoming Plateaus, Calculating, Analyzing Games & More Jan 10, 2023

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are rejoined by 2019 Swiss National Champion, blogger and trainer, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always extremely insightful on matters related to chess improvement, and has recently released a video course sharing his own recommended approach. The course, Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos,tackles many of the questions commonly contemplated on the pod, such as which aspects of the game to prioritize, how to analyze games and how to approach opening study. Noel even has a section on how one should learn any discipline, and relates his experiences as a tennis and poker improver. Lastly, Noel shares some thoughts and his own experiences on cheating in tournament chess and discusses his continuing recovery from a brain injury. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below.

Prior Interview with Noel- Episode 248 with GM Noel Studer

02:00- Patreon mailbag question: I am working hard on my chess, but I am not improving. Should I give up on the possibility of improvement?

13:00- We discuss Noel’s chess course. What audience did Noel have in mind? How did he go about making the course?

19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

20:00- We discuss a few of the chess improvement recommendations from Noel’s course that resonated with me, and the reasons that they struck a chord with me.

28:00- What was the primary contributor to Noel’s chess growth when he was an up and coming player?

Mentioned: GM Artur Yusopov, Lee Child “Jack Reacher” Novels, The Tim Ferris Podcast

33:00- Why does Noel think it's important to write down one’s thoughts when reviewing OTB games?

37:00- What did Noel learn from doing calculation-training with GM R.B. Ramesh and GM Sam Shankland?

44:00- How would Noel respond to someone who says that his course, at $297, is too expensive?

48:00- 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

49:00- Has Noel read any good books lately?

Mentioned: Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism

50:00- What has Noel learned about chess learning through trying to improve at tennis and poker?

1:04:00- We discuss top level chess, especially the Magnus/Niemann saga and the issue of cheating in chess.

Mentioned: Episode 310 with John Hartmann, Belgian IM Stephen Docx expelled from tournament, Episode 301 with Dr. Kenneth Regan

1:22:00- What is next for Noel? How is his health?

Thanks to Noel for joining me, you can keep up with him by subscribing to his blog!

Blog- https://nextlevelchess.blog/

Course- Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos

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EP 311- GM Jonathan Speelman- A British Chess Legend on His Time as a Top 10 Player and His Encounters with Anand, Korchnoi, Tal and many more! Jan 03, 2023

We are joined this week by a legend of British chess, GM Jonathan Speelman! Jonathan is a three- time British champion, a two-time World Championship Candidate an author, Chessbase.com columnist, and a trainer. He has been ranked as high as #4 in the world in 1989 and has worked as a second for GMs Viktor Korchnoi, Vishy Anand and Nigel Short. As you might imagine, such a wealth of chess experience gives Jonathan an endless array of stories and a great perspective on what differentiates top players. Jonathan considers questions such as these:

Why does he consider Ivanchuk the most talented player he has ever encountered?

Could Anand potentially have beaten Kasparov in 1993?

Could Jonathan have been World Champion?

Does he regret pursuing chess after studying mathematics at Oxford?

It was quite an honor to hear GM Speelman’s modest reflections on a brilliant career. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below.

0:00- John shares his thoughts on Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship, which recently culminated with Hikaru Nakamura defeating Magnus Carlsen in the final.

Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Andrew Tang

08:00- GM Speelman has said that GM Vasyl Ivanchuk is “the most talented player he has ever encountered.” What differentiates Chucky?

Mentioned: Ivanchuk-Van Forest 2022 (featuring 26. Nd7!), More on the game from GM Speelman here, Info on “A Grimshaw” here, Novotny here, Karpov-Spassky 1974, Karpov-Korchnoi 1974, Karpov-Unzicker 1974

18:00- GM Speelman reflects on the experience of working on Korchnoi’s, Short’s and Anand’s teams.

31:00- 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

32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Shopify! To try out their payment service for $1 a month, please visit the link: shopify.com/chess.

33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Jon discover a novelty via a Norwegian Newspaper to surprise GM Nigel Short in the Candidates?

Mentioned: GM Jonathan Tisdall, GM John Nunn

40:00- What are Jonathan’s recollections of his Candidates match vs. GM Jan Timman?

46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

47:00- Many chess greats, like Fischer, Kasparov, and Jonathan himself have grown up without a dad, does Jon think there is a reason for this?

48:00- What was Jon’s approach to chess when he was climbing the ranks in his 20s?

1:00:00- Did Jon watch any of the Trent-Hambleton chessboxing match?

1:02:00- Jon shares stories about Larsen, Tal and Ljubomir Ljobojevic.

Mentioned: Speelman-Larsen 1978, Ljubojevic-Speelman 1980

1:11:00- Jon has always had poor vision. Has it impacted his chess?

1:13:00- What are Jon’s Twitch streaming plans?

1:15:00- What are Jon’s plans for his Chessbase Column?

1:20:00- Thanks so much to Jonathan for joining us! Here is how to keep up with him:

LiChess Coaches Page:

https://lichess.org/coach/Jon_Speelman

Chessbase Column:

https://en.chessbase.com/author/jon-speelman

Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/jonspeelman

Jon’s Game Collection is still available on Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/Speelmans-Best-Games-Batsford-Chess-ebook/dp/B00PIWLT6O

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EP 310- John Hartmann joins to Review the Year in Chess: A Carlsen/Niemann Update, A New Cheating Scandal, The Chess.Com/PM Merger, & lots more Dec 27, 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, I am (re)joined by Chess Life Magazine editor and Award Winning Journalist John Hartmann to reflect on a year of seismic change in the chess world. First and foremost, cheating in chess has been thrust to the forefront in the wake of the Carlsen/Niemann scandal. We review the latest legal developments in this particular story and also provide some details on a new chess cheating scandal from a tournament in Spain. John and I also discuss the big “chess business” news of 2022. As we discuss, it is hard to predict the ramifications but it is likely to eventually lead to lots of changes in how chess events are presented. Lastly, of course, Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the World Championship Cycle. Will people still tune in to watch Ding face Nepo in 2023? Is Magnus right that Classical Chess’ popularity is receding?

After reviewing the news, I catch up with John Hartmann on recommended chess books, the health of US Chess and chess generally, and we even discuss what we learned from our own tournament games in 2022. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below. Happy New Year Everyone!

0:02:00- We provide an update on the Niemann/Carlsen scandal and discuss the biggest story of the year, cheating in chess.

Mentioned: The Sunway Sitges Invitational, FM Andy Woodward, FIDE World Rapid & Blitz

13:45- A new scandal related to cheating is breaking now, as a Belgian IM was banned from a tournament for refusing to be searched with a metal detector. More info here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/stefan-docx-expelled-from-benidorm-open

Mentioned: GM Arthur Kogan, GM Romain Eduoard’s Tweet

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

25:00- We provide an update on Big Story #2- The Chess.com Merger with The Play Magnus Group, which is now complete

39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

42:00- Big story #3, Magnus stepped down from the World Championship cycle. What does this mean for the cycle going forward?

48:00- We provide an update on the Woman’s World Championship Cycle. GM Tan Zhongyi will face GM Lei Tingjie for the right to face GM Ju Wenjun for the World Championship.

49:00- Is US Chess seeing continued interest in tournament chess?

Mentioned: GM Awonder Liang, GM Christopher Yoo, JJ Lang, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, Ladan-Abrahamyan 2022, Cover Stories with Chess Life with WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova

59:00- Quick tangent on the upcoming Tata Steel tournament.

1:02:00- Quick update on our own years in tournament chess

Mentioned: My interview with GM Jesse Kraai for ChessDojo, The Streak App (Its actually $5), FM Nate Solon

1:09:00- Has John checked out any new chess books this year?

Mentioned: Reinfeld’s Immortal Games of Capablanca, Cambridge Springs 1904, Albert W. Fox, A Chess Life on and Off the Board by John Hilbert, A Life at Play by Lubomir Kavalek, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Learning Chess with Vladimir Simagin by GM Mihail Marin, GM Jacob Aagaard’s A Matter of Endgame Technique, 1001 Endgame Exercises for Beginners by IM Thomas Willemze, Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championships Volume 3

Thanks to John for rejoining!

His Twitter:

https://twitter.com/hartmannchess

To Subscribe to Chess Life Magazine you can sign up for a US Chess membership here (even outside of the US):

https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

If you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

If you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 309- Dr. Joel Sneed- An Author and Psychology Professor on How to Regain One's Chess Motivation, Curbing "Blitz Tilt" and How he Made Unusual Rating Gains as an Adult Dec 20, 2022

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is author, psychology professor and avid chess player, Dr. Joel Sneed. In the professional realm, Joel is a practicing clinical psychologist, and his research focuses on the topics of late life depression and cognitive impairment. A casual chess game with a patient led to Joel's discovery of competitive chess, and since then he has always found time for the game. In addition to co-authoring some excellent chess books, Joel has achieved very unusual gains for an adult learner.

Joel began tournament chess at age 33 with a 1200 rating, and at age 48 is rated over 2000! Joel thinks that part of the reason for his success has been his emphasis on the psychological side of chess, as discussed in his latest collaboration with GM Boris Gulko, Analyzing the Chess Mind. The book provides both traditional game analysis from GM Gulko, as well as more general advice about chess psychology from both the GM and the Professor. It was fascinating to hear Joel’s story, and there is much to learn from his book and from our conversation! Please read on for timestamps and topics discussed.

01:00- Joel tells the story of his starting to discover tournament chess through working with a patient at a psychiatric hospital.

07:00- What has chess taught Joel about himself? Why was he initially attracted to the game?

Mentioned: Episode 300 with GM Ulf Andersson

13:00- Joel hasn’t played a tournament since May, why not?

17:00- Joel discusses how he began to collaborate with his co-author, legendary GM Boris Gulko.

19:00- What advice would Joel give to a friend who is having trouble finding the motivation to return to tournament chess?

Mentioned: IM John Watson

25:00- Patreon mailbag question: What advice does Joel give to someone who wants to get into a beneficial mindset before a tournament?

35:00- 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

37:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Joel’s advice for someone who is prone to bullet chess addiction and tilt?

Mentioned: Episode 216 with Dr. Jana Krivec

50:00- How has studying his own chess tendencies helped Joel in his activities that take place away from the chess board?

57:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

58:00- What chess lessons did Joel learn from the golf book, Golf is not a Game of Perfect?

1:07:00- What were the biggest contributors to Joel’s slow and steady rise from 1200 to 2000 USCF?

1:11:00- What are Joel’s favorite chess books, besides his own Lessons with a Grandmaster collaboration with GM Boris Gulko?

Mentioned: The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald, How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman

1:17:00- What is meant by “Ego is a limited resource?”

1:22:00- Thanks so much to Joel for joining me. You can email him at prof.sneed at gmail dot com

Be sure to check out his books with GM Boris Gulko as well:

Analyzing the Chess Mind:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Analyzing-Chess-Sneed-Boris-Gulko/dp/1784831123/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YLXPM3IWVAKS&keywords=Analyzing+the+Chess+Mind&qid=1671420382&s=books&sprefix=analyzing+the+chess+mind%2Cstripbooks%2C109&sr=1-1

Forward Chess: https://forwardchess.com/sample/analyzing-the-chess-mind

Lessons with a Grandmaster

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Book Recap #30- 10 Underrated Chess Books for Different Ratings Levels, with FM Carsten Hansen Dec 16, 2022

This episode was recorded at Suite Recording Studios in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and is also available with video on the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel.

Chess Books Recapturedreturns, this time to discuss 10 books for the price of one! My guest co-host is FM Carsten Hansen, who returns to the pod to join me in selecting and discussing different chess books for different chess experience levels. Carsten is a prolific author, the book reviewer for American Chess Magazine, and a Chess Life magazine columnist. In addition to a lot of book talk, we discuss Carsten’s chess-improvement efforts and OTB plans, and a few of his recent collaborations with IM Cyrus Lakdawala. There is always so much to learn from Carsten, and I am confident we have selected worthwhile book recommendations for chess enthusiasts of many backgrounds.

02:00- How do we define an “underrated” chess book?

04:30- Aside from reading chess books, who are some of our favorite chess content creators?

Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Andras Toth, IM John Bartholomew, GM Daniel King, Chess Feels, C Squared, Chicken Chess Club, Ladies Knight with Isabella Choko

8:30- Book #1- Open Files by Uhlman and Schmidt

12:00- Book #2- Arkell’s Endings by and GM Keith Arkell

16:00- Book #3- World Chess Championship 1948. Contact the translator, Jan Verendel via his website: https://verendel.com/

18:00- Book #4- Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making by GM Ramesh

23:00- Book #5- Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss by GM Patrick Wolff

Mentioned: Episode 189 with GM Patrick Wolff

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

27:00- Book #6- Instructive Chess Miniatures by FM Alper Efe Ataman

30:30- Book #7- Rewire Your Chess Brain by IM Cyrus Lakdawala

Mentioned: Episode 197 with IM Cyrus Lakdawala, Endgames Studies 101 on Chessable

37:30- Book #8- The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald

42:30- Book #9- Positional Chess by IM Shaun Talbut

Mentioned: Move First, Think Laterby IM Willy Hendriks

Mentioned: Improve Your Positional Chess by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 182 with IM Willy Hendriks

47:00- Book #10- Universal Chess Training by GM Wojciech Moranda

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

54:00- How is Carsten currently working on his chess and blitz games?

Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual by CrafyRaf, The Dirty Harry Sicilian by IM Christof Sielecki, Play the Orangutan by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen

1:11:00- Bonus book talk! Carsten showcases a few books that aren’t translated into English but should be.

Mentioned: Larsen Volume 1, 30 Years at the Chessboard by Jens Enevoldsen

1:19:00- Which of Carsten’s recent books would he recommend most highly?

Mentioned: The Anti-Alapin Gambit, The Smyslov Workbook, The Chess Wizardry of Wotowa, Back to Basics: Chess Openings

1:24:00- Some of Our Favorite Books of 2022: . Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championship, Albert W. Fox: A Life on and Off the Chess Board by John S. Hilbert, Evaluate like a Grandmaster, Think Like a Super GM

1:25:00- Thanks to Carsten for joining me in studio!

You can check out his books here:

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Carsten-Hansen/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ACarsten+Hansen

Follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/carstenchess

If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community and be able to submit questions for guests and receive other perks, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 308- GM Srinath Narayanan- Lessons Learned from Training Some of the Chess World's Brightest Young Talents Dec 13, 2022

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is GM Srinath Narayanan. Srinath is a 3 time Asian Junior Champion, a popular Chessable Author and a high-level trainer. GM Srinath has worked with many of India’s brightest young talents including, GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nihail Sarin. I caught Arjun at an interesting time, as both Arjun and Nihail had just won events in the star-studded Tata Steel India tournaments. What does it feel like when your longtime students are suddenly outperforming world elites like Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So? How does Srinath adjust the training plans of his students as they go from 2500 to 2700? We also talked about openings, as Srinath has co-authored (with GM Sahaj Grover) standout Chessable courses on The London System and the Catalan. We also discussed chess improvement, engine use, and we got Srinath’s take on the Carlsen/Niemann saga. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below.

0:00- What has surprised Srinath about the rise of his students, GMs Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nihail Sarin?

Mentioned: Srinath’s Recent interview with IM Sagar Shah of Chessbase India’

15:00- GM Erigaisi unleashed some epic opening preparation in a game against Sarin in their recent Tata Steel India Tournament. Did Srinath have a hand in the prep?

Mentioned: CORRECTION- The article mentioned is by IM V Saravanan, my apologies

V Saravanan article highlighting Erigaisi’s amazing prep

20:00- What training methods did Srinath use with GMs Sarin and Erigaisi?

29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

31:00- Since he has co-written Chessable courses on both the London System and the Catalan, how would Srinath compare the two?

39:00- Srinath is an advocate of playing training games in an opening to learn it. Can improvers do this against a computer or is it better to find a training partner?

45:00- When discussing engine evaluations, Srinath says “not all zeroes are equal”. What does he mean by this?

49:00- Does Srinath have any tournaments coming up?

Mentioned: FIDE World Rapid and Blitz

54:00- 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

55:00- Srinath shares his thoughts on the Niemann/Carlsen story and cheating in chess generally.

Mentioned: His Tweets About it, Niemann-Erigaisi 2022

1:11:00- What is Srinath’s chess-improvement advice for ambitious amateurs?

Mentioned: Move First and Think Later,On the Origin of Good Chess Moves

1:17:00- Thanks to GM Srinath for joining. Here are links to keep up with him:

Chessable Courses

YouTube

Twitter

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EP 307- IM Dean Ippolito- A Longtime Trainer, Author and Champion Competitor on the Adjustments one Should Make for the Modern Tournament Landscape Dec 06, 2022

This week we are joined by trainer, author and 6 time New Jersey state chess champion, IM Dean Ippolito. Dean has been an accomplished active player for decades, and a major theme of our conversation is the increasingly unforgiving nature of modern competitive chess. As Dean explains, players at all ages and levels are better prepared and more skilled than ever before. Competing with them is a challenge, but Dean relishes the opportunity to put his best foot forward and shares helpful advice for players of all levels who are looking to do the same. Dean was a lifelong New Jersey resident who recently relocated to Charlotte, in part to compete in events at the Charlotte Chess Center. Most recently, Dean played in the star-studded US Masters tournament. We also discuss Dean’s new book, Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers. The book draws on Dean’s decades of teaching experience and is a good choice for scholastic players and amateurs rated below 1500 or so. Lastly, Dean shares some fun stories from his years of high-level chess. As an accomplished veteran of the US Chess scene, Dean has seen the rise of Nakamura and Caruana and many others, and in his extensive chess travels, he has had memorable games against some world class competitors . You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

0:00- You can subscribe to my free weekly chess news round up, the Perpetual Chess linkfest here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com

1:00- Dean reflects on the ups and downs of his chess career as it relates to his ratings up and downs, which translates to good universal advice for OTB players.

10:00- What would it take for Dean to become a Grandmaster?

Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman (Ratings Discussion)

15:00- What has Dean observed about adults sometimes losing interest in competitive chess?

20:00- What adjustments has Dean made for modern tournament chess?

Mentioned: The Woodpecker Method

34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

36:00- What was the US Masters and North Carolina Open like in Charlotte?

Mentioned: FM James Canty, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, GM Aman Hambleton, GM Daniel Naroditsky

45:00- What training will Dean do to try to earn the GM title?

55:00- 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

56:00- Why write a chess book?

Mentioned: The Art of Attack in Chess, Get the E-Book here

1:04:00 - Dean has decades of experience running chess clubs/academies. What advice does he give to those thinking of opening one?

1:11:00- What are Dean’s favorite chess memories?

Mentioned: Ippolito-Sasrikan 2017, Morozevich-Ippolito 1997, GM Awonder Liang, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Parimarjan Negi

1:29:00- Thanks to Dean for joining me! Here is how to reach him:

Email- Dean at deanofchess dot com

Book- Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers.

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/deanofchess/?hl=en

Twitter- https://twitter.com/deanofchess?lang=en

Webpage- https://www.deanofchess.com/

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EP 306- Adult Improver Vishnu Warrier. Can a 31 year old USCF 2100 become a GM? Vishnu wants to find out! Nov 29, 2022

Vishnu is a 31 year old tech consultant, chess author and dad who has been waking up at 4 AM to study chess for hours before his family and work life begins. Vishnu shares his study routine and chess resource recommendations from studying chess intensively in recent years. Vishnu also candidly discusses his long term goal of becoming a GM, a goal that many would say is impossible for someone with so many other responsibilities to achieve. Lastly,

Vishnu’s shares some of his best advice from his new book, The Chess Bible – Most Instructive Tips, Axioms, One-Liners & Mantras. Although I am not sure if Vishnu will be able to achieve his ultimate goal, I enjoyed talking chess with him and can’t wait to see how his chess journey continues to unfold. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- Why does Vishnu work so hard on his chess? What are his goals?

Mentioned: Vishnu’s rating page is here

4:30- Why does he think no one has ever gone from the 2100 level to GM in their 30s? What makes Vishnu think he can be the first?

8:00- Vishnu details his study routine.

10:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Vishnu utilizes his Chess.com premium membership by making Puzzle Rush a part of his daily routine. If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual).

Mentioned: GM Noel Studer’s Next Level Chess Blog

12:00- Vishnu continues discussion of his daily chess study routine?

Mentioned: Chess Tempo, ChessMood.com, Blog Post- How Grandmasters Memorize Openings

25:00- 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

26:00- How has Vishnu’s routine changed? How often does he compete?

30:00- Vishnu shares a few book recs:

Small Steps to Giant Improvement, Soviet Middlegame Technique

33:00- How does Vishnu deal with frustration and naysayers?

Mentioned: FM James Canty, GM Ben Finegold, GM John Shaw

38:00- Does Vishnu’s tournament routine change with a tournament coming up?

42:00- What has Vishnu learned from ultra marathon runner David Goggins?

47:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

48:00- We discuss Vishnu’s book. He shares the inspiration for The Chess Bible – Most Instructive Tips, Axioms, One-Liners & Mantrasand shares a few axioms…

Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman’s How to Reassess Your Chess, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy

1:01:00- What improvement advice would Vishnu give to other improvers?

Mentioned: 45 Positional Methods and Techniques, Chess Training for Post Beginners

1:04:00- Thanks to Vishnu for joining me! You can find him on Facebook or email him at kvwarrier108 at gmail dot com

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EP 305- WIM Andreea Navrotescu- The Latest on the FIDE Women's World Championship Cycle + Her Life as a Chess Professional in France Nov 22, 2022

As suspense builds in the FIDE Women’s World Championship Cycle, I am joined by one of France’s top female players to discuss what has transpired so far, and what is coming. My guest is WIM Andreaa Navrotescu. Andreaa is a Romanian-born, French-based chess player, Twitch streamer and commentator. Andreaa joined me shortly after returning from Monaco, where GM Lei Tingjie defeated Anna Muzychuk in a tense match, to advance to the next stage of the cycle. Andreea was there working as FIDE Press Officer. She described the atmosphere in Monoco and helped us preview the matches which will be starting next week in Uzbekistan. We also discuss Andreea’s own chess career, including her favorite memories, her content recommendations, her upcoming tournaments, and her current goals as a chess player. I very much enjoyed chatting with Andreea and look forward to tracking her career as well as the continuation of the FIDE Women's Candidates tournament.

0:00-

To nominate a chess educator for the Andy Lerner award, please go to this link:

https://chessintheschools.org/andy-lerner-excellence-in-chess-education-award/

2:45- Andreea joins the show and begins with a trip report of what it was like to be in Monaco for the FIDE Women’s Candidates quarter-final match, and to talk about which participants remain. GM Lei Tingjie has advanced to the semi-finals over the Muzychuk sisters and GM Humpy Koneru.

More info on the Women’s World Championship cycle here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Candidates_Tournament_2022%E2%80%9323

15:00- Did the players bring trainers to help them prepare?

Mentioned: GM Srinath Narayanan, GM Yuriy Kryvorucho

18:00- Who does Andreea consider the favorite in the bracket that features GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Tan Zhongyi?

20:00-Andreea shares some final reflections on the Women’s World Championship cycle so far including what chess lessons she took away

25:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

26:00-Andreea discusses her chess development in Romania and France. What chess lessons did Andreea learn from her dad, IM Catalin Navrotescu?

32:00- Is GM Alireza Firouzja well known in France?

36:00-Andreea discusses her study regimen and her current chess goals.

Mentioned: Sam Shankland’s Chessable Courses, GM Romain Edouard, GM Veselin Topalov

45:00-Andreea describes her experience at the Olympiad.

Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

52:00- Andreea discusses her upcoming tournament schedule and how she trains for an upcoming tournament

59:00- Andreea discusses her Twitch streaming plans, as well as the popularity of chess Twitch streaming in France.

Mentioned: Fiona Steil-Antoni, IM Julien Song, GM Laurent Fressinet

1:07:00- Outside of chess, what are Andreea’s interests?

1:09:00- Thanks to Andreea for joining the show! Here is how to keep up with her:

Twitter-

https://twitter.com/andy_rekt_chess

Instagram-

https://www.instagram.com/andy_rekt_chess/

Linktree-

https://linktr.ee/andy_rekt

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EP 304- Neal Bruce- What We Can Learn from the Studying Classic Game Compilation Books Nov 08, 2022

This week I am joined by longtime friend of the podcast Neal Bruce. Neal learned chess from scratch at the age of 40, and is immersed in a multi-year chess study plan that currently focuses on studying the game collections of some of some of chess’ greatest players. As bibliophiles, Neal and I are particularly interested in books featuring legendary games, but one can also study classics through online databases or YouTube serieses. In this podcast, Neal updates us on his study routine, and we rank some of the best “game collection” books we have come across. We also weigh the importance of studying games. Is it an indispensable part of any chess player's routine? Is there a “right way” to study them? What will be next for Neal? It is always inspiring to hear of Neal’s commitment to lifelong learning! Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed and books referenced.

Neal Bruce’s prior appearances:

Book Recap #6- Discussing the Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce .

Book Recap #11- Discussing Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce

Episode 240- “Pawn Book Championship”

How to Chess 04- What to Expect when Attending a Chess Tournament with Neal Bruce

02:00- Why did Neal decide to study a bunch of game collection books? How many games has he played through?

06:00- Why should one study annotated games? What has doing so taught Neal?

17:00- How should one study games? Digital? Board? Two Physical Boards?

Mentioned: Chessable, Forward Chess, New in Chess Book Reader

26:00- What can one expect to gain from going through games?

28:00-

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

30:00- We review specific books. Starting with ones for newer players

Mentioned: First Book of Morphy, Logical Chess Move by Move, Masters of the Chessboard, Winning Chess Brilliancies, Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking, The Most Instructive Chess Games Ever Played (Neal’s highest recommendation)

39:00- What intermediate level books has Neal reviewed? What struck him about Alekhines games?

Botvinnik’s 100 Selected Games, Understanding Chess Moves by Move, Alekhine’s Chess Games 1902-1946, How I Beat Fischer’s Record by GM Judit Polgar, Karpov’s Strategic Wins by Tibor Karolyi, Karpov Move by Move, Ivanchuk Move by Move

48:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

49:00- How do we approach playing through variations?

Mentioned: Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel

53:00- What are Ben’s favorites out of the 32 books that have been reviewed on the podcast?

Mentioned: The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games, How I Beat Fischer’s Record , Logical Chess Move by Move, Chess Tactics from Scratch

1:02- What is my favorite chess history book that I have reviewed?

Mentioned: Book Recap #20- Korchnoi’s Chess is My Life

1:07:00- What is Neal learning to code at age 53?

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

EP 303- Adult Improver Kyle Boddy- A Pioneer in Sports Analytics and Peak Performance on His Approach to Chess Improvement Nov 01, 2022

The Adult Improver Series of Perpetual Chess returns with an insightful guest with a passion for openings and tournament chess. Kyle Boddy is the founder of an influential and successful baseball performance training company, Driveline Baseball., which started as a one-man operation, and now boasts 50+ employees and many professional athletes as clients. Having been introduced to chess as a kid, Kyle actually regained his interest in the game in recent years while working in a Major League Baseball clubhouse. In our conversation, Kyle discusses why he loves chess, and compares it to his other competitive interests of poker, Magic the Gathering, and of course, baseball. We also tackle questions such as: How does a sports data expert approach chess data? Why does he love openings? Why does he love tournaments? What does he do to promote chess in his community? This was a fun conversation with an innovative thinker. You can find timestamps below, and links to topics referenced on the podcast webpage.

0:00- Links -

Perpetual Chess Linkfest - https://benjohnson.substack.com/

If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

5:00- Kyle Boddy joins the pod and shares his unique chess origin story, which began in his childhood and gained steam when he started playing with a few well known major league baseball players.

7:30- Kyle’s favorite chess content creators

10:00- How did Kyle learn to stop depending too much on the engine?

Mentioned: Kyle’s blog

12:00- What is Kyle’s chess study routine? What tournaments has he played?

15:30- What is Magic the Gathering?

18:00- Kyle’s approach to online chess

19:00- 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

20:00- How does Kyle balance a desire to improve with just wanting to have fun?

22:00- Is MLB star Joey Votto studying chess much?

23:00- Might Kyle be studying openings too much?

26:00- What openings does Kyle play? Why did he choose 1. D4?

31:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

32:00- If you are interested in getting free Chesskid.com premium memberships for any new school chess program you can email Ranae Bartlett at ranae at chesskid.com

34:00: Kyle discusses the community outreach he is doing in Seattle, WA.

38:00- As an innovator in data science, does Kyle see any innovations that could be made in the chess world?

44:00- Does Kyle read many chess books?

46:00- What are Kyle’s long term chess goals?

49:00- Kyle tried bullet chess to help him learn to make quicker decisions OTB, did it help?

53:00- How did Kyle develop strength as in endgames?

55:00- Has Kyle traveled to any huge weekend Swiss tournaments yet?

Mentioned: Hikaru Nakamura on the Lex Fridman podcast, WIM Megan Lee, Larry Hedder

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Kyle deal with “chess tilt?”

1:01:00- Was Kyle’s career impeded by the fact he didn’t finish university?

Mentioned: MLB pitcher Ryan Buchter, Phillies coach Caleb Cotham

1:07:00- Did Kyle see chess in clubhouses aside from the Cincinnati Reds?

1:12:00- Kyle’s World Series Prediction!

1:14:00- Thanks to Kyle for talking chess (and baseball!) with me. Here are links to keep up with him:

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

His Blog- https://www.kyleboddy.com/2022/02/27/scc-u1200-chess-tournament-report-feb-26-2022/

Driveline Baseball-

https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/

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EP 302- Chess Improvement Q & A with IM Andras Toth- One of YouTube's Best Chess Teachers Oct 25, 2022

This week we are joined by one of the best chess online chess teachers in the world, IM Andras Toth. Andras is an Australia-based Chessable author, YouTube presenter and Twitch streamer. Andras’ background as a teacher enables him to explain chess strategy very clearly, in a no-nonsense style. It had been a while since Andras and I had talked, so it was doubly fun to catch up with him. In our interview, Andras answers tons of listeners' questions related to chess improvement, discusses some favorite recent chess books, and talks about the ups and downs of the life of a chess content creator. It is always fun and informative to talk chess improvement with IM Andras Toth!

Recorded October 10, 2022

0:00- How does Andras manage to avoid discussing chess drama such as the Carlsen/Niemann controversy?

5:00- What qualities and habits has Andras observed in people who have improved significantly at chess?

7:00- Why do players sometimes struggle to convey their increased skills to better OTB performance?

14:00- If study material is not sticking, should one study it multiple times?

Mentioned: Yusopov Improve Your Chess Series

18:00- Has Andras read any good new chess books? Any suggestions for books about pawn structures?

Mentioned: How to Chess with Andras Toth , Improve Your Chess Calculation by R.B. Ramesh (Now on Chessable), Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios (also on Chessable), GM Andy Soltis’ Pawn Structure Chess, Winning Chess Middlegames, an Essential Guide to Pawn Structures by GM Ivan Sokolov

28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

30:00- What would your approach be if you were trying to go from 1700-1900?

Mentioned: Chess Principles Reloaded by IM Andras Toth, GM Magnus Carlsen on the Lex Fridman Podcast

37:00- What was it like to work GM Judit Polgar on a Chessable course?

Mentioned: Master your Chess with Judit and IM Andras Toth

41:00- How can one better learn to play less materialistically?

44:00- Does Andras have recommendations for learning King’s Indian/Benoni structures?

Mentioned: Lifetime Repertoires: Modern Benoni, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios

LiChess Opening Explorer

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

51:00- How is Andras’ YouTube channel doing?

52:00- What videos on his Channel would Andras recommend to someone who has never watched it?

Mentioned: The Amateur’s Mind Series

54:00- Does Andras get tempted to do more “clickbaity” content? What about Twitch clips or videos of him playing blitz?

1:01:00- What is Andras working on now?

1:02:00- Thanks to Andras for joining the pod! Here are links to keep up with him:

Twitter-

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

Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/author/ChesscoachAndras/

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYZTGsTO5TbCaA1O0wcBzw

Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/chesscoachandras

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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Bonus Pod- GM Hans Niemann is suing Magnus, Chess.com and Hikaru Nakamura! Law Professor David Franklin joins to Assess What Might Happen From Here Oct 22, 2022

With the bombshell news that GM Hans Niemann is suing Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com, and Hikaru Nakamura, we brought in a legal expert to help us make sense of the case. I am joined by Professor David Franklin. David is a Constitutional Law Professor and an appellate lawyer, who is also a chess enthusiast who had already been following the Carlsen/Niemann story closely. In our conversation, David answered important questions about the legitimacy of the lawsuit, and which potential scenarios are likely to unfold from here. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

0:00- I review a few key points about the Niemann lawsuit.

Mentioned: Here is the Niemann complaint

6:30- Thanks to our chess sponsors, Chessable and AImchess. If you decide to subscribe to Aimchess, use this link or the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

08:00- Professor David Franklin joins the podcast.

9:00- Did he expect a lawsuit?

11:00- Can Magnus be held accountable for damages in the U.S. as a Norwegian citizen.

13:00- Is this writing style in the complaint likely to impact the case’s outcome?

17:00- Is David surprised that collusion is included in the case?

19:00- Should we take the $100 million amount in this seriously?

20:00- Was David surprised that Hikaru is in the lawsuit?

Mentioned: Akiva Cohen Esq. Twitter Thread

23:00- What is the strongest claim in the case?

36:00- What is the timeline for likely events that will be forthcoming in the case?

41:00- What charges or parties might be struck/removed from the case?

44:00- Do any frivolous elements in the case make it less likely the case will succeed?

45:00- What does David think of the “big picture” issue of OTB cheating?

46:00- Thanks to David for sharing his expertise, you can follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/DFranklinChi

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 301- Computer Science Professor and IM, Dr. Kenneth Regan on the Carlsen/Niemann controversy and the Current State of Cheating in OTB Chess Oct 18, 2022

This week we are rejoined by Dr. Kenneth Regan. Dr. Regan is, as many of you will are already aware, is one of the world’s leading experts at engine cheat detection. He is an IM at chess, and is the rare individual with domain expertise in chess, statistics and computer science. Dr. Regan has degrees in mathematics from Princeton and Oxford and is a Professor in Computational Complexity Theory at the University of Buffalo. As a chess player, Ken was the 1977 US Junior co-champion and once held the record of youngest USCF Master since Bobby Fischer. Dr. Regan joined the podcast to share some of his findings about the Carlsen/Niemann controversy and to discuss chess cheating more generally. More details can be found below.

0:00- This podcast may be best watched via YouTube. You can sub/Watch at the video of this podcast the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel here:

https://youtu.be/UsEIBzm5msU

To subscribe to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest you can submit your email address at the bottom of the most recent post here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/p/perpetual-chess-linkfest-9-october

02:00- Dr. Regan joins the show. What did Dr. Regan think of the Chess.com Report about GM Hans Niemann?

Mentioned:

James Altucher interview with Dr. Regan-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hf-V4WFq2k

2019 Perpetual Chess Interview (Episode 136):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNQ__09_fE

08:00- Dr. Regan shares some of his data regarding how the amount of time one has impacts chess strength.

17:00- What data was Dr. Regan able to gather from the famous all night bullet match between GMs Alireza Firouzja and Daniel Naroditsky during the 2022 FIDE Candidates tournament.

19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

20:00- What does Dr. Regan think of Chessbase’s “Let’s Check” as a cheat detection measure?

24:00- Dr. Regan discussing these blog posts:

https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/2022/09/21/cheating-at-chess-not-again/

https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/2016/11/30/when-data-serves-turkey/

32:00- 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%.

32:30- Dr. Regan shares and discusses some of his data on GM Hans Niemann

41:00- Dr. Regan discusses his research and post called ‘Pandemic Lag’ as well as a few other informative articles

https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/2021/07/30/pandemic-lag/

Chessbase article by Frederic Friedel regarding typical prodigy progress

https://en.chessbase.com/post/tracking-a-player-s-progress

FM Nate Solon’s look at GM Hans Niemann’s centipawn losses

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/did-hans-niemann-cheat

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: What did Dr. Regan think of GM Fabiano Caruana’s comments regarding the efficacy of his model?

Mentioned: C Squared Podcast

1:03:00- Patreon mailbag question: How can Dr. Regan’s model catch cheaters if it is only looking at a sample size of one game?

1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: Why does Dr. Regan’s model exclude chess knowledge?

1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: Would it be harder to catch cheating if done only a few times per game?

1:13:00- Patreon mailbag question: What precautions can clubs and organizers take to help prevent cheat?

1:18:00- Dr. Regan discusses his post “Measuring Fidelity to a Computer Agent”

https://cse.buffalo.edu/~regan/chess/fidelity/

1:20:00- Does Dr. Regan’s data even hint at Hans Niemann cheating OTB?

1:26:00- How would Dr. Regan use his data for chess improvement?

1:30:00- Thanks to Dr.Regan for joining us and sharing his research! You can keep up with his research via his blog (co-authored with Richard J. Lipton):

https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/

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EP 300- Swedish Chess Legend, GM Ulf Andersson on his Encounters with Kasparov, Karpov and Fischer and How he Keeps up With Chess Today. Oct 11, 2022

This week we are joined by a legend of the game, one of the best players in the world in the 1970s and 1980s, Swedish champion, and legendary positional player, GM Ulf Andersson. Ulf doesn’t play as much as he did at his peak, but he still exudes passion for chess, and has accumulated a litany of stories about his games with fellow legends. Ulf regales us with stories about his clashes with Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, Viktor Korchnoi, Bent Larsen, and so many others. At the age of 71, his memory for these encounters is quite impressive! Ulf also discusses his favorite modern players and games, and describes his daily life today. Ulf splits time between Germany and Sweden. It was quite an honor to hear a lifetime’s worth of chess stories. Timestamps of people and topics discussed can be found below.

0:03- Ulf joined me from his part-time home near Cologne, Germany, how did he end up there?

0:05- How does Ulf keep up with the chess world? How did he approach chess improvement in his earlier years?

0:09- Question from Chess Historian and Blogger Douglas Griffin: Does Ullf think that faster time controls have decreased the quality of endgame play? How have increments affected chess overall?

13:30- Who are GM Ulf Andersson’s favorite modern players?

15:30- What did Ulf think of Magnus’ decision not to defend his title?

16:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

18:00- What are Ulf’s memories of GM Mikhail Tal?

22:00- Ulf mentions that he finds tournament chess more stressful than he used to it? When did he start to feel this way?

24:00- What was it like to play Fischer at the peak of his power?

28:00- What were GM Ulf Andersson’s impressions of Korchnoi?

32:00- Ulf describes his matches with legendary Danish GM Bent Larsen.

37:00- What were Ulf’s interactions with Kasparov like? What was the difference between Kasparov and Karpov in personality?

43:00- 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

44:00- What was it like to meet and play Soviet legend GM David Bronstein? What about his friend GM Jan Timman?

48:00- Ulf discusses an infamous loss of his against IM Michael Basman, sometimes called, “The Immortal Waiting Game.”

50:00- Ulf discusses the 15 hour, 300 plus board simul he played in 1996.

57:00- Uf gives his perspective on the epic clash between Gukesh and Abdussatorov at this year’s Olympiad.

59:00- Ulf discusses some of the top current Swedish player’s approaches to maintaining their nerves and playing fighting chess.

1:09:00- Ulf discusses his interactions with GM Viswanathan Anand

1:13:00- Shirov’s famous move Bh3! Wwas inspired by a game Alexei played against Ulf. Does Ulf know this story?

1:16:00- How did Ulf achieve his peak rating in his 40s? Ulf also discusses the differences between open and closed tournaments.

1:20:00- Ulf discusses his correspondence chess career.

1:28:00- Ulf describes his life in Germany, and also back in Arboga, Sweden, where he does not even have a computer!

Mentioned: GM Robert Hungaski, GM Sandra Mareco

1:35:00- Ulf discusses coaching the Argentinian Olympiad team in 2014.

1:41:00- Does Ulf do any coaching?

1:47:00- Ulf’s favorite games

1:51:00- What are Ulf’s favorite chess memories?

1:55:00- Kasparov-Karpov Seville 1987

1:56:00- Thanks so much to Ulf for sharing his passion to a lifetime devoted to chess!

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Bonus Pod- FM Nate Solon joins to Discuss Chess.Com's Report about the Carlsen/Niemann Controversy Oct 06, 2022

Perpetual Chess is back with another bonus pod, as the Carlsen/Niemann story continues to see new developments. This week’s major news is that Chess.com has issued a report with a full accounting of their actions around the Hans Niemann story. Joining me to discuss it is FM Nate Solon. Nate is a data scientist, 2018 Massachussets State Chess Champion, an Author, and a blogger who has recently been writing about the controversy, There was tons to discuss from this report, so I was happy to have Nate help me do so. Notes and brief timestamps can be found below.

CORRECTION- There were a couple of times I misspoke in this pod in distinguishing between online and OTB cheating.I want to clarify that I was not disputing whether Hans cheated online, and any time I mentioned questions about whether Hans cheated it was only in relation to whether he cheated OTB. My apologies- Ben

0:00- What are the major conclusions from the Chess.com report?

Mentioned: Chess.com report link here:

https://www.chess.com/blog/CHESScom/hans-niemann-report

Hans’ Most Recent Chess.com Account

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

15:00 - Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

We discuss the data Nate laid out in his Monday post, Did Hans Nieman Cheat

22:00- Back to the report. We discuss the analysis within Chess.com’s report of Hans’ OTB results.

41:00- 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- We answer some listener questions related to the scandal.

Mentioned: David Smerdon’s thoughts on the report here:

https://twitter.com/dsmerdon/status/1577490212342870022?s=20&t=SSwdxc-1W8b1Ot9qukkx8w

Episode 271 with GM Hans Niemann

1:13:00- Thanks to Nate for joining me and sharing his insights. Here are links to keep up with him:

Twitter

Substack Blog

Evaluate Like a GM Website

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

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EP 299- Chess Blogger and Trainer FM Dennis Monokroussos on Lessons from Tal and Petrosian, how 'Toiletgate' compared to the Current Chess Scandal, and the Importance of Playing with Different Styles Oct 04, 2022

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is FM Dennis Monokroussos. Dennis is a chess trainer who is a frequent presenter for Chesslecture.com and has been the state champion of both Nevada (where he grew up) and Indiana. Dennis has been blogging about chess on his excellent blog, The Chess Mind, since 2005. In our conversation, we discuss how the chess world, and the blogging platforms have changed since 2005. Dennis also shares plenty of useful chess improvement advice and tells some funny stories about his most memorable games and his chess travels. It was fun and informative to finally chat with someone whose writing I have enjoyed for many years. More details and timestamps are below.

2:00- Dennis started chess blogging in 2005. What was the chess world like then?

10:00- How does the current Carlsen/Niemann scandal compare to Kramnik/Topalov “toiletgate”?

13:00- Why does Dennis often annotate top games in addition to recapping them on his blog?

17:00- Why did Dennis move his blog to a platform called Substack?

20:00- Dennis discusses his open letter to Dr. Kenneth Regan, and Dr. Regan’s response.

24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

26:00- Dennis discusses his climb up the chess rating ladder and shares improvement advice

Mentioned: Chess Book Collectors Facebook Group

42:00- What do GM Mikhail Tal and GM Tigran Petrosian have in common? What was it like to play Tal in a simul?

48:00- Does Dennis agree that one should do lots of tactics?

49:00- What can we expect in the 2022 US Championship, which is essentially an invitational super-tournament these days?

56:00- Patreon mailbag question- What is the story behind the amazing sacrificial game Dennis played in 1999 (link below) ?

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1531040

1:03:00- Dennis discusses another memorable sacrificial game, his win over top US GM, Leonid Yudasin.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1531057

1:06:00- Dennis attended 2 World Championships, the 1995 and the 2007 World Championship tournament in Mexico City, What was it like?

1:15:00-

Thanks to Dennis for sharing his chess experiences! You can subscribe to his blog and reach him about lessons or Ashland University scholarship inquiries via his blog:

https://thechessmind.substack.com/

The Perpetual Chess linkfest signup is here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

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Book Recap #29- Discussing The Longest Game by GM Jan Timman a Great Book which Tells the Story of the Kasparov-Karpov matches Oct 03, 2022

Perpetual Chess is back with another book review, discussing GM Jan Timman’s excellent book, The Longest Game. It is part game collection and part historic guide to GM Garry Kasparov and GM Anatoly Karpov’s series of 6 World Championship Matches between 1984 and 1990. While the 2023 World Championship looks unlikely to feature the #1 player in the world, fans in the late 1980s got to repeatedly see the clear #1 and clear #2 battle in long matches! These battles resulted in some timeless, tense chess games, and plenty of far-fatched but true stories related to the behind the scenes machinations of the matches. Joining me to discuss it all, is Marko Bulatovic, who selected this book because he is both a chess and history aficionado. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.

0:00- Background on my co-host, Marko Bulatovic and why he chose the book The Longest Game

14:00- Does the +2 overall record of Kasparov in the 6 World Championship matches misrepresent how close the matches were?

17:00- 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

19:00- We briefly discuss GM Jan Timman’s bio, and the formats the book is available in.

Mentioned: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1jQxTXneIGjf24eXkLKFwb?si=03f82d8088644b67

New in Chess Ebook- https://www.newinchess.com/the-longest-game

Amazon/Kindle- The Longest Game: The Five KasparovKarpov Matches for the World Chess Championship: Timman, Jan: 9789056918118: Amazon.com: Books

23:00- We go through the most epic match of all, the 48 game 1984 match. Was the match really suspended to protect Karpov?

35:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

36:00- We share and discuss a few of our favorite quotes.

1:02:00- Final thoughts on the book!

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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Bonus Pod- GM Jonathan Rowson and GM David Smerdon discuss the Carlsen/Niemann Saga Sep 28, 2022

Perpetual Chess is back with another bonus pod discussing the ongoing Magnus Carlsen/Hans Niemann controversy. The major news of the week was that GM Magnus Carlsen issued a statement on Monday confirming that he suspects GM Hans Niemann of cheating. To discuss the story, I am honored to be joined by 2 Grandmaster guests who offer significant domain expertise beyond the chess world. First up is GM Jonathan Rowson, a renowned author and philosopher and the 3 time British Chess Champion. My conversation with Jonathan is centered around the human element of this story, and how we can hope to avoid biases in our interpretation of the information at hand. Following GM Rowson, I am joined by Dr. David Smerdon. GM Smerdon is a 7 time Chess Olympian for his native Australia, and an award winning chess author. David has worked with both Dr. Kenneth Regan and also the Chess.com cheat detection team. David’s primary field is development economics, but he has a statistical background and devotes significant time to chess-related research. As we discuss, in addition to chess cheating, David has published a paper related to gender issues in chess. I found it helpful to hear the grounded perspective of 2 of the chess world’s most insightful thinkers. As always, timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- Intro and review of recent events:

Sub to Perpetual Chess Linkfest

5:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

6:00- GM Jonathan Rowson joins (recorded September 28)

6:00- 3 key questions to ask ourselves

19:00- Should we draw a distinction between cheating in online and OTB chess?

29:00- Are we likely to get a resolution to this case?

32:00- What are sensible anti-cheating measures?

35:00- Jonathan reflects on his recent return to OTB competitive chess

39:00- What behavioral biases should we be alert for as we evaluate the information presented?

48:00- What opinions has Jonathan heard from his GM peers?

Mentioned:

Carlsen-Niemann 2022

Mishra-Niemann 2022

53:00- Thanks to Jonathan for joining the show! Here are links to keep up with him.

Twitter

The Moves that Matter

His website

His Chessable Courses

You can hear our prior interview here. (Episode 150)

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

57:00- GM David Smerdon joins (recorded September 27)

58:00- What does David’s research suggest about why people cheat at chess?

1:08:00- David has seen Chess.com’s list of banned players, obviously he can’t reveal names, but is there anything he can say about it?

1:13:00- David discusses some of GM Fabiano Caruana’s comments on the controversy from the C Squared podcast

1:20:00- David discusses the Let’s Check feature on Chessbase. We are referring to video’s such as this one by FM Yosha Iglesias, which makes a good-faith attempt to analyze Han’s games with data.

Mentioned: IM Ken Regan interview with James Altucher

1:30:00- Does David have a personal opinion about whether Hans cheated OTB?

1:33:00- Could one be termed "guilty" of cheating OTB based on data alone?

1:40:00- David discusses his fun and useful statistical tool, the Fighting Chess Index (FCI).

1:45:00- David discusses his research on gender and chess.

Mentioned: BBC News: Chess Commentator Sacked for Sexist Remark

1:57:00- Thanks to David for sharing his insights! Here are some of the ways to keep up with him:

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dsmerdon

David’s Chess Blog:

https://www.davidsmerdon.com/

Award Winning Book

The Complete Chess Swindler

You can hear our prior interview here. (Episode 30)

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EP 298- Adult Improver Hans Henning on Why he Loves Studying Openings, and How Chess Helps Give Him Purpose Sep 27, 2022

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns for another detailed conversation with a very dedicated amateur. 35 year old Hans Henning is a Dublin based chess enthusiast, who has a demanding job in tech sales, but is also spending multiple hours per day studying chess. Hans first gained interest in chess through Ludwig Ahgren and Pogchamps and since then has made steady progress up to a LiChess blitz rating of around 1900. In our conversation, Hans shares some personal details about why he finds chess so motivating, and why he has a particular love for studying openings. Hans also shares some great recommendations for books, courses, and study methods. As always, more info to topics referenced and timestamps can be found below.

Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

0:00- What motivates Hans to spend tons of time studying chess?

Mentioned: Checkmate Pattern Manual, Common Chess Patterns

7:30- How in Hans’ opinion, should one train chess?

11:00- How did Hans pull himself out of a depressive period?

14:00- Does Hans worry that he could be fighting an uphill battle by trying to improve at chess in his 30s and beyond?

16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

17:00- Why does Hans love openings and choose to emphasize opening study?

Mentioned: CT-Art, ChessDojo

30:00- What did Hans learn about managing opening files from GM Sam Shankland and Killer Chess Training?

34:00- Does Hans worry about spending so much money on chess improvement?

38:30- 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

39:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Karen discusses her favorite Chess.com premium features, which includes GM Johan Hellsten’s “Lessons feature”, I also discussed the “Play Like …” feature. If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual).

41:00- What was it like to get lessons with renowned trainer, GM Johan Hellsten? After working with Johan and other trainers why did he ultimately decide to work on his own?

48:00- Hans describes his OTB chess experiences

53:00- Hans shares some book and resource recommendations!

Move First Think Later, How To Study Chess on Your Own, Think Like a Super GM, Understanding Chess Move by Move, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, Endgame Strategy

1:00:00- Thanks to Hans for joining us! You can follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/IamHansHenning

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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Bonus Pod- GM Alex Fishbein and IM Greg Shahade share their thoughts on the latest developments in the Carlsen/Niemann Sinquefield Cup Controversy Sep 22, 2022

We are back with another bonus pod discussing the ongoing controversy involving GM Magnus Carlsen and GM Hans Niemann. This week there have been significant new events and information brought to light, and I am joined by 2 separate guests to review the developments and help sort it out. After reviewing the key events and quotes, I am joined by GM Alex Fishbein (9:00) and then IM Greg Shahade (1:11:00). The interview with Alex was recorded Wednesday night, September 21, and Greg’s interview was recorded Tuesday September 20. Thanks to them both for sharing their insights!

0:00- Links from Intro:

Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

Fabiano/Cristian Chirila C Squared Podcast:

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

Sinquefield Cup Arbiter statement:

https://twitter.com/ChrisBirdIA/status/1572615484654358529?s=20&t=so_SVkkCpU_B6vw1AJfTyw

8:00- 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

9:00- GM Alex Fishbein joins the show

9:00- Was there anything unusual in Alex’s 3 OTB games against Hans?

15:00- How likely does Alex think the “prep leak theory" is?

24:00- Does Alex agree with GM Jacob Aagaard’s shoplifting/bank robbing analogy from last week’s bonus pod?

33:00- The crux of the issue is that chess has always been played partially based on an honor system

41:00- Is it true that its easier to cheat online than live?

46:00- How likely is one to encounter cheating in a typical OTB tournament?

1:00:00- Alex sums up his thoughts about what may have happened in St. Louis

1:10:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

1:11:00- IM Greg Shahade joins the show

Thanks to my guests for joining the show!

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

Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

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EP 297- IM Carissa Yip on her love for the King’s Indian Defense, Why Levon Aronian is her favorite player and the ups and downs of her first Chess Olympiad. Sep 20, 2022

This week we are joined by the 2021 US Women’s Champion and one of the top junior female players in the world, IM Carissa Yip. I talked with Carissa in early September, at an interesting juncture in her life- she had just concluded her first Chess Olympiad, and was setting out for California, soon to begin her freshman year at Stanford University. This gave Carissa an opportunity to reflect on her past and future in chess and beyond. We discussed the following questions: What went right (and wrong) for Carissa and the US Women’s Olympiad Team? Why does she love the King’s Indian Defense? How did she get to her current chess level, and what would she need to do to advance even more? How does she plan to balance academics and chess? Plus Carissa told some fun stories involving interactions with GM Levon Aronian, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Garry Kasparov, and others. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up-

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

0:01-

Carissa discusses her day-to-day as she was on the verge of beginning life as a Stanford University freshman.

4:30- How did Carissa prepare for the Women’s Chess Olympiad, where the U.S. team finished tied for third place? How was the event?

Mentioned: GM Melih Khachiyan, GM Alejandro Ramirez

14:00- How did she interact with the team?

Mentioned: Levon Trolling, Carissa Yip (Note this is a Chess.com not Chessbase India video (as I said). My mistake):

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

18:00- Carissa discusses her critical win over IM Tania Sachdev in the last round and her love for the King’s Indian defense.

Mentioned: Sachdev-Yip 2022,

22:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

23:00- What parts of her game is Carissa trying to work on?

Mentioned: Carissa’s Ladies Knight podcast appearance, The Giant Chess Puzzle Book

32:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who are Carissa’s favorite players of the past and the present?

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

37:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Carissa plan to balance academics and chess?

43:00- What is the real story behind GM Andrew Tang’s photo, taken with GM Magnus Carlsen?

Mentioned: Episode 241 with GM Andrew Tang, Andrew Tang blog post

50:00- Thanks to Carissa for joining the pod!

You can keep up with her:

Twitter:

https://mobile.twitter.com/carissayipchess

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/carissayip/?hl=en

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

Bonus Pod- GM Jacob Aagaard joins for an update on the Sinquefield Cup Controversy Sep 16, 2022

We are back with another bonus pod to discuss the Sinquefield Cup controversy with Tuesday’s guest, GM Jacob Aagaard. Jacob has worked with Hans personally, and like the rest of the chess world has been following this story very closely. There has been no statement from GM Magnus Carlsen, but there have still been many developments worth discussing in the past week. Timestamps of topics discussed are below, thanks to Jacob for rejoining us!

Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

0:00- What are the key events of the last week? What does Jacob think of the cheating theories?

Mentioned:

St. Louis Chess Club Arbiter’s Statement:

https://grandchesstour.org/blog/2022-sinquefield-cup-chief-arbiter%E2%80%99s-statement

James Altucher Podcast with IM Kenneth Regan

GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann

https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856

20:00- 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

21:00- We discuss a couple other of the videos and posts regarding whether Hans potentially cheated OTB before the Sinquefield Cup.

Mentioned:

Atlanta Kings Research

Todd Bryant’s Response to above research

Nikos Ntirlis’ Additional Response (Not mentioned on the podcast)

29:00- Why does Jacob think that Hans is “the perfect test to expose the fallibility” of our current anti-cheating measures?

35:00- Jacob’s discusses the statement issued by Chess.com

Mentioned: Chess.com statement

https://twitter.com/chesscom/status/1568010971616100352?s=20&t=lM603tHenLUdoXSKjm4aBQ

42:00- Patreon mailbag question: Even as a recreational player, it is frustrating to get emails that you played online cheaters. Should online cheaters be punished more harshly?

49:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

50:00- Why hasn’t Magnus issued a statement? What does Jacob think about his handling of the World Championship announcement?

Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold Video

59:00- Jacob discusses IM Ken Regan’s recent interview on The James Altucher podcast

Mentioned: Carlsen-Niemann 2022, Video Version of Altucher Ken Regan Podcast, Background on the 2010 French Olimpiad cheating case here

Thanks to Jacob for hopping back on and sharing his thoughts!

Book- A Matter of Endgame Technique

Quality Chess- http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/

Killer Chess Training Facebook- 365 Chess Academy / Killer Chess Training | Facebook

GM Jacob Aagaard’s Twitter- https://twitter.com/GMJacobAagaard?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 296- Award Winning Author/Trainer, GM Jacob Aagaard on Endgame "Rules of Thumb", the Wave of Young Phenoms, and the World Championship Format Sep 13, 2022

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by award winning chess author and renowned trainer, GM Jacob Aagaard. It has been more than 2 years since our last long-form interview, and we had tons of topics to cover. We discussed topics including the rise of the top young talents in the chess world, potential World Championship format chances, and chess business news. There was also plenty of talk about chess training and improvement. Our talk about improvement was particularly focused on endgames, because Jacob has recently released an ambitious and highly informative new book, A Matter of Endgame Technique. This book is nearly 900 pages in length and is packed with practical tips and illustrations of moments at which Grandmasters have gone wrong in endgames. Although Perpetual Chess is an audio only format, we tried to extract a few lessons that listeners can apply to their own games. GM Aagaard is never hesitant to share his opinions, and I always learn a lot from speaking with him. You can find timestamps of the topics discussed, as well as links for topics referenced below.

0:01-

Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up-

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann

https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856

0:02- Jacob discusses the “tidal wave” of young chess talents emerging from India and elsewhere. In 10 years, how many of the top 20 players in the world does he predict will be from India?

13:00- Which young players does Aagaard consider most likely to someday be World Champions?

Mentioned: Gukesh-Abdussatorov 2022, IM Levy Rozman Gukesh Interview

21:00- What in particular precipitates Jacob’s suggestion that IM Vaishali R may someday be Woman’s World Champion?

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

25:00- What was Jacob’s reaction to the news that Chess.com is acquiring The Play Magnus Group?

35:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “What does Jacob think of potential changes to the World Championship Format?”

51:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

53:00- What chess lessons can we learn from Jacob’s great new book A Matter of Endgame Technique?

Mentioned: Think Like a Super GM, Under the Surface, Chess Tactics from Scratch, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Thinking Inside the Box

1:05:00- What is “The Steinitz Rule”?

1:11:00- What is “The Shankland Rule”?

1:16:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “What books similar to Thinking Inside the Box does Jacob recommend?

Mentioned: Chess Structures, GM Johan Hellsten, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, The Road to Chess Improvement

1:20:00- What does Jacob think of GM Firouzja’s game?

1:24:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “Does Jacob think it is important for trainers to occasionally play?”

Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center, IM Kassa Korley

1:30:00- Jacob discusses his pending emigration back to his native country, Denmark

1:33:00- What is the structure of Jacob’s training academy, Killer Chess Training?

Mentioned: GM RB Ramesh

1:41:00- Thanks to GM Aagaard for joining us! Links below:

Book- A Matter of Endgame Technique

Quality Chess- http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/

Killer Chess Training Facebook- 365 Chess Academy / Killer Chess Training | Facebook

GM Jacob Aagaard’s Twitter- https://twitter.com/GMJacobAagaard?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

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

Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

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Bonus Pod- Chess World in Turmoil as Magnus Carlsen Suddenly withdraws from Sinquefield Cup Amid Speculation that GM Hans Niemann used Engine Assistance Sep 09, 2022

The chess world has been rocked this week by the sudden withdrawal of GM Magnus Carlsen in the early rounds of the Sinquefield Cup. Although only explained by a cryptic tweet, this unprecedented action has been widely interpreted as an allegation of foul play by GM Hans Niemann, who had defeated Magnus in the prior round.. This has been a complex story with tentacles reaching all over the chess world and making headlines beyond it. In this podcast I briefly attempt to catch listeners up on the key events, and then welcome IM Greg Shahade to try to provide a bit of clarity about what we know right now. Greg is the founder of the Pro Chess League and the US Chess School and in the latter role has observed Hans' chess talent as he has risen up the ranks. Greg shares his perspective of Hans' personality, and of the overall story. Links to the important topics referenced can be found below

0:00- I go through the timeline of events and share a few thoughts.

18:00- IM Greg Shahade joins to discuss the news

A few quick notes and links

Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up-

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

Chess Reddit Megathread

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/x7igg5/megathread_hans_niemann_allegations/

Hans Niemann Round 5 interview-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=CJZuT-_kij0

GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann

https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856

Chess.com statement

https://twitter.com/chesscom/status/1568010971616100352?s=20&t=lM603tHenLUdoXSKjm4aBQ

My March 2022 Interview with GM Hans Niemann

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6SNm7UTFwTtzEnabV1p2in?si=6d79b33cdeaf4a5d

Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com and Aimchess!

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

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

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Episode 295- GM Gregory Kaidanov- One of the US’ top players and trainers on Maintaining Motivation, Imparting Lessons to Students, and his Long Journey from the USSR to the US. Sep 06, 2022

This week our guest is a renowned trainer, and one of the most accomplished players on the American Chess circuit, GM Gregory Kaidanov. GM Kaidanov was ranked as high as top 20 in the world, and has accumulated a wealth of chess wisdom and memorable stories from his decades in the game. In our interview, Gregory takes us through his famously difficult journey from the former Soviet Union to Kentucky, and shares great chess advice based on his observations while coaching many scholastic champions and future GMs as well as adult chess enthusiasts. Speaking of adult chess enthusiasts, Gregory himself remains active as a chess player and recently qualified for one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, the FIDE World Cup. Gregory discusses how he stays motivated and how he has adjusted his tournament planning over the years. This is a long, but fun conversation. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Show notes and timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- GM Gregory Kaidanov qualified for the FIDE World Cup at 62 years of age! What motivated him to play the qualifier in El Salvador?

Mentioned: Episode 149 with GM Robert Hungaski, Episode 280 With GM Ben Finegold, Mike Klein’s 2009 profile of GM Gregory Kaidanov:

http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/2009/2009_All.pdf

9:00- As a full time trainer and occasional player, how does GM Kaidanov choose which tournaments to compete in?

Mentioned: Sitges Spain 2022

11:00- How does GM Kaidanov work on his own game?

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, IM John Donaldson

16:00- GM Kaidanov discusses the underrated utility of “solitaire chess” as a training method, and he shares advice on how to approach it.

Mentioned: GM Bent Larsen, Episode 291 with GM Alex Fishbein

23:00- Who is GM Kaidanov’s favorite player to study via solitaire chess?

25:00- What was it like to play his chess hero, Anatoly Karpov?

Mentioned: GM Dmitry Gurevich, GM Alexander Shabalov

28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

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

30:00- Gregory tells the incredible story of his difficult emigration to the USA.

Mentioned: Ken Troutman, GM Alex Fishbein

40:00- How does Gregory describe his journey to GM?

49:00- 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

50:00- Gregory discusses working with some of his students, including GM Maurice Ashley, GM Ray Robson, and IM Josh Waitzkin

1:01:00- What was it like to work with GM Vasyl Ivanchuk?

1:08:00- Does GM Kaidanov follow top tournaments? What has he learned from the games of GM Gukesh and Abdussatorov?

1:14:00- Who is Gregory’s favorite modern player to study?

1:15:00- What was it like to play a young Anand? What was it like to play against 3 of the Zurich 1953 participants from Zurich 1953 in the same tournament?

Mentioned: Kaidanov-Anand 1987, Taimanov-Kaidanov 1988, Grischuk-Kaidanov 2018

1:30:00- What does Gregory think of the current crop of Under 21 players rated over 2700?

1:32:00- Gregory’s take on the Magnus announcement

1:34:00- Gregory tells an educational story involving GM Valery Chekhov and the legendary former World Champion Mikhail Tal.

1:41:00- What can chess teach us that can help us in life?

1:45:00- Thanks so much to Gregory for a fantastic conversation!!

You can reach him via his website here:

https://kaidanov.org/index1.html

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

Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

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Bonus Pod- How to Chess Podcast- GM Johan Hellsten on How to Analyze Your Own Chess Games Sep 03, 2022

With Season 2 of The How to Chess Podcast concluding, we are sharing one more "bonus pod" on this feed. This How to Chess episode features the renowned trainer and author, GM Johan Hellsten. In the interview, Johan shares tips for reviewing your chess games, and shares a few mistakes he commonly encounters from his students. To make sure you don't miss an episode of How to Chess, be sure to subscribe to it separately:

You can Subscribe to How to Chess on all of the major podcast Platforms:

How To Chess on Apple Podcasts

Spotify

And here is the Perpetual Chess interview with GM Hellsten which I referenced:

Perpetual Chess Podcast: EP 273- GM Johan Hellsten on Chess Improvement, the Inspirations for his "Mastering Chess" Book Series, and his favorite OTB Memories on Apple Podcasts

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EP 294- GM Fabiano Caruana on Engines, The Evolution of Chess, the Candidates Tournament, and the World Championship Cycle. Aug 30, 2022

This week we are joined by the third highest rated chess player of all time, GM Fabiano Caruana. Fabiano joined me from the St. Louis Chess Club just days before he was set to begin a string of elite competitions there. This presented the opportunity for Fabiano to reflect on what has been an action packed and noteworthy 2022. Topics include:the 2022 Candidates, the World Championship Cycle, and Magnus’ decision to step down, what it feels like to be in a slump, the continued evolution of chess engines, the rise of teen talents and the evolution of chess, and lots more. It was quite an honor to speak with Fabiano, timestamps for topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- To subscribe to receive the Perpetual Chess Linkfest for free in your inbox, you can submit your email address at the bottom of the most recent post here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/p/perpetual-chess-link-fest-2-august

Sinquefield Cup info:

https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-chess-tour-watch/live

World Chess Hall of Fame info

https://worldchesshof.org/exhibitions

4:30- Fabiano joins! When did Fabiano find out that Magnus won’t be defending his title? Does that change his perspective about the 2022 Candidates?

11:30- Fabiano discusses his and Team USA’s performance at the Chess Olympiad

15:00- Fabiano has mentioned he didn’t review his World Championship games much. Does he usually review his games?

Mentioned: Peter Doggers interview with GM Fabiano Caruana:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/fabiano-caruana-interview-carlsen-nepomniachtchi

20:00- Was it hard to discuss chess openings with his USA teammates since they are often rivals?

22:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:

24:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did the results of young stars at the Olympiad presage a new chess world order?

Mentioned: GM Arjun Erigaisi

26:00- Fabiano discusses the evolution of engines and the impact on young players.

34:00- 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

36:00- Does Fabiano have the same drive and energy as he did as a teenager?

38:00- What advice would Fabiano to a player like GM Hans Niemann? Has he seen GM Hans Niemann’s interviews?

41:00- What is Fabiano’s chess media consumption like?

43:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did Fabiano enjoy announcing with GM Robert Hess and IM Danny Rensch?

Mentioned: Episode 282 FIDE Candidates Preview with GM Robert Hess

46:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Fabiano think Nepomniatchtchi or Ding is more likely to win their match?

51:00- Would Fabiano be open to making the World Championship a mix of Classical and Rapid?

56:00- Does Fabiano think Magnus should have been more explicit about his World Championship plans prior to the Candidates?

1:00:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Fabiano think he would have had the same chess success if he was raised somewhere other than New York City?

Thanks so much to Fabiano for joining me! Here is the link to watch him in the Sinquefield Cup starting on September 1.

https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-chess-tour-watch/live

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 293- Olympiad Trip reports with Lula Roberts aka "LulaRobs" and Team USA captain, IM John Donaldson Aug 23, 2022

This week’s double episode features one more look back at the historic 2022 Chess Olympiad. We are joined by two different guests who just returned to their homes from Chennai. Our first guest is Lula Roberts, a 24 year-old popular Twitch streamer who got the chance to represent her country (Jersey) at the Women’s Olympiad. Lula retells her chess results and her many memorable moments at what she hopes will be her first Olympiad of many. Speaking of many Olympiads, our second guest is return guest and award winning author and historian, IM John Donaldson. John served as captain of the United States’ team for the 14th time, so he was able to draw on his vast knowledge of prior Olympiads to contextualize this one. In addition to discussing the Olympiad, John is a leading scholar of Bobby Fischer, so we discuss John’s latest Fischer research and his upcoming projects later in the interview. It was a lot of fun to get two vastly different perspectives on the Olympiad, and I am already looking forward to the next one in 2024!

0:00- Intro, brief discussion of the results of the Olympiad

4:00- Thanks to our presenting sponsors, Chessable.com, be sure to check out Grind like a Grandmaster, and Levon Aronian’s new course, along with the rest of their huge catalog of chess courses.

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

4:45- Lula Roberts joins the show!

5:00- How did the opportunity for Jersey and Lula to compete in the Olympiad present itself?

Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s book Chess Queens

8:00- Lula discusses the tournament itself, as well as how she spent time in between rounds

24:00- Did she like the team dynamic as opposed to individual tournaments?

26:00- What has Lula’s approach to chess improvement been?

30:00- How did the Reykjavik Open compare to the Olympiad for Lula?

37:00- Thanks to Lula Robert for joining the show! Here is how you can keep up with her:

Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/lularobs

Linktree:

https://linktr.ee/lularobs

38:00- 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

40:00- IM John Donaldson joins the show just after returning home to the U.S. John gives an overview of the tournament from his perspective.

Mentioned: Chessbase Interview with GM Ivan Sokolov, coach of the Uzbek team, Giri vs. Vidit Death Match

1:06:00- What is a typical day like for the captain of the team at the Olympiad?

1:21:00- How will John look back on this tournament?

1:31:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does John have any plans to publish additional Fischer physical books?

1:33:00- Is it true that Fischer liked to yell “Bobby Kill!” during his blitz games as a teen?

1:34:00- More info on the Spassky-Fischer exhibition in St. Louis is here:

https://explorestlouis.com/event/1972-fischer-spassky-the-match-its-origin-and-influence/2022-09-27/

1:3700- Has John heard anything about the health of GM Boris Spassky recently?

Mentioned: Episode 64 with GM Melih Khachiyan

1:47:00- Thanks, as always to IM John Donaldson for joining the show! If you haven’t already be sure to read Bobby Fischer and his World.

Bobby Fischer and His World

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EP 292- Adult Improver Karen Boyd on What She Learned from a Busy Summer of Tournament Chess, and Why she Always "Plays Up" Against Tougher Competition Aug 16, 2022

Karen Boyd is a 56 year old mother, wife and chess lover with a background in computer programming. She often appears in the videos and streams of her husband, GM Ben Finegold, but she also does a ton of the work behind the scenes, producing Ben’s content. Despite Karen’s busy life, she has been making lots of time for chess study and joined me after a busy summer with plenty of chess tournaments in the United States. Karen assiduously documents her chess study, and has been averaging about 3 hours per day of study when not on the road. She showed some good results in the World Open, and is on the verge of eclipsing her personal high rating of 1421. In our interview, she discussed her background, her study regimen, her goals, her relationship with Ben, and why she thinks she currently finds tournaments more enjoyable than her husband does. I really admire the dedication that Karen is showing to chess and look forward to seeing her continued chess progress. More details, timestamps and relevant links can be found below.

0:00- If you or someone you know is interested in appearing as an adult improver, you can submit their info via the online form here:

Interested in Appearing on the Pod as an Adult Improver? — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

1:00- Karen has been studying chess for 3 hours per day and traveling far and wide to play in many tournaments. Why?

Mentioned: Check out Karen’s study log here:

https://atlchessclub.com/ChessLog/ChessStudyLog.pdf

5:00- How does Karen feel about her recent progress, after a busy summer.

10:00- Why does Karen prefer classical chess?

Mentioned: Justin Morrison of Kids Chess Zone

16:00- Karen’s husband, GM Ben Finegold, has said he is retiring from OTB chess. Does Karen think he will change his mind someday?

19:00- What are Karen’s current chess goals?

Mentioned: How to Beat Your Dad at Chess, Chessable’s Checkmate Patterns Manual

22:00- 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

Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their new courses include a new one by GM Levon Aronian, and GM Magnus Carlsen and GM David Howell recently released a free lesson, Grind like a GM!

Check out what's new here:

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

24:30- Karen discusses her chess beginnings.

31:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Karen and GM Ben Finegold meet?

Mentioned: GM Var Akobian

35:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Karen think she is treated differently a) because she is a woman? b) because she is married to a GM?

39:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Karen discusses her favorite Chess.com premium features, which include the tactics trainer.

If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual).

42:00- What was Karen’s inspiration for her study log?

43:00- How do Karen's two coaches, FM Aviv Friedman and NM Spencer Finegold, work with her to improve her chess?

45:00- What is Karen’s approach to openings?

48:00-How would Karen characterize (or describe) her strengths and weaknesses as a ches player?

51:00- Why does Karen “play up” in higher sections?

53:03- Are there days where Karen doesn’t feel like doing chess?

56:00- Karen’s closing advice

58:00- Thanks so much to Karen for joining the show. Here are some of the ways you can follow her chess progress:

Twitter-

https://twitter.com/Karen_Chess1

Twitch-

https://www.twitch.tv/karen_chess

GM Ben Finegold’s Twitch-

https://www.twitch.tv/gmbenjaminfinegold

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Bonus Pod- How to Chess Podcast- How to Approach Studying the Endgame with GM Sahaj Grover Aug 14, 2022

Here is the most recent episode of the How to Chess Podcast. If you enjoy it, please be sure you are subscribed to How to Chess on its own feed. The How to Chess archive features insightful interviews with GM Peter Svidler, GM Vladimir Kramnik, FM Peter Giannatos, with lots more to come.

You can Subscribe to How to Chess on these Platforms:

How To Chess on Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Be sure to check out GM Sahaj Grover's course, Timeless Techniques: Strategic Endgames, here:

https://www.chessable.com/timeless-technique-strategic-endgames/course/42898/

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EP 291- GM Alex Fishbein on Maintaining a Passion for Chess into One's 50s, (Plus great Korchnoi and Tal stories.) Aug 09, 2022

GM Alex Fishbein has been one of the top players in the US for decades and remains a frequent competitor on the American chess circuit. He is a four-time US Championship participant and is the Tennessee state champion. Alex is also a chess writer. His most recent book, The French Exchange Comes to Life, is a uniquely presented and instructive guide to a somewhat misunderstood opening. Alex also has a successful career away from the board. He works as a Director in Fixed Income at TD Securities. In our conversation, we discuss Alex’s storied OTB career. Born in the USSR, Alex has learned from many Soviet-era legends and tells memorable stories about Mikhail Tal and Viktor Korchnoi. Alex also shares tips for staying sharp into one’s 50s and discusses how chess learning has changed. Alex’s dad and son are chess masters as well, so he has had a close-up-view of the evolution of chess learning. This was a really fun conversation. Notes and timestamps on topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- We begin with a trip report on the Norway Open, which Alex and his son attended and in which they competed. They also witnessed the Norway Invitational featuring Magnus Carlsen, Maxime Vachier Lagrave and many other elite players.

08:30- What advice would Alex give to people frustrated by playing lots of underrated players?

Mentioned: GM Patrick Wolff

15:00- Patreon mailbag question: In the increasingly competitive tournament chess climate, what kinds of goals does Alex set for himself these days?

Mentioned: GM Dmitri Gurevich

19:00- Which older player did Fishbein consider a role model? Alex goes into great detail about a unique and instructive way that he likes to study great players.

28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. If you are a pro member be sure to check out NM Bryan Tillis’ Olympiad Course:

https://www.chessable.com/blog/chess-olympiad-2022/

29:00- What were Alex’s interactions with Korchnoi like?

34:00- Alex tells some great stories from his chess origins in St. Petersburg. He studied under legendary trainer, Vladimir Zak.

Mentioned: Russian Silhouettes by GM Genna Sosonko

44:00- What did Alex learn from legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky?

47:00- Tal stories!

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

56:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What was it like to play Kasparov in a simul as a teen, as chronicled in the documentary American Gambit?”

More on the documentary here:

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

https://en.chessbase.com/post/american-gambit-kasparov-vs-us-juniors

Fishbein-Kasparov 1988

1:00:00- Alex discusses his career in finance and his decision not to pursue a career in chess.

1:08:00- Alex’s career advice for stronger young chess players.

1:10:00- Alex wrote a great book about the French Exchange, what do people misunderstand about this opening?

1:15:00- How have opening approaches changed over the years? How does Alex’s college- age son prepare?

1:18:00- Alex discusses his column for American Chess Magazine and on the updated versions of the Dvoretsky Endgame Manual with GM Karsten Muller.

1:25:00- Alex shares his thoughts on the Magnus Carlsen news.

1:29:00- Thanks to Alex for a fascinating interview! Here is his contact info:

http://www.gmalexfishbein.com/

Or email afish at panix.com

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Bonus Pod - Dispatches from the Chennai Olympiad with GM Axel Bachmann and Mr. Dodgy of Chessable Aug 05, 2022

I have been enjoying the ongoing Chess Olympiad so much that I wanted to hear first hand from some people on the scene about what its like to be there. I am joined by 2 separate guests to give their impressions from Chennai. GM Axel Bachmann is the first board for Paraguay, a former top 100 player in the world, and a 6 time chess Olimpian. Axel discusses the early notable results, the conditions of the venue, and noteworthy results early in the tournament. Following Axel, I am joined by Michael Duke aka Mr. Dodgy of Chessable. Dodgy discusses the chess fever in India, his role as a coach for the Jersey women's team, and shares a few observations from the fabled Bermuda party.

0:00- Intro

Mentioned:

Chessbase India YouTube Channel

Chess.com YouTube Channel

Gotham Chess Channel

NM Bryan Tillis’ Chessable Olympiad Course

Aimchess.com (use code Perpetual30 to save 30% if you subscribe)

6:00- GM Axel Bachmann joins me from Chennai after round 5. Axel discusses what has struck him about India, how this compares to other Olimpiads, and his and Paraguay’s early results.

31:00- The famous Mr. Dodgy aka Michael Duke of Chessable joins to give the fan’s/coaches perspective of the Olimpiad.

Video- Chessbase India: The complete venue tour of the Chess Olympiad

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EP 290- Dutch Trainer and Author IM Jeroen Bosch on How to Build an Opening Repertoire Aug 02, 2022

This week I talk with a top Dutch trainer, chess player, opening theoretician and prolific author, IM Jeroen Bosch. Jeroen is well known for his 14-volume New in Chess series, Secrets of Opening Surprises, and he has recently released a highly instructive new book called How to Out Prepare Your Opponent.The book discusses all aspects of how one should approach the opening, with topics ranging from how to select a repertoire, which openings to play, to GM Magnus Carlsen's unique approach to the opening. Jeroen joined me shortly before heading to the Olympiad as the trainer for the Dutch Women’s Team, so we also talked about how he planned to approach helping the team prepare for such a prestigious event. Lastly, we also discuss Jeroen’s career highlights. As a player, Jeroen has competed in several Dutch National Championships and has beaten 2 players who have been in the top 10 in the World!

Please read on for lots more details and timestamps of topics.

0:00- IM Bosch shares his thoughts about Magnus Carlsen’s decision not to defend his World Championship title, which segues into what we can learn from Magnus Carlsen’s approach to openings.

11:00- Any early opening predictions for a Ding vs. Nepomniatchtchi match?

13:00- 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

16:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Jeroen recommend that club players utilize a narrow or a broad opening repertoire?”

28:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How would Jeroen advise a club player to select a repertoire?”

32:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is there an ideal repertoire for an older club player?”

Mentioned: GM Peter Svidler on the How to Chess Podcast (Episode 14)

44:00-Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Be sure to check out what is new including NM Bryan Tillis’ Olimpiad course for Pro Members, as well as their other great new courses.

46:00- Jeroen discusses the opening approach of WIM Lisa Schuut, who utilized a very professional approach to openings.

Mentioned: GM Vladimir Chuchelov

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Can Jeroen suggest how to train openings beyond just applying opening principles? Could he recommend a few Black openings for club players?”

56:00- Jeroen’s closing advice on openingsv advice: Actively ask yourself questions when studying openings!

1:00:00- What are Jeroen’s favorite OTB memories?

Timman-Bosch 2001, Ljubojevic-Bosch 2006

1:06:00- Jeroen is coaching the Dutch women’s team in the Olympiad.Olimpiad. What are their goals?

Thanks to Jeroen for joining the show!

You can check out a free sample of How To Out-prepare Your Opponent here:

https://www.newinchess.com/how-to-out-prepare-your-opponent

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Book Recap #28- Chess Tactics from Scratch by FM Martin Weteschnik- A Great Intermediate Level Tactics Guide Jul 30, 2022

Chess Books Recaptured is back for another review and discussion of a chess book. This month, I am joined by Steve Wollkind, to discuss the excellent book and Chessable course Chess Tactics from Scratch. The title might make you think it is for beginners, but it is actually an intermediate-level book which aims to break down the core elements of various tactics. The book was written by an accomplished adult chess learner, and Steve believes that this is evident in the clear explanations of basic tactics. The book is differentiated by an incredible selection of illustrative positions, making it a great choice for chess students and teachers alike. To learn more about the book please tune in. You can find timestamps of topics discussed and links below.

To apply to be a guest-co host on Chess Books Recaptured please submit an email via this link:

Interested in Guest co-hosting Chess Books ReCaptured? — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

0:00- Steve discusses his background and why he suggested the book/Chessable course, Chess Tactics from Scratch.

10:00- Chess Tactics from Scratch is available on Chessable, in book form, and on Forward Chess

13:30- 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

14:30- We discuss the history behind the 2 editions of the book,which was originally called Understanding Chess Tactics.

22:00- We share a few quotes in which the author breaks down tactical concepts like the pin and “The Reloader”

29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Be sure to check out what is new, including NM Bryan Tillis’ Olimpiad course for Pro Members, as well as their other great new courses.

31:00- We share a few favorites quotes and explanations from the book.

Mentioned: The Inner Game of Chess by GM Andy Soltis

42:00- Do we have any quibbles with this book?

Mentioned: Thinking Inside the Box, GM Boris Gelfand’s Books, Chessable’s The Checkmate Patterns Manual

53:00- Thanks so much to Steve for suggesting a great book and helping out. I will be making a donation to The Gift of Chess on his behalf.

Follow Steve on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/stevewollkind

And on his chess accounts here:

Steve’s Chess.com

Steve’s Lichess

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EP 289- Tony Ballard- A Convicted Felon on How Chess has Changed His Life Jul 26, 2022

This week on Perpetual Chess, Tony Ballard, who is serving a 294-month prison sentence for attempted murder, tells the remarkable story of how chess has changed his life. Tony joined me via phone from a minimum security rehabilitation facility in Wichita, Kansas, where he currently lives. As you will hear Tony discuss, he had a difficult upbringing, and made some very regrettable choices in his early years, but while in prison, a love for chess took hold, and Tony credits the game as a transformative tool in his life. Tony is now working with a non-profit called The Gift of Chess. Their goal is to promote chess as a learning tool both within the prison system, and outside of it. Tony is taking online university classes and hopes to work in youth outreach when he is fully released from prison in 2025. This is a truly inspiring story of the many ways that chess can impact one’s life! Please read on for timestamps and links referenced.

0:00- We discuss Tony’s background, especially as it relates to chess.

3:00- Tony discusses his difficult early childhood, and the events that led to his receiving a 294 month prison sentence.

Mentioned: Tony’s Zoom lecture for the non-profit organization, The Gift of Chess, Linktree for more info about The Gift of Chess non-profit, Russell Makofsky of the Impact Coaching Network

14:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here:

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

16:00- Tony describes his passion for chess, which blossomed once Tony was in prison.

23:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is Tony able to play chess online within his minimum security facility?”

27:00- How is chess perceived in prison? What would it take to grow chess in prisons?

35:00- What are Tony’s favorite openings? What’s his chess style?

38:00- What chess books did Tony read?

Mentioned: Chess by Laszlo Polgar

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

41:00- Tony discusses why he has been working on his endgames.

https://linktr.ee/thegiftofchess

44:00- What are Tony’s chess plans, and what plans does he have for his life after his full release from prison? His release could happen by 2025?

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Bonus Pod- GM Andrii Baryshpolets on Why He is Running For FIDE President Jul 23, 2022

With a FIDE election coming up on August 7, I am extending the invitation for FIDE Presidential Candidates to share their stories and their reasons to run for FIDE President. Brief timestamps and more information below.

1:00- Why is Andrii running for FIDE President?

9:30- What would Andrii look to accomplish as FIDE President?

15:00- What does Andrii think of Magnus Carlsen’s suggestions of format changes?

21:30- Would Andrii keep his day job if elected?

25:00- Has Andrii heard stories of impropriety in prior FIDE elections?

28:00- Andrii discusses his love for the Yugoslav line of the King’s Indian and his favorite chess memories.

List of voting countries and delegates here-

https://congress.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/List-of-FIDE-Member-Federations-having-voting-powers_7-June-2022.pdf

More info about Andrii’s candidacy on the Baryshpolets-Nielsen campaign website here:

https://fightforchess.com/

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Breaking News Bonus Pod- Chess24 Reporter Tarjei Svensen on Magnus' Decision not to Defend his Title Jul 20, 2022

GM Magnus Carlsen has officially announced that he will not defend his World Championship title, and we are joined by tireless Chess24 reporter, Tarjei Svensen to get the inside scoop on this decision and to begin to assess the implications. Thanks to Tarjei for joining on short notice!

0:00- Why didn’t the news surprise Tarjei?

Mentioned: Tarjei’s July 18 Chess24 article , The Magnus Effect Podcast

9:00- How was the news received in Norway?

14:00- What was the reaction of other top players? Including GM Ding Liren, who Tarjei spoke with today?

18:00- Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com and Aimchess.com, if you sign up for Aimchess.com, use the code “Perpetual30” or this link to save 30%.

19:00- Is China a likely host for a Nepo-Ding match?

21:00- What really happened in Magnus meeting with FIDE in Madrid?

24:00- Would it have made a difference to Magnus if Hikaru had come in 2nd in the Candidates?

27:00- How likely would Magnus be to return if the format changed?

30:00- What else do we have to look forward to as chess fans?

33:00- Thanks so much to Tarjei for joining us! Be sure to follow him on Twitter.

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EP 288- GM Peter Heine Nielsen Takes us Behind the Scenes of the 2012 World Championship Match between Anand and Gelfand Jul 19, 2022

This week’s Perpetual Chess is the 2nd in a series, a special edition, oral history of the 2012 World Championship, brought to you courtesy of GM Peter Heine Nielsen. Peter, of course, is an accomplished Grandmaster and a renowned opening theoretician who has worked as a trainer for 8 World Championship match winners, first with GM Viswanathan Anand, and in recent years with GM Magnus Carlsen. For this podcast, Peter takes us behind team Anand’s mindset and preparation, as they helped Vishy prepare to defend his title against GM Boris Gelfand in May of 2012. This continues a series, as Peter discussed Anand’s 2010 match with GM Veselin Topalov in Episode 177. For a chess history enthusiast like myself it is such a treat to get a blow by blow account of a World Championship match from someone who had a prominent role in the match and a ringside seat. Please read on for timestamps, links to topics referenced can be found on the podcast webpage.

You can review any of the games from the match discussed here:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1025310

03:30- Since we are discussing events of 10 years ago, I thought we should ask: Does Peter think that he has a good memory?

11:00- We begin by discussing the 2012 pre match training camp, in Bad Soden, Germany in January of 2012. Peter convened with Anand and fellow team members, GMs Radoslaw Wotjasek, Surya Ganguly, and GM Rustam Kasimzdhanov.

21:00- How did the team feel about Gelfand as an opponent for Vishy?

32:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here:

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

33:30- Does Peter get more nervous as a competitor or a trainer?

36:30- Peter describes the background and mindset once the team arrived in Moscow for the match, in May of 2012.

41:00- What was the team’s method for testing Vishy’s memory on opening lines? What about for Magnus in more recent years?

46:30- The match begins, and Gelfand springs a surprise by playing the Grunfeld defense! (The game ends in a draw) How did the team feel?

50:00- The match takes shape, with 5 more draws before a victory. What was the mood after 6 games?

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

57:00- Gelfand strikes first! What was the mood after Game 7?

1:02:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did the team change match approaches after Game 7?

1:06:00- Anand strikes back! How did the team mood alter when Vishy won Game 8?

1:10:00- Anand tried the Nimzo-Indian for the first time in Game 9. How did it go?

1:15:00- Has Peter discussed the World Championship match with Gelfand in recent years?

1:20:00- Peter discusses Game 10

1:22:00- Despite two more draws, Peter shares why he felt the mood started to shift during games 11 and 12.

1:28:00- How did the team feel heading into the rapid playoffs?

1:34:00- Do opening surprises have added value in a faster time control?

1:35:00- What went right for Vishy to prevail in the Rapid playoffs?

1:39:00- After winnig the match did they feel euphoria more or relief?

1:41:00- Since Gelfand was sort of on home turf, were they worried about any Russian subterfuge?

1:44:00- Are non-team members who provide opening advice generally compensated for their assistance?

1:46:00- Did it bother the team that Kasparov was rumored to have offered to help Gelfand.?

1:48:00- How does Peter look back on the match 10 years later?

Thanks to Peter for joining the podcast. Links you need below:

The Chicken Chess Club on Apple Podcasts

https://twitter.com/PHChess

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EP 287- GM David Howell joins for a FIDE Candidates Wrap Up plus World Championship Match Scuttlebutt, and his 2022 OTB and Commentating Plans Jul 12, 2022

As the dust settles on the FIDE Candidates tournament and its attendant news, three- time British Champion and popular Chess24 commentator GM David Howell joins me to assess the news. As you might expect, we discuss the World Championship plans of David’s friend GM Magnus Carlsen, and we discuss both of the potential World Championship matchups, based on Magnus’ decision about whether to retain his title. David also assesses the performances of other notable players including GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Ding Liren, and GM Alireza Firouzja. In the second half of the interview we focus on David’s own career. David will be heading to India soon to represent Great Britain in the Olympiad, and he discusses his recent and upcoming tournaments. Lastly, David discusses his plans for commentating in the coming months and how he balances it with his playing career. I always appreciate David’s insights and modesty, and there is lots to learn from this conversation. Please read on for timestamps, for referenced links go to the podcast webpage here:

Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

Prior appearance: Episode 176 with GM David Howell

02:00- What are David’s thoughts about Magnus Carlsen and the World Championship cycle and any potential format changes ?

12:30- Patreon mailbag question: Is Magnus’ memory for chess positions on a par or better than other top players?

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

18:00- David shares his thoughts on Nepo’s dominant performance in the FIDE Candidates, as well as his other observations.

25:00- What did David think of the quality of the games in the Candidates? Could Nepo give Carlsen a better match in a rematch?

31:00- What chess improvement lessons can we learn from the Candidates?

35:00- We briefly discuss Firouzja’s disappointing showing in the Candidates.

38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here:

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

40:00- How is David’s OTB game as he prepares to represent Great Britain in the upcoming Chess Olimpiad?

45:00- David discusses his upcoming course with Magnus Carlsen, “Grind like a Grandmaster”

Mentioned: Chessable Tweet regarding the Course

46:00- British Olimpiad Team

49:00- David discusses playing the 2021 FIDE Grand Swiss, where he was close to qualifying for the 2022 Candidates, but lost a crucial game to GM Alireza Firouzja.

55:00- How is David enjoying work as a Chess24 commentator with WGM Jovanka Houska and Kaja Snare?

1:06:00- What does David think about the current trajectory of chess?

1:08:00- How is David enjoying doing the podcast The Late Knight Show?

1:13:00- David reviews his performance in the most recent World Rapid and Blitz tournament

1:16:00- How would David assess a Ding-Nepomniatchtchi match?

1:20:00- Thanks so much to David for sharing his insights! Here is how you can keep up with him:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidHowellGM

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidhowellchess/?hl=en

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Book Recap #27 - GM Yasser Seirawan's Play Winning Chess Jul 08, 2022

Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss the beginner-oriented chess book, Play Winning Chess, by legendary GM, Yasser Seirawan. I am joined by Sam Robinson, who is a 28 year old, Chicago-based chess enthusiast. Sam got into chess in recent years, and this was one of the first chess books that he read. For him, it was the book that really started to demystify the subtler parts of the game. It was also my first time reading Play Winning Chess, and I found it to be a solid choice for newer chess players or for chess trainers looking to sprinkle some good anecdotes and instructive games into their lessons with newer players. Tune in to hear our conversation about the pros and cons of GM Seirawan’s landmark book. Timestamps and links can be found below.

0:00- Sam delves into his background and what got him into chess.

05:00- What resonated with Sam about Play Winning Chess to the extent that he wanted to discuss it?

Mentioned:

Book Recap #11- Yasser Seirawan’s Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce

08:00- Which Formats are Available -

Book- Play Winning Chess (Everyman Chess)

Ebook- ttps://everymanchess.com/products/winning-chess-strategies-revised-edtion?variant=17966519943230

Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/play-winning-chess/course/89222/

09:00- Yasser’s bio and chess origins

11:00- What rating range would find this book most useful?

13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out what’s new from them here:

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

15:00- How useful is Yasser’s construct of the four principles of chess: Force, Time, Space and Pawn Structure

19:00- Likes, dislikes and memorable quotes from Play Winning Chess

26:00- Does the difficulty of the material escalate too quickly?

32:00- How useful is Yasser’s concept of a “space count”?

36:00- We briefly discuss some YouTube videos that are great for beginners.

Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew’s Chess Fundamentals, Naroditsky’s Speed Run, Hanging Pawns

39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

40:00- Improvement takeaways from this book

49:00- What grade would we give this book? What similar books might I recommend?

Mentioned: Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, Winning Chess Strategy for Kids, First Book of Morphy, Chess Steps, Chess by Laszlo Polgar, My First Chess Opening Repertoire

51:00- Thanks so Sam for helping out!

Follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/sam_robs

Or on Chess.com here:

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

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EP 286- Adult Improver Dr. Nicholas Vasquez on How and Why he Finally Got Serious about Chess Improvement Jul 05, 2022

On this month’s Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess I am joined by Dr. Nicholas Vasquez. Dr. Vazquez is a dad and emergency physician who finds chess a welcome escape from a very stressful job. Despite the fact that chess is escapism for him, Dr. Vasquez has recently decided to get serious about chess improvement. He started working with a coach (NM Han Schut), playing tournaments, and working on puzzles from Chess Steps and Chessbase. Nicholas has learned a lot of lessons, and seen significant progress, raising his Chess.Com rapid rating from about 1350 to 1650 over the last couple of years. Dr. Vasquez shared lots of great insights in our interview, and I am confident that you will find this interview helpful and entertaining. You can find more information on all of the topics referenced, as well as timestamps below.

0:00- Be sure to subscribe to How To Chess on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

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

0:02- After some time away, what event re-interested Nick in chess?

Mentioned: The Chess Steps Method, Episode 142 with Han Schut, Episode 274 with Adult Improver Paul Hedrick, Episode 167 with IM Jop Delemarre, Step 2 Thinking Ahead

09:00- With a hectic life, does Nick ever struggle with finding motivation for chess study?

15:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here:

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

16:00- When Nick plays training games, does he use a chess set or a screen?

20:00- Nick shares the training regimen that his coach, Han Schut has devised for him.

25:00- Nick shares what he is learning from competing in the LiChess4545 league.

Mentioned: GM Jesse Kraai’s video “An Easy System Against the French”

28:00- What does Han’s trainer consider to be the key pillars of his success? What does it mean to “orient” oneself to a chess position?

32:00- What is Nick’s approach to openings?

34:00- What do Han and Nick prefer Chessbase tactics?

38:00- Which book helped Nick the most?

Mentioned: The Improving Chess Thinker by NM Dan Heisman, Think Like a Super GM by GM Michael Adams and Philip Hurtado

Or use this link for the same discount:

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

42:00- A few features to be aware of on Chesskid.com:

Summer Clubhouse :

https://www.chesskid.com/learn/articles/summer-chess-clubhouse

You can check out FunMaster Mike’s videos either on Chesskid itself or on YouTube for kids.
If you decide to sign your kid or your student(s) up for Chesskid, be sure to use this link to save 30% on a Chesskid Membership

https://www.chesskid.com/membership/promo/perpetual

46:00- Was Nick surprised by the intensity of OTB chess?

54:00- Nick discusses the importance of feeling part of a community.

Mentioned: ChessDoJo discord

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is there stuff Nick needs to work on outside of doing the Steps Method?”

1:05:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Vazquez for joining the show.

You can play/reach him on Lichess here:

https://lichess.org/@/nvasquez

Or Chess.com here:

https://www.chess.com/member/nfv1972

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FIDE Candidates Round 12 Update- IM Christof Sielecki on Nepo's Dominance, Alireza's Struggles and the Tight Battle For 2nd Place Jul 02, 2022

Award Winning Author, Chessable Author, and Noted Opening Theoretician, IM Christof Sielecki joins me to discuss the FIDE Candidates Tournament through 12 rounds. Topics include: Nepo's dominance, the important battle for 2nd place, Alireza's struggles, Nakamura's Quick Draw in Round 12, the Quality of Play, and whether Magnus might be enticed to defend his crown if the World Championship format were tweaked.

Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com and Aimchess.com.

Here are a few of the articles, and videos we referenced:

Hikaru's Round 12 Recap

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com and Aimchess.com.

Here are a few of the articles, and videos we referenced:

Chess by the Numbers Updated Probabilities

Hikaru's Round 12 Recap

MVL's Interview with Chessbase

Tarjei Svenson for Chess24 on GM Kramnik's Comments

The Games from the Candidates

Nepo discussed a letter from FIDE in the postgame interview on Chess.com’s Broadcast

GothamChess' Round 3 Recap

Check out all of IM Christof Sielecki's Chessable Courses here:

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

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

MVL's Interview with Chessbase

Tarjei Svenson for Chess24 on GM Kramnik's Comments

The Games from the Candidates

GothamChess' Round 3 Recap

Check out all of IM Christof Sielecki's Chessable Courses here:

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

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 285- IM Irina Bulmaga on her New Chess Training Regimen, the best Open Tournaments in Europe, and her Current Chess Goals Jun 28, 2022

IM Irina Bulmaga is a Chessable Author, a writer, a 5 time chess Olimpian, and the highest rated woman player in Romania, where she now lives. Before emigrating from Moldova, Irina was the 2 time National Woman’s champion in her native country. But as Irina will tell you, she probably spends more time traveling for competitive chess than she spends in any one country. In fact, she thinks she might be the most active chess professional on the European circuit. Irina joined me on a brief break between tournaments to recap some 2022 tournament successes. We also discussed her upcoming plans for the Olympiad and her lifelong goal of chasing the Grandmaster title. This was a fun conversation filled with personal reflection, tournament recommendations and chess study tips and plans. Please read on for more details, links, and timestamps.

01:00-

Irina reflects on her recent tournament performances.

Mentioned: Irina’s Chessbase Tournament Report

07:00- Why does Irina think she prefers playing in open tournaments rather than women’s tournaments?

Mentioned: Irina’s Blog

12:00- How has getting a coach for the first time ever helped Irina’s game? What books has she read?

Mentioned: Think Like a Super GM, Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Improve Your Chess Calculation

GM Lubomir Ftacnik

19:00- As a 5 time Olimpiad member, How is the tournament different from others?

27:00- 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

29:00- Does Irina enjoy the life of an itinerant chess professional?

33:00-In Irina’s opinion, how could professional chess be improved?

35:00- What big open tournaments would Irina recommend for chess amateurs?

Mentioned: Isle of Man (Chess.com International), Gibraltar International Chess Festival, Sunway Sitges Chess Festival

38:00- What is Irina’s favorite tournament of any type?

European Men’s Championship

41:00- Does Irina think sexism is worse in chess than in other walks of life?

45:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others here:

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

53:00- What tournaments does Irina have planned in addition to the Olimpiad? How was the experience of playing competitive chess in Cuba?

Mentioned: European Women’s Championship

58:00- How many languages does Irina speak?

1:00- Does Irina still hope to chase the GM title?

1:03:00- Thanks so much to Irina for joining me! Here is how to keep up with her:

Chessable course:

https://www.chessable.com/the-smyslov-ruy-lopez-3g6/course/114883/

Twitter:

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

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iribulmaga/?hl=en

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FIDE Candidates Round 6 Update- GM Jonathan Tisdall on the tournament so far Jun 24, 2022

We’ve got 6 rounds in the books and GM Ian Nepomniathchtchi and GM Fabiano Caruana are comfortably in first and 2nd place, respectively. GM Jonathan Tisdall is an American born, Norway based author, journalist and is the 3 time champion of Norway. Jonathan has been covering high level chess for decades, so it was great to get his thoughts on the first 6 rounds of the Candidates. Is he surprised by Nepo’s dominance? What has gone wrong for Firouzja and Ding? Do the current leaders make it less likely that we will see Magnus defend the crown? It has been a fascinating tournament so far, and it was fun to discuss it with GM Tisdall!

03:00- GM Jonathan Tisdall joins the show.

Mentioned: Chess by the Numbers Blog

15:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out GM Anish Giri’s Candidates videos on his YouTube ,and go Pro to get the course here:

Learn chess online: openings, tactics & more - Chessable.com

16:00- Will Magnus defend against these guys?

28:00- 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

30:00- Do we like the fact the clocks don’t have increments for this tournament?

39:00- Why does Nepo excel against everyone but Magnus?

45:00- Double blindness! We were referencing this moment in Anand’s game”

https://twitter.com/norwaychess/status/1534982377293893633?lang=bg

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2288820

53:00- When will Jonathan’s next book finally come out?

Mentioned: Nick Doody

57:00- We almost forgot to talk about GM Ding Liren!

1:00:00- Thanks to GM Tisdall for joining the show! You can follow him on Twitter here:

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

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 284- GM Eugene Perelshteyn and FM Nate Solon on How to Improve Your Chess Evaluation Skills plus the lessons we can learn from Magnus' blitz games Jun 21, 2022

This week I am joined by two accomplished players, trainers, and co-authors, Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn, and FM Nate Solon. Together, Nathan and Eugene have written the forthcoming book, Evaluate like a Grandmaster. As highly-accomplished players and trainers, Nate and Eugene noticed that there wasn’t a lot of chess literature helping players improve their ability to evaluate positions. They have written a great book to help address this problem. In our conversation, they highlight some of the lessons from the book, including an important discussion of the perils of relying too heavily on numerical engine evaluations. We also discuss some of the standout points and anecdotes from Nate and Eugene’s other work. Nate is a data scientist who writes a great, free chess newsletter called Zwischenzug, and Eugene is a respected opening theoretician who has recently released his first Chessable course, The Grand Prix Attack Reloaded. As always, you can find more details, relevant links, and timestamps below.

Prior Appearances by Eugene and Nate :

Episode 31 with GM Eugene Perelshteyn

Book Recap #17- Zurich 1953 with FM Nate Solon and GM Andy Soltis

02:00- Why write a book on evaluating positions?

09:00- Where do they find the puzzles? For what rating level is the book best suited?

12:00- Why does Nate think that the “centipawn” evaluation system is flawed?

20:30- Patreon mailbag question: “When calculating, how can we know when to shift from crunching potential moves to evaluating a position?”

25:00 What did GM Romani Dzindzichashvilli teach Eugene about evaluating positions?

27:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find the free “Endgame Strategy” Lesson from GM Sam Shankland here:

https://www.chessable.com/course/115673

28:00- Nate’s takes! What does Nate consider the “bare essential” chess improvement checklist to hold oneself accountable?

38:00 How well do club level players really know their openings?

52:00- 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

53:00- Eugene tells the story of playing Magnus OTB at Isle of Man Masters in 2017.

1:00:00- What can we learn from Magnus’ approach to a recent Titled Tuesday?

1:07:00- How did Eugene find an unexplored move on move 5 in his Chessable Course, The Grand Prix Attack Reloaded?

1:12:00- Eugene shares a few stories about legendary, deceased Grandmaster, Alex Wojtkiewicz

1:17:00- Nate is an accomplished adult improver, he discusses how his background in poker helped his mental game in chess.

1:20:00- Parting book recommendations!

Mentioned: Zurich 1953, Perfect Your Chess, The Questions of Modern Chess Theory, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Dan Heismans books, GM Jacob Aagaard’s books, IM Kostya Kavutskity’s Chessable Course: Endgame Studies 101

Thanks to Nate and Eugene for joining us! Here are the key links to keep up with them:

Evaluate like a GM website

Nate’s Newsletter: Zwishenzug

Eugene’s Chessable Course: The Grand Prix Attack Reloaded

Nate’s Twitter

Eugene’s Twitter

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EP 283- Top Trainer GM R.B. Ramesh on How to Improve Your Chess Calculation, and the keys to GM Praggnanandhaa’'s success Jun 14, 2022

This week on Perpetual Chess we talk about chess improvement with one of the premier chess trainers in the world! GM R.B. Ramesh has worked with many of India’s top players including GMs Vidit Gujirathi, Harikrishna and Adhiban. I caught up with Ramesh on the night before he would commence a training camp with one of India’s Olimpiad teams. This team included Ramesh’s star student, GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, who is one of the top junior players in the world and recently made headlines by defeating Magnus Carlsen. GM Ramesh is an author, including of the excellent new book, Improve Your Chess Calculation. In our conversation, we discussed Chess in India as it prepares to host the Olimpiad, the keys to Praggnanandhaa’s success, plus Ramesh answers many listener questions related to chess improvement. There is always so much to learn from GM Ramesh, and this conversation is no exception!

Prior Interviews:

Episode 144 with R.B. Ramesh

Episode 166 with GM R.B. Ramesh and GM Jacob Aagaard

0:00- GM Ramesh joined me shortly before starting a training camp for one of India’s Olimpiad teams. How does he prepare materials for these phenoms?

08:00- What was it like to work with GM Praggnanandhaa as a younger chess student?

14:00- GM Ramesh has written that training should be more challenging than competing OTB. Is this approach feasible for adult improvers?

16:30- Ramesh shares visualization advice for adult improvers.

23:00- Patreon mailbag question- “At what rating is it appropriate to begin training with blindfold puzzles?”

Mentioned: Visualize series on Chessable

30:00- 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

31:30- GM Ramesh considers Anand a personal hero and now knows him personally, Is he surprised by GM Anand’s success at 2022 Norway Chess?

39:00- How did Ramesh react the first time GM Praggnanandhaa beat GM Magnus Carlsen?

43:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Will Ramesh do a Chessable course? How many books will be in his series?”

45:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What is Ramesh’s advice for handling tough losses?”

52:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are some common calculation mistakes that even GMs make?”

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What can we learn from the success of another of Ramesh’s students, WGM Divya Deshmukh?

57:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find the free “Endgame Strategy” Lesson from GM Sam Shankland here:

https://www.chessable.com/course/115673

59:30- Are chess players as a whole getting better at calculation?

Mentioned: Free excerpt of Ramesh’s book here.

Mentioned: GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess

1:07:00- How does Ramesh define “the drawback principle”?

1:10:00- What advice can Ramesh share for knowing when to stop calculating within a variation?

1:14:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Ramesh observe from Firouzja’s phenomenal success? Does he have any Candidates predictions?”

1:17:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ramesh have an opinion on the fact that Indian players can no longer compete in the British Championship” (which Ramesh won in 2002)?

1:19:00- With the Chess Olimpiad set to take place in Chennai in July, Ramesh shares his thoughts on the explosion of chess in India.

1:24:00- In our last interview, Ramesh gave a ton of book recommendations. Is he keeping up with new chess books?

Mentioned: Judit Polgar’s Quality Chess Series, New in Chess Books, Quality Chess Books, Thinker’s Publishing

1:28:00- Thanks so much to Ramesh for sharing some of his chess expertise. Here are links for ways to keep up with him:

Improve Your Chess Calculation

ProChessTraining.com

Twitter

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EP 282- 2022 FIDE Candidates Preview Double Episode with GM Robert Hess and Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the Chess by the Numbers Blog Jun 07, 2022

The wait is almost over! With the 2022 FIDE Candidates Tournament beginning June 17, we present one last deep dive on this chess-history defining tournament. The winner of this tournament is slated to play GM Magnus Carlsen in the 2023 World Championship match if it takes place. I am joined by two separate guests to discuss the players and what we can expect. First up is GM Robert Hess. Robert, of course, is an insightful and popular commentator who will be traveling to Madrid to cover the event live with his Chess.com team. Robert and I discuss each player individually, as Robert shares his reflections on what he has observed from many years of observing these players up close. Robert’s other appearance on the podcast was nearly 5 years ago, so after an hour of FIDE Candidates talk, we spend some time catching up on other chess-related matters. Following Robert, I am joined by Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the “Chess by the Numbers” blog. I always enjoy getting Tai’s insights, which are primarily derived from an Elo-rating based model. Who is statistically most likely to win? How do Tai’s numerical assessments differ from those of other models and the betting markets? Tune in to hear some fascinating Candidates discussion!

You can find brief timestamps below, and more detailed ones on the podcast website here.

FIDE Candidates info here

01:00- Intro with details on the Candidates format and Schedule.

Prior GM Robert Hess appearance

05:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com you can find the free “Endgame Strategy” Lesson from GM Sam Shankland here:

https://www.chessable.com/course/115673

7:45- How does Candidates prep compare for Robert and his announcing team compare to prep for an event like the World Championship?

13:00- What can Robert share about GM Jan-Krystof Duda?

16:45- GM Teimour Radjabov

20:00- GM Hikaru Nakamura

29:30- GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi

35:00- GM Richard Rapport

41:00- GM Fabiano Caruana

47:15- GM Alireza Firouzja

55:45- GM Ding Liren

1:07:00- How does Robert approach commentating on an event like the ongoing “I am not a GM” tourney on Chess.com?

1:15:15- Robert’s OTB exploits! How did it feel to draw GM Viswanathan Anand in 2018 and defeating GM Sam Shankland in 2019.

1:24:45- Global Chess Championship more info here

1:26:30- How does Robert work on his commentary?

1:35:30- Robert’s Book Recs:

1:36:30- Does Robert get recognized in public much?

1:42:45- What is Robert looking forward to most about the Candidates?

1:46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of 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%.

1:48:00- Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the Chess by the Numbers blog joins to give an analytical perspective on the FIDE Candidates. We begin by discussing what differentiates the Candidates from other tournaments.

1:56:15- What do the betting markets and Tai’s model say the probabilities are for each player?

Mentioned: BWIN odds here, Smarter Chess Probabilities here

2:06:00- Which player does Tai think the betting market undervalues?

Thanks so much to Tai for joining us again. Be sure to subscribe to his blog and support his work via his website. Follow him on Twitter here.

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EP 281- Dr. Stuart Margulies tells the story behind the classic, best-selling book, Bobby Fischer Teacher Chess May 31, 2022

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by Dr. Stuart Margulies, the co-author of the legendary, best-selling chess book, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. First published in 1966, and written along with Donn Mosenfelder and Fischer himself, this book has sold more than 1.25 million copies, and many believe it to be the best selling chess book of all time! Dr. Margulies tells the story of the modest beginnings of the book, and of his first and subsequent encounters with his fellow New Yorker, Bobby Fischer. Stuart is 89 years of age, but has vivid memories of Fischer and many other key New York City chess figures. Stuart worked as an educational psychologist, and also shares his take on the whether playing chess can positively impact reading scores, a subject about which he wrote a paper in the 1990s. It was so much fun to hear Stuart’s reflections on his life in chess! More details and timestamps can be found below.

0:00- Stuart shares his earliest first-hand memories of Bobby Fischer

Mentioned: Alan Kaufman, Jack Collins, FM Asa Hoffman

0:08- We discuss the origins of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess

Mentioned: Donn Mosenfelder, Leslie Ault, IM Raymond Weinstein, IM Michael Valvo, Shelby Lyman, Episode 250 with FM Asa Hoffman

16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

17:00- We discuss more about the history of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, including the origins of its title.

Mentioned: Dr. Frank Brady, Fischer-Larsen 1958

28:00- Stuart discusses the one time he beat Fischer in a casual game, and shares more about his personal interactions with Fischer.

Mentioned: The Kevitz defense, Shernaz Kennady

44:00- 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%.

45:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Margulies and his collaborators decide to use a format that had no chess notation?

Mentioned: Secrets of Spectacular Chess

50:00- Stuart discusses his own, and others people’s research into the effect of chess instruction on kids’ reading scores.

Mentioned: Margulies’ Whitepaper: The Effect of Chess on Reading Scores, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, GM Levon Aronian

58:00- Stuart describes his encounters with GM Nicolas Rossolimo and a young GM Judit Polgar

Mentioned: FM Jude Acers, Abraham Kupchik, Irving Chernev, Al Horowitz, Fred Reinfeld

1:07:00- What was the motivation for writing Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess?

1:13:00- As such a sharp 89 year old, does Stuart have any mental and physical health tips?

Mentioned: New in Chess Magazine, GM Genna Sosonko’s books , A Change of Air by Ivan Gold can be found the compilation Nickel Miseries, Endgame by Dr. Frank Brady

1:21:00- Thanks so much to Stuart for joining the show!

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

Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

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Book Recap #26- Discussing Alexei Shirov's Fire on Board with Mitchell Fabian May 29, 2022

After a one month hiatus, Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss another classic chess book- GM Alexei Shirov’s Fire on Board. This 1997 game collection book shows the games of one of the world’s best attacking players at the peak of his powers. Joining me to discuss the book is Mitchell Fabian. Mitch is a 26 year old dad, actuary and avid chess student who suggested this book because he felt that it helped his chess tremendously. In addition to many wild slugfest games and creative ideas, the book covers an interesting time in chess history, when the World Championship Title was disputed by different organizations. We cover all of this in a fun conversation about a challenging, but informative book. More details and timestamps below:

0:00- We welcome Mitch Fabian to the show and he discusses why he chose Shirov’s Fire on Board.

Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiiy

6:00- For what rating is Fire on Board best suited?

Mentioned: Seirawan’s Play Winning Chess

12:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com, the premier chess education website. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

13:00- Patreon mailbag question: Any hot takes on the Shirov-Kasparov World Championship match that was supposed to take place in the late 1990's but never did?

Mentioned: Fire on Board 2, Luis Rentero Suarez

24:00- Back to the book! We discuss the book’s structure and share some quotes from a great foreword by GM Jon Speelman

Mentioned: Topalov-Shirov 2004 with 47… Bh3!!!

36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of 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%.

37:00- We share a few of things that struck us about Fire on Board

Mentioned: Attack with Mikhail Tal, Episode 273 with GM Johan Hellsten, GM Vasilios Kotronios, Lifetime Repertoires: Jan Gustaffson 1. E4 e5 , Everyman Chess “E Book” of Fire on Board

48:00- Should we be concerned about some errors in the book that modern engines identify?

Mentioned: GM Samuel Sevian, Shirov-Kramnik 1994

51:00- Mitch and I share a few other things we like about Fire on the Board.

Mentioned: Book Recap #1- The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios

1:04:00- We wrap the book discussion before segueing to some adult improvement discussion with Mitch. In Mitch’s honor I will be making a modest donation to The US Chess School.

1:05:00- Mitch is quite an accomplished adult improver so before we wrap up he shares some improvement recs.

Mentioned: Chess Dojo Discord, GM Eugene Perelshteyn

1:16:00- Thanks so much to Mitch for joining us! Here is where you can find him:

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EP 280- GM Ben Finegold on The FIDE Candidates, Recent Declines in Chess Twitch Viewership, and Why He Thinks he Doesn't Play as Well as he Used to. May 24, 2022

This week we are re-joined by the popular and amusing Twitch streamer, YouTube presenter and commentator, GM Ben Finegold. Lots has changed since our last interview! For one thing, there has been lots of discussion recently about a decline in the popularity of chess?. Does Ben think chess is losing popularity? Is he seeing a decline in his viewership on Twitch? What about on his YouTube channel? Other recent developments which we discussed include: Why Ben and his wife Karen sold their chess center in Atlanta, the state of Ben’s OTB chess game in the wake of some recent tourneys, plus some discussion of the Candidates, recent elite tournaments, and a few stories about Ben’s earlier days in the chess world, including Ben Finegold, “the college years.” Its always fun to catch up with Ben, lots more details and links in the show notes below.

Prior Finegold appearances on Perpetual Chess-

2017- Episode 9 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2o91dlqfOFf2Lwl9hfbrGF?si=b01f64b4f4fe4f8a

2018- Episode 52 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4f3W9CS9Q9nC5JUOYib5cn?si=e97663b0a8eb4879

2021- Episode 228

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ONlsNPYykFsH3sqM28LWL?si=5c1710b4b2514f79

0:00- Are Ben’s Twitch viewers down? Is the popularity of chess declining?

Mentioned: Martin Justesen’s post “Is the Chess (Twitch) Boom Over?, IM Levy Rozman’s Tweet, GM David Smerdon’s post

13:00- With the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta having been sold, will Ben still be doing his popular chess history lectures?

Mentioned: Kid Chess Atlanta, IM Carlos Perdomo

23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of 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%.

24:00- Ben has been competing regularly OTB recently, he wonders “was I always this bad at chess?”

Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center ALTO tournament, Foxwoods Open, GM Alex Shabalov

40:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Ben define a blunder at different rating levels?

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, 2022 Continental Chess Championships in El Salvador

48:00- Which young players impress Ben? What does it take to reach and stay at the top?

Mentioned: GM Sarin, GM Praggnanandhaa, GM Christopher Yoo, GM Hans Niemann, Episode 271 with GM Hans Niemann

56:00- Are there any chess talents that Ben has been surprised to see not to reach their potential?

Mentioned: GM Baadur Jobava, GM Wei Yi, GM Etienne Bacrot, GM David Navara, GM Jeffrey Xiong, GM Sam Shankland

1:02:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

1:03:00- Who does Ben expect to win the 2022 FIDE Candidates tournament?

1:06:00- Did Ben ever meet the recently passed legendary GM Yuri Averbakh?

1:08:00- How does Ben prepare for his chess history lectures?

1:11:00- What was it like for Ben to attend university in his 20s?

Mentioned: Chess Life Magazine Article by Ben Finegold The 40 Year Old GM:

https://t.co/3CozXi7lbC

1:16:00- Ben’s upcoming Twitch and tournament plans!

Here are the links to keep up with Ben.

Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/gmbenjaminfinegold

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6EnFbK-P5q0zeaqI5yobKg

Twitter:

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

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EP 279- Derek Wilder (Adult Improver Series)- The key lessons that helped an 1800 break through to a USCF 2000 rating. May 17, 2022

This week's Adult Improver interview is with Derek Wilder. Derek is a 33 year old Detroit- based Scholastic Chess Coach and Chess Podcaster (host of the Detroit Chess Killers pod).Derek is always working on his game, and he recently leveled up and surpassed the USCF rating of 2000 for the first time. This puts Derek in the 95th percentile of all USCF players. It took Derek years of hard work to break through this plateau, and it was illuminating to hear what he believed to be the keys to his success. Derek was quick to credit lots of friends and trainers with advice and tips that helped his game, and he offered lots of advice for those looking to achieve a similar breakthrough. Please read on for timestamps, resources, and people that were referenced in our interview.

0:00- Derek recently had a breakthrough in his OTB game. How’d he get to that moment?

Mentioned: IM John Brooks, Paul Grams, Chrysler Elementary School

08:00 Growing up in Detroit, Derek was one of the top scholastic players in his state, but he was bullied a bit for playing chess. How did he get through it?

09:30- What influence did FM James Canty and others have on his chess game?

12:00- What adjustments did Derek make when he came to chess in 2016 after a long hiatus?

Mentioned: Nunn’s Chess Openings

14:30- What kind of chess learner is Derek?

Mentioned: NM Mike Zaloznyy, IM Atulya Shetty, Derek’s interview with NM Kofi Tatum

18:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of 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%.

19:00- In his recent gains, did Derek focus more on strengthening his strengths or on shoring up his weaknesses?

Mentioned: FM Josh Posthuma, NM Gopal Menon, My System, IM Mark Dvoretsky’s books, IM Jeremy Silman, Charisse Woods

26:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How much did studying theoretical endgames help Derek’s game?”

Mentioned: Kameron Tolliver

30:00- -Patreon mailbag question: “Did Derek’s training method change leading up to his recent breakthrough?”

39:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

40:30- How big was the goal of reaching the USCF expert level for Derek? Do his students follow his chess progress?

43:00- How does Derek approach his openings?

Mentioned: IM Orlando Husbands, IM Richard Leyva Proenza

48:00- How does Derek think about budgeting for chess tournaments?

49:30- Welcome the the Chess dot bomb! On this month’s sponsored segment we discuss the Global Chess Championship and Chess.com’s new verification feature. If you get verified on Chess.com you are eligible to compete in the $1,000,000 Global Chess Championship for free. If you decide to get verified ($15 for initial verification / $10 per year thereafter), please use this link to help support Perpetual Chess.

Chess.com verification:

Verified - Chess.com

Global Chess Championship

https://www.chess.com/article/view/chesscom-global-championship-2022?ref_id=17919348

Premium Membership:

https://go.chess.com/Perpetual

52:30- What does Derek think he needs to do to become a USCF master?

Mentioned: Max Euwe, Tigran Petrosian

55:30- When did Derek start working with coaches? How much do they help him?

58:00- Why is it important to play against tougher competition?

Mentioned: FM Ylon Schwartz

1:00:00- Thanks to Derek for joining the pod!

You can check out his podcast, Detroit Chess Killers, here:

Detroit Chess Killers

Follow Derek on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/derekewilder

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Ep 278- GM Jan Gustafsson- The Popular Chess24 Commentator discusses the World Championships, Chess Openings, The State of his Chess Game, and his new Chess Podcast May 10, 2022

GM Jan Gustafsson is a popular and entertaining commentator for Chess24.com, a noted opening theoretician, a Chessable author, and 3 time member of GM Magnus Carlsen’s World Championship preparation team. Jan returned to Perpetual Chess for the fifth time to discuss chess news and the World Championship cycle, catch us up on the state of his chess game and to discuss what else he has been up to. Jan’s new projects include the launch of his own chess podcast, Chicken Chess Club,, where he and his friends, GM Laurent Fressinet and Peter Heine Nielsen give a light hearted rundown of the latest chess news. You can find timestamps below, for more detailed show notes, please go to the podcast webpage here:

Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

0:00- We briefly discuss the origins of Jan’s new podcast, The Chicken Chess Club.

5:30- Jan’s thoughts on the 2022 FIDE Candidates tournament, and whether Magnus will defend his title

Mentioned: Inside Team Magnus (behind Chess24 Paywall use promo code #Janistan)

12:30- When did Jan find out he would be on Magnus Carlsen’s 2022 World Championship Preparation Team?

17:00- Patreon mailbag question: What does Jan think of IM Lawrence Trent’s new courses on 1… b6 and 1. Nc3. ?

19:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the stupidest opening idea that works?

20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

21:00- Jan plays in the elite German chess league called the Bundesliga. He discusses how his recent games have gone and the state of his chess game.

32:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Jan’s advice for creating an opening repertoire?

37:00- What is Jan trying to improve at?

42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

44:00- Any plans for more weekly features on The Chicken Chess Club podcast?

49:00- How is Jan’s daughter’s chess game?

51:00- More Team Magnus and World Championship talk! What was the celebration like when Magnus defended his crown?

59:00- Will Jan do another Chessable course?

1:01:00- Jan reveals his plans for the 2022 Chess Olympiad?

1:03:00- What TV/series/moves has Jan been watching?

1:08:00- Thanks to Jan for joining us! Be sure to subscribe/rate/review the Chicken Chess Club

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

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EP 277-GM Kirill Shevchenko and WFM Maria Emelianova, a Ukrainian GM and a Russian Chess Streamer, on How the Russian-Ukrainian War Impacts their lives, their Careers and the Chess World May 03, 2022

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by a Ukrainian and then a Russian guest to discuss the impact that the Russian-Ukrainian war has had on their lives and on the chess world. My first guest is GM Kirill Shevchenko. Kirill is a 19 year old rising star in the chess world, currently ranked #92 in the world, and #6 among juniors. He joined me from Germany, where he is in between tournaments, after leaving Ukraine to pursue his chess career. Kirill spoke very movingly about the devastation Russia’s attacks have wrought on his loved ones and his country, and about how he balances that with his chess career. Kirill continues to compete, and will soon play in his first Grand Chess Tour event.

Following Kirill, I am joined by chess journalist and Twitch streamer, WFM Maria Emelianova. Maria is Russian, but like Kirill, felt compelled to leave her country when news of the attack broke. Maria has been an outspoken critic of the war, and has been working hard to raise funds to support Ukrainians. As Maria explains, this war has divided and scattered her family, an unfortunate situation which is not uncommon in Russia. I found both interviews to be quite enlightening, and I am inspired by the spirit of the chess community in trying circumstances. Please read on for interview timestamps and relevant links.

I apologize for the background noise at points in these interviews, if you would like to read an edited transcript while you listen, you can do so here:

EP.276-KirillShevchenkoandM... | Public Trint | Trint

You can also view a ‘read only’ lightly edited transcript here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQG2m9fXCK23o0UBTkWzBhhS_dss2ogQneNnTU2Za0GpkSTInIRY-59QzWIl0vEVhm_nVODtvrcuJTr/pub

You can donate to Kirill’s charity, Care with Team Hikaru, here:

https://events.softgiving.com/donate/Team-Hikaru-CARE-For-Ukraine

Or donate directly to Ukrainians in need via WIM Nastya Rakhmangulova here:

https://linktr.ee/nastiachess

0:04- Kirill joins the show

42:00- Maria Emelianova joins the show!

Follow Kirill on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/chesser_22?lang=en

Maria’s Twitch- : https://www.twitch.tv/photochess

Maria’s Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/photochess/?hl=en

Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com and Chessable.com

For full show notes, please go here:

Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

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EP 276- GM Michael Adams- Stories and Lessons from Mickey's decades Among the Chess Elite Apr 26, 2022

GM Michael “Mickey” Adams is a legend of British chess who has been an elite chess player for the last 30 years. He is a former World Champion finalist, the 7 time champion of Great Britain and has been ranked as highly as #4 in the world. Michael is also an author, most recently of the very original and instructive new book, Think Like a Super GM,with co-author Philip Hurtado. Michael is normally one of the most active players on the tournament circuit, and as Covid subsides he is preparing to resume a busy schedule, beginning with the Tepe Siegman invitational in May. In our fascinating and entertaining conversation, Mickey shares some memorable stories, and discusses whether he has made adjustments to his game as he turns 50. We also discuss Michael’s new book in detail and shared some of its chess improvement takeaways. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and links to topics that were referenced.

Brief timestamps are below, for full show notes please go to the podcast website

EP 276- GM Michael Adams- Stories and Lessons from Mickey's decades Among the Chess Elite — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

You can read my reviews of Think Like a Super GM on my Lichess blog or Chess.com blog.

0:00- Mickey has a tournament coming soon, how does he prepare especially after the pandemic?

10:00- How has Mickey maintained his chess strength up to age 50?

18:00- What is Mickey’s approach to using engines?

21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on that data. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

22:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who is the most naturally talented player that Mickey has ever played against?

27:00- What was it like to play chess with legends like Spassky and Tal?

30:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Mickey’s favorite victory over a fellow Super GM?

33:00- Mickey tells a few entertaining stories from his younger years involving Kasparov . Kramnik and GM Joel Lautier.

43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses

Best of British Chessable Course with GM Simon Williams

44:00- Chess improvement takeaways from Mickey’s new book

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will Mickey ever write a games collections book?

1:02:00- Patreon mailbag question: What self-study methods did Mickey use, and which does he recommend?

Mentioned: GM Mark Hebden, GM Keith Arkell

1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Mickey’s advice for how to approach big open Swiss tournaments?

1:11:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who does Mickey think will win the Candidates tournament?

1:20:00- Patreon mailbag question: What does Mickey think of the possibility that Magnus won’t play the next World Championship match? He also shares some ideas of alternative World Championship formats.

1:30:00- Is it true that Mickey has never had a “real job?

1:34:00- Does Mickey still have a condo in Florida?

1:36:00- What is Mickey’s favorite chess venu

1:39:00- Thanks so much to Mickey for joining the pod! Here are the best ways to keep up with him.

Mickey's Website

Think Like a Super GM (free excerpt here) (Forward Chess version)

Best of British Chessable Course with GM Simon Williams

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 275- IM Ali Mortazavi- A CEO and Successful Stock Investor on how the Challenges of Chess Help Everything Else Seem Easier Apr 19, 2022

IM Ali Mortazavi is a former top British junior player and chess author who has gone on to attain significant success outside of the chess world. Ali has been an active investor in many small biotech companies and is currently the CEO of a publicly traded, UK-based biotech company called, E therapeutics. Despite his busy professional life, Ali frequently plays online blitz, solves endgame studies, and associates with his many chess friends. In our entertaining conversation Ali discusses British chess culture, his chess beginnings, and his encounters with notable chess figures like Garry Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, Demis Hassabas (Creator of Alphazero), and his friend IM Lawrence Trent. Ali also discusses the ways that chess has helped his career and shares what he believes differentiates chess players from other people. You can find timestamps and relevant links for our conversation below.

0:00- Ali tells the story of his early beginnings in chess.

Mentioned: GM Michael Adams , IM Michael Basman, World Youth Chess Championship, GM Matthew Sadler, GM Julian Hodgson, GM David Norwood

10:00- Patreon mailbag question- “What were Ali’s early encounters against GM Michael Adams like?”

13:00- What were Ali’s early encounters with GM Viswanathan Anand like?

15:30- Ali tells stories from some of his early chess travels.

22:00- Does Ali want to become a GM?

GM Noel Studer’s blog

25:00- Ali was a pioneer in his work with chess computer software in the early 1990s. He tells some stories about working with Kasparov in those early days.

28:00- Ali tells the story of how chess helped him get his start in finance.

33:00- What makes chess players mentally tough?

35:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

38:00- Ali discusses his impressions of and interactions with GM Fabiano Caruana, AlphaZero/DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Garry Kasparov and IM Lawrence Trent

Mentioned: Magnus Carlsen’s recent Poker Tournament

50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

52:00- What advice would Ali give to talented young chess players?

Mentioned: Episode 271 with GM Hans Niemann

57:00- Does Ali think the chess boom will last?

1:01:01- How many chess books has Ali read?

Mentioned: The Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations

1:04:00- Thanks to IM Ali Mortazavi for sharing his chess story. You can keep up with him and reach him via Twitter. https://twitter.com/AAMortazavi?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

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 274- Paul Hedrick (Adult Improver Series) with guest co-host Han Schut Apr 12, 2022

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series is back, but this time with a twist. We feature a senior guest who is “more interested in sustainment than improvement”, and we have a guest co-host joining the conversation! Our guest, Paul Hedrick is a 56 year old literature and history teacher based in New Mexico. Paul enjoys listening to Perpetual Chess, but felt that older, less improvement focused chess lovers like himself were underrepresented on the podcast. To help guide the conversation, I enlisted the help of Han Schut. Han is a Chess Steps trainer, a Chessable Author and a frequent contributor to New in Chess magazine. The three of us try to sort out questions such as: Why does Paul study chess daily if his goal is not to improve? How can one know if they should shift their goals from “Adult Improver” to “Senior Sustainer?” How should one supplement the curriculum of the Chess Steps method? Both Paul and Han offered great perspectives on the different roles chess study can play in one's life, so I hope you all enjoy the conversation as I did. More details below.

0:00- Interested in appearing or suggesting an adult Improver guest for Perpetual Chess? Please use this form so that I can potentially refer back to it later : Potential Adult Improver Guest

Han Schut’s Prior Appearance- (Episode 142, 2019)

Book Review #25- Review and Discussion of the Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games

06:00- Why did Paul volunteer to come on the show?

Mentioned: Episode 272- Positional Puzzle Book Championship with Neal Bruce

11:00- What is Paul’s “why” for playing chess?

19:00- Paul discusses his chess routine

Mentioned: Second Piatgorsky Cup 1966, Ken Smith,

30:00- Patreon mailbag question- Was there a moment where Paul decided to switch from “improver” to “sustainer” mode?

33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

35:00- Patreon mailbag question How can one decide whether to focus on improvement or sustainment?

40:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Paul prioritize studying things he sounds fun?

42:30- Patreon mailbag question: Does Paul think his study is helping him avoid blunders?

43:30- Han’s advice for mitigating blunders.

46:30- Han describes the Chess Steps method, which you can order here.

47:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com, check out what is new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: In the current chess climate, does one need to get better just to keep the same rating?

51:30- The Chess dot bomb sponsored segment is brought to you by Chess.com! Paul and I discuss the Chess.com Explorer feature, which allows you to learn openings, study master games, your own archive, and to add them to a personal library.

If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual).

54:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Han think there will be greater adoption of the Steps Method in the US?

Mentioned: Episode 167 with IM Jop Delemarre, IM Cor van Wijgerden

1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: Question for Han: What makes a good compliment to the Chess Steps series?

Mentioned: Lichess Database, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios, Lichess 4545 League

1:14:00- Thanks so much to Paul for joining us! And thanks to Han Schut for guest co-hosting and sharing his expertise!

Here is the link for Han’s scheduled live Chess Steps presentation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/D7gfDpEiDks Saturday April 16 at 2 pm EST

Link to Dubov’s Explosive Italian: https://www.chessable.com/dubovs-explosive-italian/course/80152/

If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community you can do so here:

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EP 273- GM Johan Hellsten on Chess Improvement, the Inspirations for his "Mastering Chess" Book Series, and his favorite OTB Memories Apr 05, 2022

I am joined this week by renowned trainer, author, and 2006 Swedish National Champion, GM Johan Hellsten. Johan is best known for his excellent book/Chessable course Mastering Chess Strategy, and its successors Mastering Opening Strategy, and Mastering Endgame Strategy. These courses are highly regarded by chess trainers and students alike, and are packed with educational puzzles. In our conversation, we got into the origins of these voluminous projects, plus Johan answered a ton of chess improvement related questions from listeners to the podcast. Lastly, Johan told some fun stories from his time playing on the Swedish Olympiad Team, and shared the names of some authors that were formative in his own chess development. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- How was Johan influenced by the work of legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky?

Mentioned:Sergey Dolmatov, GM Artur Yusupov, 64 Chess Magazine

08:25- What was the vision behind Mastering Chess Strategy and Johan’s Mastering series?

15:00- What are some books one could do that aren’t as challenging as Johan’s fantastic books?

Mentioned: Simple Chess by Michael Stean, Winning Chess Strategies by Yasser Seirawan (also on Chessable) , Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook

Episode 272- “Positional Puzzle Book Championship” with Neal Bruce

Shane Taulbut, chess books, GM Arthur Yusupov, IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Yasser Seirawan, John Nunn’s Understanding Chess Move by Move

18:45- How does Johan find so many instructive positions?

Mentioned: Follow Chess App, Chessbomb, Chess24.com, Mark Crowther’s The Week in Chess

29:00- Patreon mailbag question from Neal Bruce! Should players at different rating levels approach Johan’s books differently?

39:00- Patreon mailbag question: In what order should one read Johan’s courses/books?

Mentioned: Chess for Educators by Karel van Delft

45:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. In addition to GM Johan Hellsten’s series, one can find tons of courses on all phases of the chess game, check out what is new here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

46:00- If you don’t have a coach what is the best way to identify your weaknesses that are holding you back?

Mentioned: GM Stellan Brynell

1:00:00- Johan discusses how club players can choose openings based on their styles.

1:06:00- What are Johan’s favorite game collection books? Do we need to study their books or just play through a great players games on a computer?

Mentioned: GM Mickey Adams, GM Viswanthan Anand, GM Mark Taimanov, GM Svetozar Gligoric, GM Bent Larsen, GM Mikhail Botvinnik, GM Bobby Fischer

1:14:00- Patreon mailbag question: What are the chess cultures like in Sweden and Ecaudor? (Where Johan lives)

Mentioned: GM Stellan Brynell, GM Johnny Hector, GM Jan Timman, GM Julio Granda Zuniga, IM Greg Shahade, GM Johan Hellsten’s YouTube Lectures, GM Wesley So

1:22:00- Patreon mailbag question: How was Johan influenced by legendary Swedish player Ulf Andersson?

Mentioned: GM Viktor Korchnoi, GM David Anton, Hellsten-GM Viktor Kupreichik (1996), GM Andrey Kovalev, Hellsten-Kovalev 1996

1:35:00- Thanks so much to GM Hellsten for sharing his wisdom and stories!

You can reach him and check out his Chess.com Series here

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

And be sure to get his Chessable courses here:

https://www.chessable.com/author/jhellsten2/

You can find the same material in book form, here.

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EP 272- "Positional Puzzle Book Championship" with Neal Bruce Mar 29, 2022

Popular guest and dedicated improver Neal Bruce is back on Perpetual Chess to break down the most useful “Positional Chess Puzzle” Books for club players. For those who have not heard Neal’s prior appearances, he is a dad and an executive at a software startup who devotes a lot of his free time to improving his chess game, often via flash cards made from chess books. Neal is amidst a 10 year study plan and has recently completed a phase during which he went through 8 positional puzzle books. In our interview, Neal discusses why he thinks this was an important step for his chess development and assesses the books he read. He ranks them in order, assesses their pros and cons, and their usefulness for different rating levels. At the end of Neal’s book breakdown we catch up with Neal a bit and discuss what is next in his 10 year chess study plan. Links for all of the books referenced, as well as timestamps are below.

Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition by IM Arthur van de Oudeweetering

How to Reassess Your Chess 4th Edition by IM Jeremy Silman

Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten (also available on Chessable)

Mastering Positional Sacrificesby IM Merijn van Delft

The Positional Chess Handbook by FM Israel Gelfer

Practical Chess Exercises by Ray Cheng

IM Jeremy Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook

Techniques of Positional Play by Valeri Bronznik and IM Anatoli Terekhin .

Prior appearances by Neal:

“Pawn Book Championship” Episode 241

Book Recap #11- Taking Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce

Book Recap #6- Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce

0:00- We begin by catching listeners up on Neal’s background and discussing why Neal decided to study 8 “positional puzzle” books.

5:00- How has this intense study of positional chess impacted Neal’s chess game?

14:00- What books might be good precursors to the books that Neal discusses?

Mentioned: Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean, The Power of Pawns

16:00- Neal discusses two books that didn’t make the list:

Winning Chess Strategy for Kids by Jeff Coakley, Beyond Material by GM Davorin Kuljasevic

20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com.. To check out their latest offerings, please go here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

21:30- Neal ranks the 8 books he reviewed! The first 4 books are:

IM Jeremy Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook (Read Dr. Patzer’s review here)

The Positional Chess Handbook by FM Israel Gelfer

How to Reassess Your Chess 4th Edition by IM Jeremy Silman (Discussed in Book Recap #2)

Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition by IM Arthur van de Oudeweetering

37:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

38:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess

39:30- The final 4!

Techniques of Positional Play by Valeri Bronznik and IM Anatoli Terekhin . Read Sam Copeland’s Review of Techniques of Positional Play

Mastering Positional Sacrificesby IM Merijn van Delft

Check out IM Andras Toth’s review of Neal Mona List here

Practical Chess Exercises by Ray Cheng

Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten (also available on Chessable)

1:04:00- What are Neal’s OTB tournament plans? What books will he read next?

1:08:00- Thanks as always to Neal for dedicating so much time to sharing his chess knowledge!

The best way to reach and keep up with him is via Twitter.

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Book Recap #25- Review and Discussion of The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games with NM Chrisopher Chabris and FM Graham Burgess Mar 25, 2022

Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss an excellent game compilation book, The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Gamesby GM John Nunn, GM John Emms, GM Michael Adams, and GM Wesley So. Joining me to discuss the book are cognitive scientist and USCF Master, Dr. Christopher Chabris, and a co-author and editor of the book, FM Graham Burgess. We discuss questions such as “What defines a great chess game?” “How are the best games chosen in this book?” “Why aren't any wins by Nakamura or Aronian in the book?” “What other books attempt to cover the best chess games in history?” It is a fascinating project, and the book is excellent, with an amazing compilation of historic games with instructive, succinct prose and high-level analysis. You can find lots more details, timestamps, links 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

Gambit apps on which you can purchase Mammoth for Apple and Google

0:00- Why did Christopher Chabris choose this book to discuss? What is the structure of the book?

13:00- What other game compilations are comparable?

Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Logical Chess Move by Move, The Most Instructive Games of All Time, The Golden Dozen, Understanding Chess Move by Move,100 Best Games of the 20th Century

20:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

21:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess

22:00- We are joined by the co-author and overseer of The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games, FM Graham Burgess

35:00- How did GM Wesley So and GM Michael Adams get involved in the project?

43:00- Graham shares some details on the game selection process.

Mentioned: Kramnik-Kasparov 2000

48:00- Did the authors think of using engines to judge the “quality” of the games?

Mentioned: Krogius-Stein, Kasparov-Karpov Game 24, 1985

58:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their new and upcoming courses include GM Simon Williams updating The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, and GM Hans Niemann course on Jobava London.

59:00- We return to discuss some highlights of the book.

Mentioned: Gufeld’s Mona Lisa, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins,Boguljubow-Alekhine 1922

1:13:00- Which legendary player is featured the most in the book?

Mentioned: Alekhine’s Gun , Aronian Anand, Rotlewi-Rubinstein, Anand-Adams

1:23:00- Should they have more engine games?

1:26:00- Patreon mailbag question- “What are Dr. Chabris’ recommendations for aging chess players aka “senior sustainers”?

Mentioned: GM Larry Kaufman, Cognitive Chess

1:31:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Is there a Mozart effect in chess?”

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 271- GM Hans Niemann on his Rapid Climb up the Chess Rankings and What's Next for Him in 2022 Mar 22, 2022

18 year old GM Hans Niemann is a rising star in the chess world. He has rapidly risen from U.S. scholastic champion to one of the top 100 players in the world! His ascent has been particularly steep since January 2021, as he has gained over 150 rating points in 15 months! Hans joined me shortly after a tournament in St. Louis to assess his recent progress and to talk about his upcoming plans. Hans has a loyal Twitch following, and is at an age when many start university, but he has chosen to devote all of his energy to chess, and is spending 10-12 hours per day studying, with a goal of playing 150 tournament games per year. Hans has also recently completed a Chessable course on the Jobava London, and as this podcast is being released, he is competing in a Champions Chess Tour event. We covered a lot of ground in our interview, and it was fascinating to hear about the training regimen and lifestyle of one of America’s top young chess players. Please read on for more details and relevant links. .

0:00- Who has Hans run into while staying in St. Louis?

Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Leinier Dominguez, GM Levon Aronian

04:30-How on earth did Hans go from 2480 FIDE to 2640 FIDE in 14 months?

Mentioned: Cover Stories with Chess Life Episode 35

09:00- What is a typical day like for Hans?

Mentioned : 2022 Airthings Masters, 2022 Spring Chess Classic

15:30- Patreon mailbag question : “What might Hans need to do differently to get to 2700 FIDE?”

21:00- Hans set aside a successful Twitch stream and the possibility of attending a good university to pursue chess. Does he ever think about the risks involved with this choice?

24:00-What Hans learned from his coaches.

Mentioned: IM John Grefe, GM Walter Browne, GM Maxim Dlugy

29:00- Does Hans consciously work on his blitz game?

Mentioned: Episode 191 with GM Daniel Naroditsky

30:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Hans think one should hire a coach?”

32:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their new and upcoming courses include GM Simon Williams updating The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, and GM Hans Niemann course on Jobava London.

33:00- Hans discusses his busy upcoming tournament schedule

36:00- Does Hans do any traveling or socializing in between tournaments?

39:00- Hans on Bobby Fischer

45:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

46:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess

47:00- Dubai World Championship Trip Report

Mentioned: Antipov-Niemann 2022

58:00- Has Hans considered a less intense approach to chess study?

Mentioned: Jeen-yuhs on Netflix

1:02:00- Hans discusses his upcoming Chessable course on The Jobava London and how he thinks about the tradeoffs involved in devoting time to making a course.

1:04:00- What books or chess resources does Hans recommend? What are his other chess improvement recommendations?

Mentioned: Capablanca’s Hundred Best Games of Chess, Grandmaster Preparation- Positional Play

1:06:00- Hans discusses his interactions with some top players.

Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Richard Rapport, GM Anish Giri

1:10:00- Hans shares his thoughts on young phenom, GM Alireza Firouzja. Info on the Firouzja/Tata Steel Controversy Hans references is here.

1:16:00- Did being a top youth cyclist help Hans’ chess?

1:18:00- Hans shares some more details on his Chessable course on The Jobava London.

1:20:00- Thanks to Hans for joining the show! Here are the best ways to keep up with him:

Twitter- https://twitter.com/hansmokeniemann?lang=en

Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/gmhansn

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 270- Cody Smith (Adult Improver Series) Mar 15, 2022

Cody Smith is a 31 year old Alabama- Twitch streamer,and chess instructor.

Cody started serious chess at age 24 and has seen a slow and steady climb over the years to a Lichess blitz rating of about 2050 and about 2150 Rapid. Cody is self-taught, using free online resources and has barely ever cracked a chess book! He recently has tried out OTB tournaments, and offers lots of useful reflections and advice for anyone interested in making a similar transition. Cody also offers lots of tips about how to get the most out of game review, and shares his approach to studying openings, tactics, and many other phases of the game. Please read on for many more details, timestamps, and any relevant links.

Check out the rest of the Adult Improver series here

Or on this Spotify Playlist

0:00- Are you interested in appearing on Perpetual Chess as an adult Improver? Please fill out this form so that I can keep it for future reference: Potential Adult Improver Guest

02:00- Cody’s chess beginnings

Mentioned: GM Simon Williams YouTube, IM John Bartholomew’s Climbing the Rating Ladder, NM ChessNetwork’s Beginner to Chess Master, GM Ben Finegold, IM Levy Rozman, GM Daniel Naroditsky’s Speed Run

09:00- Why didn’t Cody play much speed chess in his early chess days?

12:00- Cody discusses his approach to engine game review.

21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

24:30- Has Cody hit any major rating plateaus?

26:00- How many hours a day does Cody spend on his chess?

28:00- Cody has recently begun playing an OTB live league in Alabama. What can he share about that experience? Was he nervous?

40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

41:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Cody’s approach to learning from videos?”

45:00- What is Cody’s approach to learning about openings?

Mentioned: My blog can be read on Chess.com or LiChess

50:00- Chesskid offers a safe environment for kids to learn chess, and provides opportunities to play against other kids and bots, watch instructive videos and lessons, do puzzles, and join clubs where coaches can run tournaments.

You can receive a discount when you sign up or upgrade your child or students to a gold membership by using this link: https://www.chesskid.com/membership/promo/perpetual

CHESSKID CONTEST INSTRUCTIONS-

Play the Anand bot here, he’s the avatar on the bottom right
If you win, draw, or last at least 40 moves, email the game or your Chesskid screenname to support@chesskid.com (with subject line Perpetual Chess)
The first 3 winners receive a free 1 yr gold membership both for themselves and 1 kid

54:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Cody think about the issue of Twitch streamers and their followers potentially forming ‘parasocial relationships.’ ”

Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold

1:01:00- What is Cody’s advice for getting into Twitch streaming?

1:05:00- Cody has also gotten into scrabble, shogi, and go, how does learning these games compare to chess?

Mentioned: Episode 263 with Oliver Roeder, GM Mathew Sadler, GM Peter Heine Nielsen

1:11:00- Thanks so much to Cody for sharing his tips and his story.

Follow CLSmith15 on his Twitch channel here.

Follow him on Twitter here.

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

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EP 269- Jen Shahade on her New Book and Chess in the Queen's Gambit age Mar 08, 2022

My guest today is Jen Shahade. Jen, is a champion chess and poker player, an author, an award winning podcaster and the Woman’s Program Director at US Chess. It was the perfect time to catch up with Jen, as she has just released her new book, Chess Queens. Chess Queen’s is an insightful, entertaining and introspective look at key figures in the history of Women’s Chess, and a reflection on Jen’s own chess journey to the pinnacle of American chess. It is an updated and expanded version of Jen’s first book, Chess Bitch. In our interview, we dig into the process of updating and rewriting a book, and then Jen shares a few of the amazing life stories covered in the book. Jen also discusses her own upcoming projects, chess in the Queen’s Gambit age, and dispenses some chess and life improvement advice. There is always lots to learn from Jen! Lots more details and relevant links are in the show description.

Jen’s Prior Appearances on the Pod:

Episode 50 with Jen Shahade

Book Recap #7 discussing Judit Polgar’s How I Beat Fischer’s Record with Jen Shahade

0:00- Jen discusses how her new book came into being.

Mentioned: GM David Howell match against GM Nils Grandelius, GM Simon Williams, Silman-James Publishing, GM Judit Polgar, GM Hou Yifan, Vera Menchik, Lisa Lane, Diana Lanni, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, Kieie Laymon

15:45- What was the experience like of doing an audio book?

Mentioned: Anya Taylor Joy

17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

18:30- Jen tells the crazy story of the time a coin flip decided who gets to play for the Women’s World Championship.

Mentioned: GM Susan Polgar, WGM Nona Ioseliani

26:30- Why is chess so much more popular with women in some countries than others?

Mentioned: Ladies Knight with Martha Fierro, Nadya Ortiz

30:00- Jen discusses some her favorite figures mentioned in the book including some successful chess champions who became politicians and Sonya Graf.

Mentioned: Antoaneta Stefanova, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Vera Menchik

35:00- Patreon mailbag question: Why does Jen think many girls quit chess in their teenage years?

Mentioned: Rachel Crotto

40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

41:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess

42:00- Patreon mailbag question:When will a book about women in poker similar to Chess Queens be written?

Mentioned: Poker Power, The Biggest Bluff

45:00- Patreon mailbag question: How can chess players apply poker strategies to chess? Has Jen done so herself?

Mentioned: GM Danil Dubov, GM Fabiano Caruana, EP 265 with GM Simon Williams, How to Chess Episode 10 With FM Nate Solon , Zwischenzug Substack

52:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will there be ways to get signed copies of Chess Queens?

Mentioned: Dr. Alexey Root, Facebook Chess Book Collector’s Group

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: Has Jen read Robert B. Tanner’s book about Vera Menchik ?

59:00- What is Jen’s next book, Reset, about?

1:01- What skills is Jen looking to develop right now? Any chess improvement tips?

Mentioned: Daniel Kahneman, GM Jesse Kraai, GM Noel Studer

1:07:00- What can men do to help ensure a welcoming environment for female chess players?

1:08:00- Thanks so much to Jen for coming on the pod. Here are links to keep up with her.

Twitter

Instagram

Chess Queens Website

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 268- GM Joel Benjamin and Harold Scott on How to Win the World Open Mar 01, 2022

This week on Perpetual Chess I am joined by co-authors of a great new book, Winning the World Open, by GM Joel Benjamin and Harold Scott. Joel Benjamin is a 6 time World Open Champion, 3 time US Champion, 2020 US Senior Champion, an Author, a Trainer and a Dad. He has been amongst the top 50 players in the world and battled with many chess legends over the years, as we discussed in our prior interview in 2018. His co-author is FIDE certified trainer, tournament director and USCF expert, Harold Scott. Their book is part historical retrospective, part chess instruction and has lots of fun stories and tons of instructive high stakes games. We discuss the history of the largest open tournament in America and tell some amusing stories involving cheating, alcohol, and, of course, chess. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

0:00- Ukraine related links:

Photo of GM Alexandr Sulypa here

US Chess/Kasparov Chess Support for Ukrainian Chess Players Initiative here

Here are many other ways to support Ukrainians directly, via GothamChess’ Twitter:

https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/

03:00- Brenda Goichberg who was CCA founder Bill Goichberg’s wife, and a key contributor to the World Open, among many other things, passed away recently. Harold shares a few details about her personality.

07:30- How did this book come into being?

09:30- The World Open was founded in 1973. What were the early days of the World Open like?

Mentioned: GM Bent Larsen

14:00- GM Joel Benjamin has won the World Open more times than anyone else? What are his most memorable moments? Who were the most impressive competitors?

Mentioned: GM Alex Yermolinksy, GM Alex Shabalov, GM Alex Goldin

24:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

25:30- What are the most memorable cheating scandals at the World Open?

Mentioned: GM Alexander Shabalov, GM Nukhim Rashkovsky, GM Igor Glek, “John von Neumann vs. Daniel Shapiro

39:00- Any memorable stories involving alcohol at the World Open?

Mentioned: GM David Norwood

42:00- Any tips for playing under pressure and/or in large stakes games?

Mentioned: GM Ilya Nyznhik

47:00- GM Eduard Gufeld was notoriously irascible. What memorable stories can Joel and Harold share about his behavior?

Mentioned: Gufeld’s “Mona Lisa” vs. Bagirov 1973, FM Sunil Weerumantry, Weerumantry-Gufeld 1996, Benjamin-Gufeld 1998, GM John Fedorowicz

55:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

55:30- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Will Joel sell his stockpile of Chess Chow magazine?”

58:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Does Joel have any tips for converting advantages?”

Mentioned: Better Thinking, Better Chess, GM Ilya Smirin

1:01:00- Do the authors have some general tournament advice to share?

1:06:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Any chance the authors would write a book about the famed US Amateur Team tournaments?”

Mentioned: Facebook Chess Book Collectors Group

1:11:00- SIGNED BOOK CONTEST INSTRUCTIONS-

Write a review or simply give 5 stars on Spotify to Perpetual Chess
Take a screenshot
Email the screenshot to Ben at perpetualchesspod.com with the subject line “Contest”
That’s it! Winners will be announced via email on March 15, 2022.

1:12:00 Thanks to Joel and Harold for joining the show! Here is where to get their books:

Amazon

Ebook via New in Chess App

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Book Recap #24- Discussing GM Jan Markos' Under the Surface with NM Gopal Menon and Matt Fletcher Feb 25, 2022

Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss a relatively recent book that is quickly being recognized as a modern classic, GM Jan Markos’ Under the Surface. Jan’s book is a philosophical look at the beauty of chess, as demonstrated by many original concepts and chess metaphors. The chess examples are intermediate to advanced levels, but the book contains lessons that are applicable to all players. I am joined by 2 guest co-hosts this month, both of whom are also chess bibliophiles and particular fans of this book. NM Gopal Menon is a Chicago-based chess trainer, and a blitz and opening specialist with a peak online blitz rating over 2900. Matt Fletcher is a UK based actuary, dad, and strong club player who frequently competes OTB in his local chess leagues. It was tons of fun to discuss an amazing book with two fellow hardcore chess fans! As always, more details, timestamps and relevant links can be found below.

0:00-

Why do we love this book?

Mentioned: Gopal Menon’s post of his favorite chess books, Seven Deadly Chess Sinsby GM Jonathan Rowson, Episode 239 with GM Jan Markos, Available on Forward Chess, The Secret Ingredient by GM Jan Markos and GM David Navara

12:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess

14:30- We select our favorite aspects of the book.

Mentioned: Correspondence GM Tansel Turgut, Imagination in Chess, Pump Up Your Rating by GM Axel Smith

37:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

38:00- We discuss more of our favorite segments, including the author’s unique insights about openings and another favorite metaphor from the book.

Mentioned: The London System, Stonewall Dutch, Follow Gopal’s Lichess blog here, GM Alex Shabalov. Check out the Stockfish Leela Zero game Matt mentioned here

52:00- We summarize GM Markos’ chess improvement advice and catch up a bit on Gopal’s book project and Matt’s chess.

57:00- Coming next month! Neal Bruce returns to the podcast to compare 8 different chess strategy puzzle books, and Chrisopher Chabris will join me to discuss the book The Mammoth Book of Chess.

58:00- Thanks to Gopal and Matt for joining me to discuss this great book, here are the links to keep up with them:

Matt’s Twitter

Gopal’s Twitter

Gopal’s Lichess Blog

If you are looking for chess instruction in Chicago, check out Gopal’s organization, Dynamic Chess: https://dynamicchessinc.com/

Dynamic Chess

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EP 267- NM Nelson Lopez (of the ChessVibes YouTube Channel) Feb 22, 2022

NM Nelson Lopez is a USCF Master and former scholastic champion whose “ChessVibes” YouTube channel has grown from 0 to 100,000 subscribers in less than 2 years! In our conversation we postulate reasons for the channel’s rapid growth, and Nelson shares both chess improvement and content creation advice for listeners. Nelson also tells his own “chess story.” Chess played a major part of his teenage years, as his success helped him earn a chess scholarship to University of Texas at Dallas. After college, Nelson spent some years away from the game. He is a husband and dad of 2 young kids and in the wake of his success, he recently quit his job in software development to focus on his chess content full time. Nelson is also competing OTB again, and reflects on how that world has changed while he was away. Nelson has a great story to share, and I really enjoyed speaking with him. Please read on for more details, timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- Nelson retells the modest beginnings of his YouTube channel and walks us through its rapid growth.

13:45- Patreon mailbag question- One of Nelson’s most popular videos is about what he calls “the 1% rule”- “What should one do when one is accumulating chess knowledge, but not improving their chess skills?”

Mentioned: Atomic Habits by James Clear, Skip the Line by James Altucher

21:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess

22:30- Nelson recently played his first OTB tournament in 8 years. What lessons did he learn?

Mentioned: Game Recap: They Changed the Rules, Episode 262 with IM Kostya Kavutskiy

34:00- What is Nelson’s advice for limiting OTB mistakes?

35:00- How is Nelson studying chess?

39:00- Does Nelson watch much chess YouTube? How long does it take him to create a video?

Mentioned: Nelson’s most popular video: 35 Vital Chess Principles

46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out all of their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

47:00- Nelson’s scholastic highlight was winning the prestigious Denker tournament of State High School Champions. What does he remember about that victory?

52:00- Does Nelson have any favorite chess books?

Mentioned: Winning Chess Endings, Fundamental Chess Openings

55:00- Nelson’s 3 tips for chess content creators.

57:00- Nelson’s 3 chess improvement tips

56:00- Thanks to Nelson for joining the show!

Subscribe to his YouTube channel here.

Subscribe to his Patreon here.

Check out his courses here.

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

EP 266- NM Jeremy Kane (Adult Improver Series) Feb 15, 2022

This week’s Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess features NM Jeremy Kane: Blitz specialist, USCF Master, Curriculum Director for Chess.com, and the author of the new book, The Next to Last Mistake. Jeremy gained nearly 200 points in his 20s, and has a peak USCF rating of 2389. Because he is the dad of two young kids, Jeremy has recently turned his attention to online blitz. Jeremy shares some great tips for how to adapt your game to faster online play. Jeremy’s chess.com blitz rating is usually around 2700, so clearly he has some expertise on this subject. Jeremy is also a chess bibliophile, and a former scholastic teacher, so he is full of good chess- improvement advice and recommendations for chess players of all ages and experience levels. As always, relevant links and timestamps can be found below.

0:00- To Keep up with Ben’s blog:

Follow me Chess.com

Follow me on LiChess

03:00- For those rated under 1500 online, what is the best way to spend one’s chess improvement time?

Mentioned: Adult Improver Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos, GM David Smerdon’s The Complete Chess Swindler

09:00- How did Jeremy ascend from 2200 to 2390 USCF in his 20s?

Mentioned: Silver Knights Chess Academy

14:00- A few of Jeremy’s favorite game-collection books.

Mentioned: My Great Predecessor’s, Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Chess for Zebras, Young Sam Sevian vs. Greg Shahade video, The Road to Chess Improvement

22:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess

22:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out all of their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

23:30- How has Jeremy adapted his game to online play, and blitz in particular?

Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy’s Video on the Tromp Wall

29:00- For what rating level is blitz a useful training tool? (plus more blitz tips)

Mentioned: GM Daniel Naroditsky Article The Blitz Manifesto

34:30- Aimchess has a brand new feature called Aimchess recap! It summarizes your year in chess a la Spotify wrapped. If you subscribe to Aimchess, be sure to use code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Check it out here: https://www.aimchess.com/recap

35:30- Patreon mailbag question: “As a dad, has it become difficult to stay motivated for chess?”

38:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Jeremy’s advice for a fellow dad who is working on chess while tired?”

Mentioned: Gotham Chess YouTube, Kostya Kavutskiy YouTube

43:00- The Chess dot bomb sponsored segment is brought to you by Chess.com! Jeremy and I discuss the Lessons feature which contains interactive instruction for players of all levels. Here are a few of Jeremy’s favorites:

GM Eugene Perelshteyn’s “Every Gambit Refuted” -

GM Fabiano Caruana’s “Road to the World Championship”

GM Shak Mamedyarov’s Games vs. World Champions

IM Kostya Kavutskiy’s - “How to be Materialistic in Chess”

If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual).

46:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Why are the Chess.com Puzzle ratings sometimes so high?”

48:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What are some tips for teaching chess to kids?”

Mentioned: https://www.chesskid.com/classroom-planner, Chesskid Curriculm PDF- Chess Steps books

55:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Jeremy agree with the advice that one shouldn’t resign?”

Mentioned: Episode 48 with Jonathan Corbblah

59:30- How does Jeremy recommend budgeting study time?

1:00:30- Thanks to Jeremy for joining the show. Here is how you can keep up with him:

Jeremy’s book is called The Next to Last Mistake , edited by Ali Thompson.

You can follow Jeremy on Twitter here

You can email Jeremy at Jeremy at chess dot com

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EP 265- GM Simon Williams- (aka The Ginger GM) returns Feb 08, 2022

GM SImon William, aka “The Ginger GM” is an entertaining and popular commentator, YouTube Creator, Twitch streamer, and, of course, prolific Chessable course creator (often collaborating with IM Richard Palisser). Simon also recently launched a chess platform, called GChess, which allows you to store and analyze your games and to work on openings using many popular chess resources. It had been 5 years since I had done a long-form interview with SImon, so it was great to catch up with him on the topics of his OTB plans, current opening trends, the British chess scene, his latest Chessable course, and, of course, many amusing anecdotes from Simon’s decades around top-level chess. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and links.

Prior Interviews with GM Simon Williams:

Perpetual Chess Episode 5 with GM Simon Williams

How to Chess 06- How to Know When to Attack with GM Simon Williams

0:00- Simon will be playing in the Reykjavik Open in April. Why did he choose that tournament?

How does he prepare for it?

07:00- What was Simon’s approach to earning the GM title?

Mentioned: Episode 228 with GM Ben FInegold, Episode 217- “IM to GM” Special

14:00- As an up and coming player, what was Simon’s approach to chess improvement?

17:00- Patreon mailbag question: ” How did Simon pick the Classical Dutch and the Iron English as staples of his repertoire?”

21:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Who is Simon’s favorite player ever?”

22:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Favorite tournament venue?”

Mentioned: British Chess Championships, Hastings

24:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out all of their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

25:00- How did the idea come to be for Simon and IM Richard Palliser’s course on the British Grand Prix Attack? What else is Simon working on?

32:00- What did Simon learn about openings from chatting with Super GM Daniil Dubov? What did Simon think of the opening choices in the World Championship?

36:00- What strikes Simon about the chess talent of GM Luke McShane?

Mentioned: McShane-Cheparinov 2009, GM Michael Adams

40:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Simon see the state of British chess?”

Mentioned: GM Ravi Haria, IM Marcus Harvey

45:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What was it like to visit the Mindsports center in London, and to drink a flaming sambuco with Alexandra Botez?”

47:00- Aimchess has a brand new feature called Aimchess recap! It summarizes your year in chess a la Spotify wrapped. Check it out here:

https://www.aimchess.com/recap

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: Simon has launched the website Gchess.com recently. A patreon supporter asks, “What is the vision for this chess site?”

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Any chance Gchess could link to books that mention specific positions?”

59:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘What are Simon’s thoughts on the Elephant Gambit and the Papa-Ticulat Gambit?”

Mentioned: Howell-Williams 2007, Episode 176 with GM David Howell

1:04:00- Any Magnus stories?

Mentioned: The Hillbilly Attack

1:08:00- Simon is a small investor in The Good Knight Pub in Oslo. How did that come up?

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 264- Elizabeth Shaughnessy (founder of the Berkeley Chess School) Feb 01, 2022

This week I am joined by the founder of the Berkeley Chess School (BCS), Elizabeth Shaughnessy. The Berkeley Chess School is a California based non-profit that has taught chess to approximately 250,000 kids over the decades and has taught future grandmasters like Sam Shankland, and Hans Niemann. At 84 years of age, Elizabeth is still razor sharp and competing regularly in tournament chess! We talked about how chess and life have evolved since she founded BCS in 1981, with a particular emphasis on the Queen’s Gambit and whether she thinks the show can help grow interest in chess among women. Elizabeth has so much wisdom to share from a lifetime as a chess competitor, teacher, organizer and mom, it was great to get to chat with her. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

0:00- How does chess help kids?

Mentioned: Growth from Failure Interview with Elizabeth Shaughnessy, Cyrus/Asbergers

5:30- How did the Berkeley Chess School begin back in 1981? How has it grown over the years?

12:30- BCS has taught future GMs Sam Shankland, Hans Niemann and Christopher Yoo among other future chess stars. Did they intentionally try to cultivate champion players?

19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

20:00- What is Elizabeth’s impression of The Queen’s Gambit? Has Elizabeth subsequently seen an increased interest in chess from women?

Mentioned: Queen of Katwe, The Polgar Sisters, Jen Shahade’s FAQ page

45:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com! If you subscribe, be sure to use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Check out their yearly recap here:

https://www.aimchess.com/recap

46:30- Patreon Mailbag Question: “What is Elizabeth’s favorite opening to teach to kids?

50:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “What experience has Elizabeth had with using chess as a tool to stave off dementia?”

Mentioned: Episode 145 with WIM Beatriz Marinello

52:30- Patreon Mailbag Question: “What is the state of the BCS building renovation? How does the club foster a welcoming environment?”

1:01:00- What advice would Elizabeth give to anyone thinking of starting a chess club or academy?

Mentioned: Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos

1:07:00- What role did legendary IM George Koltanowski play in founding the BCS?

1:13:00- Thanks so much to Elizabeth for joining the podcast.

You can support the Berkeley Chess School here

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Book Recap #23- Discussing Shereshevsky's Endgame Strategy with Dr. Kevin Scull Jan 28, 2022

Chess Books Recapturedis back to discuss one of my favorite chess books ever, Mikhail Shereshevsky’s Endgame Strategy. Unlike a technical manual, this book simply shows some of the greatest endgame conversions of all time, and pulls together themes from the play, such as “do not hurry,” and “the principal of two weaknesses.” It is an intermediate to advanced book, best suited to those rated over 1600 USCF/FIDE. Joining me to guest co-host is my fellow chess podcaster, Dr. Kevin Scull. Kevin is an avid chess enthusiast who returned to the game in recent years. He has been working through Endgame Strategy in recent months and believes it has “transformed his game." Please tune in to the pod to find out why, as well as to the usual historical context, favorite chapters and lessons, and more. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

0:00- We dive right into Kevin’s history with the book, and discuss what chess experience level is best suited to this book.

Mentioned: Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings, 100 Endgames You Must Know

9:00- What is the “principle of two weaknesses?”

15:00- We discuss another key precept of the book- “do not hurry.”

18:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com! If you subscribe, be sure to use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Check out their yearly recap here:

https://www.aimchess.com/recap

19:00- We share a bit about Mikhail Shereshevsky’s bio, the background of the book and its few minor flaws.

Mentioned: Lots of discussion of Endgame Strategy on The Facebook Chess Book Collectors Group

32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

34:00- What are our favorite parts of the book? Least favorites?

Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Magnus Carlsen, Episode 195 with GM Keith Arkell, Fred Wilson Books, GM Edmar Mednis Endgame Books here, Timeless Techniques by GM Sahaj Grover and FM Daniel Barrish, Small Steps to Giant Improvement, Smyslov-Aronin 1951, Episode 261, “Master to IM”

58:00- Thanks so much to Kevin for helping out this month. As an honorarium I will make a donation to the Berkeley Chess School.

Mentioned: Under the Surface, Episode 239 with GM Jan Markos

Be sure to subscribe to Chess Journeyson your favored podcast app. Chess Journeys Episode 28 with Neal Bruce. Follow Kevin on Twitch

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EP 263- Author Oliver Roeder on the Enduring Appeal of Chess and Other Games Jan 25, 2022

Oliver Roeder is an author, and a former senior writer for FiveThirtyEight.com who has often covered chess and other games. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Texas at Austin, with an emphasis on game theory, and studied Artifical Intelligence at Harvard University as a Niemann fellow. Today he appears with a new book, Seven Games, a Human History. It covers the history and current competitive contexts of the games Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Go. Poker, Scrabble, and Bridge. Oliver’s book gave us an opportunity to talk about why people love games, why people love chess, and his own relationship with the game. Given Oliver’s expertise in A.I., we also discussed how it is changing all of these games. It was lots of fun to get a “big picture” view of chess’ enduring popularity from Oliver, and I highly recommend his book. Links, more details, and timestamps below!

0:00- Why do people love games, and especially chess?

5:00- We discuss Oliver’s background with the other games in the book: Go, Bridge, Checkers, Backgammon, Scrabble, and Poker

12:00- The ease of use and availability of chess learning tools have exploded. Has this been the case for the other games Oliver wrote about as well?

18:00- Does the joy of a game diminish when you get good at it?

Mentioned: Word Freak by Steven Fatsis

21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

23:00- What are the reasons that make Oliver think chess is booming? How has it sustained itself over the centuries?

30:00- What is Oliver’s own experience with chess? What does he try to convey to a non-chess audience on FivethirtyEight.com ?

Mentioned: Modern Chess Openings

36:00- Did Oliver have a preferred broadcast for the FIDE World Championship?

41:00- Aimchess has a brand new feature called Aimchess recap! It summarizes your year in chess a la Spotify wrapped. Check it out here:

https://www.aimchess.com/recap

43:00- How is AI affecting other games, like Go?

Mentioned: Lee Sedol, Episode 196 with GM Jan Timman

51:00- Does Oliver think chess should be changed to something like Chess960 or “No Castling Chess”?

55:00- Is Oliver actively studying or working on his chess?

57:00- Will Seven Games be available on Audiobook?

Mentioned: Yes, it will, here!

59:00- Are Oliver’s FivethirtyEight.com chess columns popular? Will he cover chess there in the future?

1:02:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does the question of whether or not there is “perfect information” available in a given game affect the appeal and enjoyment of the games?

1:07:00- Thanks to Oliver for joining the show!

You can follow him on Twitter here:

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

And you can order Seven Games from Amazon or your local book seller.

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EP 262- IM Kostya Kavutskiy returns Jan 18, 2022

This week Perpetual Chess welcomes back IM Kostya Kavutskiy. Kostya is a respected trainer, a founder of the ChessDojo training platform, a YouTube creator, and a Chessable author. I caught up with Kostya shortly after he returned from the North American Open, so we got the rundown on his own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the U.S. tournament landscape. Since Kostya is a popular online presenter, he received a bunch of listener questions soliciting chess improvement tips.

Lastly we checked in on Kostya’s content- creation plans, and the “state of the Dojo,” as Kostya discussed visions for the teaching platform that he heads, along with GM Jesse Kraai and IM David Pruess. It is always insightful to talk chess with Kostya! Please read on for timestamps and show notes.

Prior Interviews:

Perpetual Chess Episode 4 with IM Kostya Kavutskiy

Perpetual Chess Episode 89 with IM Kostya Kavutskiy

How to Chess #20 with IM Kostya Kavutskiy

0:00- Kostya shares lessons learned from his recent tournament in the North American Open about improving game preparation and execution. You can watch video recaps of all of his rounds here.

Mentioned: Continental Chess, The Secret Ingredient by GM Jan Markos, GM Andrew Tang, IM Levy Rozman

19:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

21:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the chances a Class A player over the age of 50 can earn the Master title?”

Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman’s Tweet

30:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Where can older players find a coach?”

Mentioned: Lichess coaches page, Chess.com coaches page

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What might the subject of Kostya’s next Chessable course be?”

Mentioned: How to Chess #20 with IM Kostya Kavutskiy

37:00- What is discord? What is Chess Dojo? What is new with Chessdojo?

Mentioned: IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai,

41:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Aimchess analyzes your online games and provides actionable improvement insights. Check out their updated website, and if you decide to subscribe please use the code “Perpetual30” to save 30%.

42:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Kostya balance his time between ChessDojo and his own chess goals?”

46:00- Patreon mailbag question “With the growth of the Dojo, what content would you like to see it offer that is currently missing?”

Mentioned: Link for ChessDoJo Discord here

53:00- What chess advice does Kostya repeat the most often?

55:00- What chess books does Kostya recommend?

List of his recs here, Top 4 Most Overrated Chess Books Video, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, My System, How to Reassess Your Chess, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual

1:05:00- Kostya’s has other interests outside of chess. We talk about them here.

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EP 261- "Master to IM" Adult Improver Special with FM Doug Eckert, NM Evan Rosenberg and FM Dalton Perrine Jan 11, 2022

Perpetual Chess is back with another adult improver multi-guest “special edition.” This episode is called, “Master to IM” and continues the series started in Episode 217 (IM to GM). As the title suggests, we feature Master-level players who are training and competing with the hope of earning the FIDE International Master title (IM.) Our three guests are FM Doug Eckert, NM Evan Rosenberg, and FM Dalton Perrine. Each interview is entertaining and insightful in its own way. Our guests discuss questions like, “What chess skills differentiate a Master from an IM?” and “Why are our 3 guests willing to sacrifice so much time and money to play competitive chess in order to earn this title?” And, of course, they share many details about their regimens for training and competing.. Please read on for more details and timestamps!

0:00- Intro

Mentioned: Check out the new dedicated Perpetual Chess Adult Improver page here, and the Spotify Adult Improver Playlist here

4:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Aimchess analyzes your online games and provides actionable improvement insights. Check out their updated website, and if you decide to subscribe please use the code “Perpetual30” to save 30%.

5:00- FM Doug Eckert joins the show! Doug is a 57 year-old retired CPA, dad, and board member of the St. Louis Chess Club.

Mentioned: GM Patrick Wolff, GM Maxim Dlugy, GM Jacob Aagaard’s Killer Chess Training, Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos, Charlotte Winter Invitational Results here, Reykjavik Open 2022

35:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here.

36:30- NM Evan Rosenberg joins the show! Evan is a 38 year-old lawyer, dad, and chess trainer, with a Masters in Education.

Mentioned: Dojo All Stars: Evan Rosenberg, FM Sunil Weerumantry, Info for the Norm tournament that Evan and Levy Rozman will be playing in is here: http://nycchessnorms.com/players/, Evan Rosenberg-Dominique Myers 2021, How to Chess with GM Eugene Perelshteyn, Abdusattorov-Carlsen 2021

52:00- New sponsored segment! Evan and I discuss Chess.com insights, which is one of many features available with a diamond level Chess.com membership that highlights your strengths and weaknesses based on your games. It also tests you on any missed tactics. Diamond level membership also gets you full access to Chess.com’s huge video library. Whatever membership level of Chess.com you choose, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link.

1:21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessvis.com. Chessvis is an educational chess app which helps you train your visualization skills. You can check out their website, or search for the app on Android or Iphone.

1:23:00- FM Dalton Perrine joins the show! Dalton is a 28 year- old chess trainer and the author of the Chessable course, Survive and Thrive: How to Blunder Less and Defend Better.

Mentioned: Episode 8 with GM Sam Shankland, Episode 217 IM to GM Episode , How to Chess with FM Dalton Perrine, Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources by IM Mark Dvoretsky , GM Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation Series and Excelling at Chess Series, Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors Series, GM Johan Hellsten’s books, Strategic Chess Exercises, Critical Moments

1:55:00-

Thanks so much to our guests for joining the pod! Here are the chess.com accounts at which you can reach them:

Chess.com accounts:

Twitter:

Dalton’s Website:

https://nextlevelchesscoaching.com/

Email Dalton at NextLevelChessCoaching at gmail.com

Dalton's Course:

Survive and Thrive: How to Blunder Less and Defend Better.

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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Book Recap #22- Discussing Isaac Lipnitsky's Questions of Modern Chess Theory, with Martin Justesen Jan 07, 2022

Perpetual Chess is back with an edition of Chess Books Recaptured, a recurring book review podcast. Today I am joined by Martin Justesen to discuss the underrated Soviet-era classic Questions of Modern Chess Theory, by Isaac Lipnitsky. Originally published in 1956 in the Soviet Union, it was not translated and published in English until Quality Chess did it in 2006. And the chess world is quite lucky that it was translated! As usual we share historical details, lessons learned from the book and a few favorite segments in our discussion. Of course we also get into some of the details of Isaac Lipnitsky’s life, as well as discussing what is new with our returning guest-co-host, Martin. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

Martin's prior Adult Improver Interview: Episode 209

0:00- Why did Martin choose this book? What makes it noteworthy?

Mentioned: Book Recap #18- Nimzowitsch’s My System, Endgame by Frank Brady

8:30- For what level chess player is this book most helpful?

Mentioned: Logical Chess Move by Move, Winning Chess Strategies, Simple Chess

12:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Aimchess analyzes your online games and provides actionable improvement insights. Check out their updated website, and if you decide to subscribe please use the code “Perpetual30” to save 30%.

13:30- We discuss the formats in which the book is available. We couldn’t find much beyond the paper book format.

17:00- Who was Isaac Lipnitsky?

19:00- Why is this book sometimes compared to IM John Watson’s Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy?

Mentioned: Lipnitsky-Petrosian 1950, Episode 258 With GM Matthew Sadler, Translator John Sugden

28:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

29:30- What were the most noteworthy segments of the book?

Mentioned: Anderson-Kieseritzky, Botvinnik-Capablanca 1938, Steinitz-Von Bardeleben 1895

46:00- Thanks so much to Martin for joining the show

Check out all of Martin’s Books Here:

Amazon.com: Martin B. Justesen: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Also Mentioned: Street Smart Chess, Improve Your Chess Now

This month we will make another donation to Chess in Slums.

Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/chess-education-in-africa?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet

Listen to my Interview with Tunde Onakoye on Episode 219

54:00- This month's blindfold puzzles are straight from Martin's new book, Blindfold Opening Visualization

Puzzle #1, White to move - 1. E4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. Nc3 Ne7 5. Nd5 g6??

Puzzle #2, White to move- 1. Nf3 d5 2. G3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. D4 e6 5. 00 Nf6 6. C4 dxc4 7. Ne5 Nxd4?

You can find a Lichess study with the answers to both puzzles here:

https://lichess.org/study/ZYkBctm8/gXF6JORT

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

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EP 260 - IM Christof Sielecki is back! Jan 04, 2022

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess marks the return of award-winning author, Chessable writer, and noted opening theoretician, IM Christof Sielecki. Christof has recently released, Keep it Simple: Black, an ambitious course which provides solid opening lines against every possible White first move. We discuss how Christof’s process for creating Chessable courses, using engines and choosing opening lines, has evolved over the years. Of course, there was quite a bit of chess news in the form of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz, so we also spent some time discussing this tournament, its standout performances, and its many attendant controversies. Lastly, Christof always has a few fun stories to share, and this interview was no exception. He shared some details about the process behind helping to create The Magnus Touch with Magnus and his team. As always, you can read on for more details and show notes below.

Prior interviews with IM Christof Sielecki:

Episode 6

Episode 153

Book Recap 18- My System

0:00- FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Recap and discussion

Mentioned: Dude fell from his chair!, GM Magnus Carlsen-GM Nodiberk Abdusattorov Blitz game

26:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out IM Christof Sielecki’s courses, including free “Short and Sweet” previews of his new course here.

27:30- How did Christof decide which openings to include in “Keep it Simple Black?”

Mentioned: Lifetime Repertoires: Pirc Defense, Lifetime Repertoires: Caro-Kann, Lifetime Repertoires: Nimzo-Ragozin

44:00- How has Christof’s use of engines evolved during the process of designing courses?

Mentioned: Chessify Cloud Engine Rental

49:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Aimchess analyzes your online games and provides actionable improvement insights. Check out their updated website, and if you decide to subscribe please use the code “Perpetual30” to save 30%.

51:00- Christof tells the story of meeting and working with GM Magnus Carlsen and family in conjunction with Magnus’ course The Magnus Touch.

1:02:00- What will Christof be working on next?

Mentioned: Episode 257 with GM Erwin L’Ami

1:05:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What role should openings and Chessable opening courses play for amateur club-level players?’

1:17:00- Thanks so much to Christof for rejoining us! Here are links to keep up with him:

Keep it Simple Black is ON SALE now. Get it here:

Keep It Simple For Black - MoveTrainer™ Course - Chessable.com

Short and sweet free previews here and here

Follow Christof on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/ChessExplained

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EP 259- Ben Johnson Dec 28, 2021

On this holiday week, with The Perpetual Chess Podcast having recently turned 5 years old, it seemed like an appropriate time to feature myself as “the guest” on Perpetual Chess. In order to help out, I brought in longtime listener of the pod, chess journalist and improver, Chris Wainscott, to perform hosting duties. Chris and I covered lots of ground, as he asked me about the origins of Perpetual Chess, its growth over the years, my approach to interviewing people, favorite interview types and “dream guests.” He asked probing questions about my own chess origins and improvement efforts. Although I do prefer being the interviewer rather than the interviewed, it was fun to play the other role and to answer so many good listener questions. Details and show notes are below.

0:00- My chess background, and when did chess initially captivate me?

15:00- There are always great new courses from Chessable including FM Kamil Plichta’s Lifetime Repertoires: Accelerated Dragon. Check out what else is new here:

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

16:00- Patreon mailbag question:’When will GM Yasser Seirawan be on the show?”

Mentioned: EP 134 with Megan Chen

19:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How did Perpetual Chess come to be?”

23:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘To what do you attribute the podcast’s success?”

25:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What do you wish you had known at the beginning? Any regrets?”

26:00- Patreon mailbag question: “ How has your interviewing style/approach evolved?”

31:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What do you consider to be the highlights of the show?”

35:00- Twitter question: “Which handful of episodes are most representative of Perpetual Chess?”

Mentioned: Ep. 193 Tom Murphy, EP 250- FM Asa Hoffmann, EP. 76 Andrez Kryzdwa, GM Jan Timman, EP 15 GM Alex Yermolinksky. plus I forgot to mention my favorite episode, a World Championship prep oral history with GM Peter Heine Nielsen

40:00- Twitter question: “When will you do a Chessable course?’

42:00- Twitter question: “What are the most challenging types of interviews? What are your favorite non-chess podcasts?”

Rights to Ricky Sanchez, Animal Spirits Podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, Fresh Air, The Ezra Klein show, Death, Sex and Money

46:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is your work flow/chess study regimen like in a given week?”

50:00- What value does my producer, Mathew Passy bring to the podcast?

52:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part byAImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

53:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How has your approach to chess studying changed over the years?”

Mentioned: Greg and Jen Shahade, GM Maurice Ashley

58:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are your own favorite training tools? What guests’ advice resonated with you?”

Mentioned: Neal Bruce, GM Jacob Aagaard, Thinking Inside the Box, GM Jan Gustafsson

1:03:00- When it comes to competitive chess? What is my “why?

Mentioned: GM Jonathan Rowson’s The Moves that Matter

1:07:00- What are my goals in OTB chess?

Mentioned: Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos, Episode 232 with James Altucher

1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: What are my favorite learning tools?

Mentioned: Episode 257 with GM Erwin L’Ami

1:13:00- How has life changed since Queen’s Gambit?

1:16:00- My evolving philosophy for choosing Adult Improver guests

Mentioned: Episode 256 with Alex Crompton

1:19:00- Who are my “dream guests?”

Mentioned: Lazslo Polgar, Magnus’ Bullet Twitch Stream, GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic, GM Ulf Andersson

1:25:00- Thanks so much to Chris for guest co-hosting!

You can read his blog and book reviews here:

http://ontheroadtochessmaster.com/

And follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/cwainscottmke

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EP 258- GM Matthew Sadler Dec 21, 2021

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is 2 time British champion, and award winning author, GM Matthew Sadler. Matthew has been one of Great Britain’s top players for decades and is currently ranked #41 in the world. He has impressively managed to maintain his form well into his 40s while working outside of chess. Matthew has also made quite a mark as an author. His books,Gamechanger and the adult improver focused, Chess for Life, both co-authored with WIM Natasha Regan, are both favorites of this podcast. You can hear us discuss these books in Episode 112. In Matthew’s new book, The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement, Matthew goes beyond just Alphazero and extracts lessons for humans from many of the other modern chess super engines. He is also the regular book reviewer for NIC magazine, and did game recaps of the 2021 FIDE World Championship with none other than GM Garry Kasparov! I am happy to report that Matthew was very generous with his time, so we managed to cover all of these areas of chess interest in our conversation. Timestamps and relevant links are below.

0:00- As a full time IT professional, author, New in Chess book reviewer, content creator and top player, how on earth does Matthew get so many things done?

04:45- What are some of Matthew’s favorite recent chess books?

Mentioned: Winning by GM Nigel Short , The Creative Power of Boguljubov, The Unstoppable American

10:00- What did Matthew observe from Magnus’ play in the World Championship.

Mentioned: Silicon Road to Chess Improvement YouTube Channel, Chessbase India video with GM Peter Heine Nielsen, More Info on the TCEC- Top Engine Chess Championship, Games from the match here

24:00- What can club players learn from super engines?

Mentioned: Small Steps to Giant Improvement

31:00- Does Matthew see an engine footprint in GM Alireza Firouzja’s play?

Mentioned: Erdos-Firouzja 2021, Acquisition of Chess Knowledge in Alpha Zero

36:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Did Alphazero’s opening acquisition trace the path of the evolution of chess?”

38:00- There are always great new courses from Chessable including FM Kamil Plichta’s Lifetime Repertoires: Accelerated Dragon. Check out what else is new here:

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

40:00- Why does it seem like the numerical evaluations of engines are getting more extreme, i.e. “+5 in an even position?”

45:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Do engines still threaten to end competitive chess"?”

Mentioned: GM Pia Cramling, GM Juan Bellon, GM Robin van Kampen

50:00- What are Matthew’s thoughts on Magnus’ recent mention of potentially dropping out of the World Championship cycle?

55:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

57:00- Patreon mailbag question “If chess is fundamentally a draw, why do top engines still sometimes beat each other?

1:00:00- Patreon mailbag question; “Will engine play become more “human” in the future?’ Plus, Matthew on Magnus’ uncanny ability to play mistake-free chess.

Mentioned: Maia bots on Lichess, Topalov interview with Chess24

1:09:00- Matthew describes the experience of working with Kasparov on World Championship recap videos

1:15:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does correspondence chess have a future given the preponderance of draws?’

1:22:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Are there engines that are more instructive about how to convert advantages in a “human” way that avoids complications?”

1:28:00- Patreon mailbag question: What chess improvement and maintenance tips can Matthew share for other adults?

1:38:00- Patreon mailbag question: Why does The Carlsbad structure fascinate Matthew so much?”

1:41:00- Thanks so much to Matthew for being so generous with his time. Here are the links to keep up with his content.

Twitter

Silicon Road to Chess Improvement YouTube Channel

Buy the Book here

Or The E Book from New in Chess here

Chess for Life

Gamechanger

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EP 257- GM Erwin L'Ami with a World Championship Wrap Up (and more!) Dec 14, 2021

Perpetual Chess is back for one more World Championship wrap-up (among other topics) with top Dutch player, trainer, and popular Chessable author, GM Erwin L’Ami. As the second to GM Anish Giri, and a former member of GM Veselin Topalov’s World Championship team, Erwin shares his general reflections on the Carlsen-Nepomniatchtchi match, as well as lots of insights about the opening choices of each player. We also talk about chess improvement. Erwin himself is gearing up to compete in the prestigious Tata Steel tournament in Wijk an Zee after a long layoff from OTB chess. He also answers some listener questions relating to how amateurs should approach openings. Lastly, I was quite interested to hear how chess engines and opening theory have changed, even in the time since Erwin last was a guest on Perpetual Chess, in 2020. There is always lots to learn from GM L’Ami, so please enjoy the conversation, and check out the relevant links and timestamps below if needed.

Prior interview: Episode 186 with GM Erwin L’Ami

0:00- Erwin shares his thoughts about the World Championship, especially the openings chosen.

Mentioned: The games we discuss can be viewed here, Chessbase India interview with GM Peter Heine Nielsen and GM Vladimir Potkin, Sesse Engine

30:00- There are always great new courses from Chessable including FM Kamil Plichta’s Lifetime Repertoires: Accelerated Dragon. Check out what else is new here:

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

30:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

31:30- How is Erwin preparing for the Challenger’s group of the upcoming Tata Steel Chess Tournament?

Mentioned: More on the Dubov-Karjakin issue here. Perpetual Chess W.C. Pod with GM Jan Timman,

44:00- How does Erwin work on his tactics?

Mentioned: The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement, FM Frank Erwich’s 1001 Chess Exercises for Advanced Club Players

Silicon Road YouTube Channel, Kasparovchess World Championship Game Recaps

49:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.

50:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is 1. e4 still ‘best by test’?”

Mentioned: Carlsen-Tari 2021

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: Have super-engines recently refuted any openings?

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Would having a second for a round robin event be of any use for a 2200 level player?”

1:02:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘What approach and opening resources does Erwin recommend for club level players?”

1:05:30- How did IM Cor van Wijgerdan, co-creator of the Chess Steps Series come up with so many cool puzzles?

Mentioned: Episode 142 with Han Schut, Episode 167 with IM Jop Delemarre

1:08:00- Are cloud-based engines taking over from heavy duty private machines?

Mentioned: Chessify

1:12:00- We wrap up with a bit more World Championship and Candidates Cycle talk

Mentioned: FIDE Grand Prix 2022

1:18:00- Thanks so much to Erwin for sharing his insights.

You can follow him on Twitter here.

Keep up with his Chessable courses here.

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World Championship Bonus Pod #5- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk on His Career, Twitch Streaming and his Thoughts on the Match Dec 11, 2021

GM Vasyl Ivanchuk is a modern chess legend who has won countless tournaments including the 2016 World Rapid Championship and the 2007 FIDE World Blitz Championship. He has been ranked #2 in the World on 3 separate occasions. Vasyl is known for his creative play and his wide opening repertoire. Vasyl joined me just after the World Championship concluded to share his thoughts on the match, and to discuss his recent foray into Twitch streaming, his passion for checkers, and to answer my many questions about his illustrious career. So much fun to talk chess with "Chucky!"

You can follow/subscribe to Vasyl's Twitch channel here:

https://www.twitch.tv/ivanchukchess

0:00- Intro, Match Wrapup

6:00- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk joins the podcast!

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

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Book Recap #21- Discussing A First Book of Morphy with Mads Jønsson Dec 10, 2021

We are back for another Book Review podcast, a series called Chess Books Recaptured. This month we tackle Frisco Del Rosario’s First Book of Morphy, which is a Paul Morphy game collection book geared towards novice to intermediate players. My guest co-host this episode is Danish chess enthusiast, dad and linguist Mads Jønsson. As we note, First Book of Morphy does have some flaws, but Morphy’s games are amazing, and the annotations are helpful enough to make this book well-suited to its target audience. Please read on for lots more details, show notes, and relevant links.

0:00- We introduce our guest go-host, Mads Jonson, and he shares for his suggestion that we recap the First Book of Morphy.

6:30- We talk a bit about the book's background.

Mentioned: Lichess Study games 1-60, and 61-69

11:30- There are always great new courses from Chessable including FM Kamil Plichta’s Lifetime Repertoires: Accelerated Dragon. Check out what else is new here:

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

12:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe, use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

13:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Did Morphy play at the level of a modern IM?”

Mentioned: IM Ken Regan’s Intrinsic Rating Compendium, Chess Metrics Morphy

17:00- What chapters did Mads find most helpful?

Mentioned: Book Recap #16 Logical Chess Move by Move

25:00- What other changes could have been made stylistically?

28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.

29:00- We share a few of our favorite games and quotes.

Mentioned: Morphy-Guibert 1958, Ben Finegold’s Paul Morphy videos,

36:00- We give a list of pros and cons related to the books.

39:00- What other “move by move” style books might one consider reading? (They are listed below in order of difficulty)

Logical Chess Move by Move (Podcast about it in Book Recap 16)

The Most Instructive Chess Games of All Time

Instructive Chess Miniatures

World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book

Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking: From the First Move to the Last

Nunn- Understanding Chess Move by Move

Morphy Move by Move

Chess Master vs. Amateur

46:00- Tune in next month for a recap of Lipnitsky’s Questions of Modern Chess Theory with Martin Justesen a/k/a Say Chess!

Be sure to follow Mads on Twitter here.

And we are always happy to support Chess in Slums.

50:00- Blindfold puzzles are back!

Puzzle #1- Meek-Morphy 1855

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Nxf7 Nxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7

WHITE TO MOVE AND REGAIN MATERIAL

Solution here:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1335871

Puzzle #2- Morphy-Conway 1959

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. d4 gxf3 6. Qxf3 Bh6 7. O-O Ne7 8.

Bxf4 Bxf4 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qxf4+ Kg7

FIND MATE in TWO FROM THIS POSITION

Solution here:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2036628

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

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World Championship Bonus Pod #4- GM Jacob Aagaard on the match, plus Shaun McCoy with a report from Dubai Dec 09, 2021

GM Jacob Aagaard is an award winning author, and a founder of Quality Chess and of Killer Chess Training.com. With Magnus Carlsen firmly ahead in the match (by a score of 6.5 to 3.5), I thought it would be fun to check back in with GM Jacob Aagaard, who had written a prescient prediction for the match which was shared with our listeners in Episode 254. In our conversation, Aagaard expounds a bit on his thoughts on the match, and also shares his concerns about future World Championships when it comes to potential match formats and venues. It is always illuminating to hear GM Aagaard's thoughts!

Following the Aagaard interview Shaun McCoy of Chess.com joins the show to give an update from Dubai. Shaun shares his highlights so far and discusses what it was like to be on the premises for Magnus' historical win in Game 6. As always, you can find the timestamps for the interviews below.

0:00- Intro

10:00- GM Jacob Aagaard interview

43:45- Shaun McCoy joins the show

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EP 256- Alex Crompton (Adult Improver Series) Dec 07, 2021

Welcome back to another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. In this episode, we feature another Queen’s Gambit convert to Perpetual Chess. 30-year-old tech executive and musician Alex Crompton recently became obsessed with the game and dove headlong into the best ways to improve at it. Alex is quick to note that his accomplishments are modest, but as he detailed on his blog, he has gone from total beginner to a respectable 1500 FIDE rating in less than a year. As our conversation reveals, lots of research and work went into this improvement. In our conversation, Alex shares tons of good study tips and reflections about the science of learning, including the ways that the study of languages has helped him improve his chess. It was a lot of fun hearing about Alex’s chess progress, and any listener of any rating can learn from this conversation. Please read on for lots of details, timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- For more information about the Harvard Chess Cognition Study go here.

3:00- Alex joins the show, and we begin by discussing why Alex finds it challenging to follow the World Championship despite his enthusiasm for chess.

Mentioned: The Art of Learning by IM Josh Waitzkin

12:00- We discuss Alex’s adult improvement journey, which you can read about in his blog post here.

18:30- NEW SPONSOR! Chessvis is an app designed designed to help you train your visualization skills. Search for it at an app store or get the links here.

https://www.chessvis.com/

19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.

20:00- What were Alex’s first steps to develop a system to study chess?

Mentioned: Squareoff Chess, Bryght Labs’ ChessUp, Woodpecker Method on Chessable, Woodpecker Method Podcast with Neal Bruce, Michael De La Maza article- 400 Points in 400 Days, Tim Brennan’s Tactics Time on Chessable

39:00- How did Alex approach the study of openings?

Mentioned: Make it Stick by Peter C. Brown

41:00- Alex shares some interesting research about why adults may improve at chess more slowly than kids.

Mentioned: Some of the research Alex referenced is here.

Lichess study, Episode 231 with Braden Laughlin, James Heisig: Remembering the Kanji, Episode 215 with Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar

54:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

54:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

55:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Alex’s approach to learning openings?”

Mentioned: My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White, Lifetime Repertoires: Chessable 1. b3, Logical Chess Move by Move

1:11:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Any theories on why ratings tend to repeatedly plateau and then jump?”

Mentioned: Episode 181 with Elijah Logozar

1:15:00-What resources have helped Alex blunder less, rather than just solve tactics?

Susan Polgar’s How to Learn Chess the Right Way Volume 3, FM Peter Giannatos’ Everyone’s First Chess Workbook

1:19:00- What are Alex’s next chess goals, if any?

Mentioned: Sean Carroll’s Mindscapes: Episode 169 Games

1:28:00- Thanks so much to Alex for sharing his insights.

You can keep up with him via his blog here:

https://www.alexcrompton.com/

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World Championship Bonus Pod #3- GM Jan Timman on the match so far, NM John MacArthur with a Dubai trip report. Dec 05, 2021

After 8 rounds, things have changed! As you may have heard, Magnus Carlsen has taken a 5-3 lead in the 2021 World Championship, highlighted by a record breaking, unforgettable win in Game 6. Please listen in as a do a quick rundown of the highlights of the match, then bring in two great guests: Grandmaster Jan Timman is the 9 time champion of the Netherlands, an award winning author, and was one of the highest rated players in the world for decades. Among other topics, Jan shares his thoughts on the match so far and discusses the ascendance of young Super GM Alireza Firouzja, who we could potentially see in the next World Championship.

My second guest, John MacArthur is an accomplished scholastic coach and Twitch streamer who joined me just after returning from Dubai on Monday. Dubai was the 6th World Championship match he has attended. John shares some great stories and contrasts this event with the many other memorable matches he has attended.

Timestamps and the links you need are below.

10:00- GM Jan Timman joins me!

Jan is a founding editor and columnist for New in Chess Magazine

His latest book is, The Unstoppable American: Bobby Fischer's Road to Reykjavik

33:30- NM John MacArthur joins

Check out his photos from Dubai on his Instagram here.

Follow him on Twitch here.

On Twitter here

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

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

World Championship Bonus Pod #2- FM Mike Klein joins from Dubai to recap 5 tense, deadlocked rounds. Dec 01, 2021

After 8 rounds, things have changed! As you may have heard, Magnus Carlsen has taken a 5-3 lead in the 2021 World Championship, highlighted by a record breaking, unforgettable win in Game 6. Please listen in as a do a quick rundown of the highlights of the match, then bring in two great guests: Grandmaster Jan Timman is the 9 time champion of the Netherlands, an award winning author, and was one of the highest rated players in the world for over a decade. Jan shares his thoughts on the match so far and discusses the ascendance of young Super GM Alireza Firouzja.

John MacArthur is an accomplished scholastic coach and Twitch streamer who joined me just after returning from Dubai on Monday. Dubai was the 6th World Championship match he has attended. John shares some great stories and contrasts this event with the many other memorable matches he has attended.

Timestamps and the links you need are below.

9:00- GM Jan Timman joins

New in Chess Magazine

His latest book, The Unstoppable American: Bobby Fischer's Road to Reykjavik

33:00- NM John MacArthur joins

Check out his photos from Dubai on his Instagram here.

Follow him on Twitch here.

On Twitter here

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EP 255- WGM Tatev Abrahamyan returns Nov 30, 2021

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess marks the return visit of one of the top female players in the US, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan. I caught up with Tatev after a hectic few months in which she competed in the FIDE Women’s World Cup and also competed in and placed 4th in the US Women’s Championship. For good measure, she moved from Southern California to Kansas City to begin her work as the Director of Chess Content at chess startup Bryght Labs. Tatev’s busy schedule gave us plenty to talk about, as Tatev gave some insightful tournament reports, discussed her new job, and, of course, dispensed some chess improvement advice and some reflections on dealing with setbacks in chess. It is always fun to talk chess with Tatev, so we hope you make time for this interview in between World Championship rounds. Please read on for more details and show notes.

0:00- GM Johan Sebastian Christiansen recently expressed his extreme frustration with a slump in his competitive chess. Tatev talks about how common such feelings of frustration can be for be top players, and ways to work through it.

Mentioned: Episode 49 with WGM Tatev Abrahamyan , Chess.com Article with GM Alireza Firouzja’s quote regarding chess and mental health

11:00- How does Tatev reflect on her 4th place finish in the 2021 US Women’s Chess Championship?

Mentioned: GM Alejandro Ramirez, You can review Tatev’s games here, How to Chess Episode 17 with IM Lawrence Trent,

26:00- Now that she has a 9-5 job, Tatev reflects on how she will manage her chess career as well as a new job in a new town (Kansas City, MO).

29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.

31:00- Tatev gives the trip report from the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup in Sochi, Russia, and we discuss the Women’s World Championship Cycle.

Mentioned: Episode 243 with GM Anna Muzychuk, Information on the 2022 FIDE Woman’s Candidate Tournament is here, Goryachkina-Motylev 2021

39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

39:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

40:00- Does Tatev think that US Women's Champion IM Carissa Yip will be competing for a World Championship someday?

Mentioned: FM Jennifer Yu, IM Annie Wang

43:00- What sort of products is Tatev working on at her chess startup, Bryght Labs?

Mentioned: ChessUp, GM Levon Aronian

1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What tips can we share for how to evaluate a position?”

1:05:00- We discuss GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s recent interview about chess engines and his work with GM Fabiano Caruana.

Mentioned: More information about Kasimdzhanov’s interview with Ilya Levitov here

1:14:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the secret to Tatev’s success in her OTB games against Latvian/American legend GM Alex Shabalov?

Mentioned: Krush-Abrahamyan 2021,

1:17:00-

Thanks so much to Tatev for joining us!

If you decide to order ChessUp from BryghtLabs.com, use the promo code “Perpetual” or the promo code should be inputted directly with this link.

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World Championship Bonus Pod #1- The match so far + interviews from Dubai with Geert van der Velde and Jonathan Corbblah Nov 29, 2021

With the Carlsen-Nepomniatchtchi World Championship match tied after 3 hard-fought draws, I do a quick rundown of the main story lines emerging from what has been a tense and entertaining battle so far. Then, we get reports from Dubai from Chessable C.E.O. Geert van der Velde, followed by Chess.com reporter/Trivia Whiz Jonathan Corbblah.

Timestamps and the links you need are below.

0:00- Ben on the 3 key story lines from the match so far.

14:00- Chessable C.E.O. Geert van der Velde on what its like to watch the match from the Play Magnus lounge in Dubai.

30:30- Trivia Whiz turned Chess.com reporter Jonathan Corbblah on how he wound up in Dubai, and his favorite foods and memories from his trip so far.

Links:

Geert’s Twitter

Jonathan’s Twitter

Chessable Classroom (as Geert mentioned)

Jonathan's Chess: A Reflection of Us is being premiered each day on Chess.com’s World Championship Broadcasts.

Perpetual Chess Episode 161 with Geert van der Velde

Perpetual Chess Episode 48 with Jonathan Corbblah

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EP 254- World Chess Championship Preview Part 2 with Tai Pruce Zimmerman Nov 23, 2021

My guest for Part 2 of the World Chess Championship preview is chess blogger Tai Pruce Zimmerman. Tai is an accountant by training, who created the excellent Chess by the Numbers blog to write about elite chess from a statistical perspective. With the World Championship just days away, I was excited to have the opportunity to ask Tai to walk us through various scenarios in the upcoming showdown between GMs Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniatchtchi. We tackled questions such as the following: Based on rating, how likely is Magnus to win? How likely are we to see tiebreaks? Would Magnus be as big a favorite if the match were to go to rapid tiebreaks? How likely would it be that one player “adopt” another? We take on all of these questions and more, as Tai describes how his model is made and tells all of the numbers we need to know for the match. As always, please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links!

0:00- Info from the Intro:

Be sure to go to MagnusNepo.com to join Aimchess’ Prediction Challenge!

Check out Chess.com’s easy-to-read World Championship schedule breakdown here.

Perpetual Chess Bonus World Championship Pods are planned for: November 29, December 2, December 6, December 9 and December 13

3:00- We briefly review the format of the World Championship Match, and then Tai dives into what goes into his statistical model, and what it says about the upcoming match.

Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman, Nate Solon’s article about the World Championship

11:00- How would Tai’s model assess a potential rapid playoff?

16:00- What did Tai do to guess the competitors rating strengths other than just use their current FIDE ratings?

Mentioned: Pinnacle Sports World Chess Championships Odds

20:30- If the match goes to blitz tiebreaks, who would be the favorite to win the match?

Mentioned: Matt Jensen’s World Championship Preview of Chess.com

27:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here:New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

27:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. ACT NOW to enter their free Magnus-Nepo challenge on this site:https://magnusnepo.com/

29:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does acclaimed trainer and author, GM Jacob Aagaard of KillerChessTraining.com assess the World Championship?”

Mentioned: Tarjei Svenson’s summary of a recent Magnus Carlsen interview

31:00- Patreon mailbag question “What are the odds of Magnus adopting Nepo?”

33:30- How does the Aimchess.com algorithm assess the players strengths and weaknesses?

Mentioned: Aimchess analysis here

35:00- We briefly discuss GM Alireza Firouzja’s recent dominance.

42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part byChessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.

43:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Any chance of Tai’s blog being sponsored by a major chess site?”

Mentioned: TwoPlusTwo chess forum, New in Chess Free World Championship Digital Magazine, Dennis Monokroussos’ The Chess Mind Blog

50:00- Tai shares a few more details about the methodology of his model.

54:00- Tai shares a bit more about his background and his other interests outside of chess.

56:00- In terms of rating differential, what prior World Championship provides the best historical analogue?

57:00- Thanks so much to Tai for sharing his data with us.

Check out and subscribe to his blog here:

https://chessnumbers.wordpress.com/

You can follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/ChessNumbers

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EP 253- GM Daniel King Previews the World Championship, plus more! Nov 19, 2021

Grandmaster Daniel King is a popular Commentator, Author, YouTube Creator and Chessable Author. As a player, he has represented England internationally, won many tournaments, and has beaten the likes of Anand and Korchnoi! On his excellent YouTube channel, Powerplay Chess, Daniel has recently been sharing his analysis of key games between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniatchtchi. With such a resume, he is the perfect person to join me for a preview of the World Championship match, which is less than a week away. Of course, when Daniel visits the podcast there is always more to be discussed. Other highlights include his unforgettable interactions with GM Viktor Korchnoi, and his long relationship with the Kalashnikov Sicilian, which is the subject of his excellent new Chessable course. Please read on for all of the details and relevant links.

0:00-

Info from the Intro:

Be sure go to MagnusNepo.com to join Aimchess’ Prediction Challenge!

Check out Chess.com’s easy-to-read World Championship schedule breakdown here.

Perpetual Chess Bonus World Championship Pods are planned for: November 29, December 2, December 6, December 9 and December 13

6:00- Daniel King joins me to share his thoughts on the World Championship match.

Mentioned: Wang Hao 2021-Nepomniatchtchi Candidates 2021, Vachier-Lagrave-Nepomniatchtchi Candidates 2021, GM Nigel Short, GM Michael Adams, GM John Nunn, Peter Doggers interview with GM Fabiano Caruana, Caruana-Carlsen Game 1, 2018, World Championship Odds on Pinnacle.com

32:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is the etiquette for former seconds discussing their work with a World Championship contender, a la Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s recent comments about GM Fabiano Caruana. ?”

35:00-Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chess.com- be sure to check out their new Game Review feature after every game

35:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.

37:00- What is Daniel’s history with the Kalashnikov opening, the opening that is the subject of his new Chessable course?

45:30- Does Daniel have a favorite opening?

47:00- Patreon mailbag question:” Does Daniel have any plans to update his classic book Mastering the Spanish?”

Mentioned: Chess Magazine

52:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

52:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. ACT NOW to enter their free Magnus-Nepo challenge on this site: https://magnusnepo.com/

53:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Will Daniel ever flip the board so Black is on the bottom when showing the Black POV on Powerplay Chess?”

56:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Is there any video of Daniel playing the bass?”

Mentioned: Nette Robinson art

58:00- What were Daniel’s interactions with Korchnoi like?

Mentioned: Book Recap #20- Talking Korchnoi with John Fernandez, Korchnoi-Karpov Game 31, 1978

Thanks as always to Daniel for joining the show!

If you enjoy his content, feel free to support his Patreon page, as I do.

Youtube- Powerplay Chess

Free short and sweet version of Daniel’s Kalashnikov course:

https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-kings-kalashnikov-sicilian/course/83454/

Purchase the full course here: King’s Kalashnikov Sicilian

Follow Daniel on Twitter here

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EP 252- GM Andy Soltis returns! Nov 16, 2021

GM Andy Soltis is an award winning journalist,World Chess Hall of Fame member, a Chess Life Magazine columnist , and a prolific author who has written over 50 books. In this interview, we discuss Andy’s most recents works, Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Taimanov and Averbakh: A Chess Multibiography with 220 Games, and 500 Chess Questions Answered: for all new chess players. We also discuss Andy’s own chess improvement journey, as well as the upcoming World Chess Championship. Andy is always fun to chat with due to his encyclopedic knowledge of all things chess. For lots more details, relevant links, and timestamps, please read on.

Previous appearances by GM Andy Soltis:

Episode 91 with GM Andy Soltis

Episode 172 with GM Andy Soltis

Book Recap #17 - Discussing Zurich 1953 with FM Nate Solon and GM Andy Soltis

0:00- We begin by getting Andy’s chess improvement advice, including a Patreon question about whether Andy thinks chess books are superior to online learning tools as means for improving your game.

Mentioned: DeGroot’s Thought and Choice in Chess, GM Hikaru Nakaura, GM Yasser Seirawan Weltgeschichte Des Schachs Lieferung 27- Boris Spassky, GM Daniel Gormally, GM Walter Browne

12:45- What is the proper mix between studying and playing?

Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja

15:30- What most helped Andy improve at chess?

Mentioned: GM Reuben Fine

17:30- How did GM Yefim Geller go from Candidate Master to World Class player in his early 20s?

Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer,

22:00-Patreon mailbag question: What was Andy’s most memorable Marshall Chess Club Championship victory?

Mentioned: FM Orest Popovich

26:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

26:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. ACT NOW to enter their free Magnus-Nepo challenge on this site: https://magnusnepo.com/

27:00- We discuss a bit about each player in GM Soltis’ beautiful new book, Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Taimanov and Averbakh starting with former World Champion GM Vassily Smyslov.

33:00- What should we know about GM David Bronstein? Was his Candidates match with Boleslavsky in 1950 really fixed?

Mentioned: Episode 80 with GM Genna Sosonko, Ruth Haring, GM Bobby Fischer

42:00- What should we know about legendary Ukrainian GM, Yefim Geller?

Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky

44:00- Mark Taimanov was a world class pianist and chess player both. What else distinguished him from his chess contemporaries?

Mentioned: I was the Victim of Fischer, Vspominiaia-Samykh-Samykh, GM Eduard Gufeld, Chessgames.com Taimanov-Matulovic “Caveat Emptor”

53:00- What should we know about GM Yuriy Averbakh?

Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Lubomir Kavalek

59:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.

1:00:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What book would Andy love to write that he hasn’t written yet?”

1:03:00- What does Andy think are the most important factors in which of his books sell the best?

Mentioned: GM John Fedorowicz, GM Arthur Bisguier, GM Pal Benko: My Life Games and Compositions, Magnus Carlsen: 60 Memorable Games,Pawn Structure Chess, Chess Fundamentals, Episode 240: Pawn Book Championship with Neal Bruce

1:12:00- Patreon mailbag question: What does Andy think of the World Championship match? Has Magnus been out of form recently?

1:19:00- Thanks as always to Andy for sharing his immense chess knowledge. You can check out his latest books here:

500 Chess Questions Answered

Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Taimanov and Averbakh

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

Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

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EP 251- John Hartmann is back! Nov 09, 2021

John Hartmann is the Editor of US Chess’ Chess Life and Chess Life Online, and the host of the podcast, Cover Stories with Chess Life. He was recently named the 2021 Chess Journalist of the Year by the Chess Journalists of America, the second consecutive year he received this honor.

When John last visited the podcast, US Chess was just coming to grips with the financial impact the pandemic would have on the organization. 18 months later, I am happy to report that John is back to give a more upbeat assessment of the state of the US Chess Federation. John is also an expert in chess computers - he built his current chess computer from scratch! John shares some fascinating tidbits about how top players use engines these days. Lastly, although it is not his top priority, John tries to work on his own game when time permits. While he prefers to think of himself as a #chessamateur instead of a #chessimprover, his online blitz rating is at an all-time high, and he always has useful book recommendations for improvers. So as always, there is much to learn from John Hartmann in this interview! Please read on for all of the details, plus timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- We begin by catching up on the financial health of US Chess, which hit some tough times during the pandemic.

Mentioned: Cover Stories with Chess Life with GM Alex Lenderman, Episode 179 with John Hartmann (John was also on episodes 60 and 120), John Rockefeller III Endows US Chess National Tournaments

20:00- Has John read any good chess books lately? Are chess books truly, finally, in decline?

Mentioned: Episode 4 with IM Kostya Kavutskiy, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendriks, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon, JJ Lang, IM Levy Rozman, Agadmator, FM Robert Shlyakhtenko, Dr. Christopher Chabris

42:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “What was the most instructive chess book John has ever read?”

Mentioned: Chess Steps Method Workbooks, Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos, Everyone’s First Chess Workbook by FM Peter Giannatos, Rakhmanov’s Secrets of Opening Preparation

47:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

47:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

49:00-What is John doing to work on his own games?

Mentioned:Jacob Aagaard’s Killer Chess Training, Botvinnik: One Hundred Selected Games, GM Sam Shankland on Cover Stories with Chess Life, IM John Watson

1:02:00- What are the most recent developments in the advancement of chess engines?

Mentioned: Stockfish 14.1, Leela 0.28.0, 2021 Russian Championship Superfinals, Vitiugov - Andreikin, Chessify, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, Skolkovo Innovation Center

1:11:00- How will Chess Life Online be covering the World Championship?

1:15:00- Thanks to John for joining us!

For more information about US Chess and Chess Journalists of America upcoming seminars, go here:

https://new.uschess.org/news/cja-continuing-education-series-announced

For US Chess annotated games from the US Championships, go here:

https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy

Follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess?lang=en

Email John at John.Hartmann at Uschess.org

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EP 250- FM Asa Hoffmann Nov 02, 2021

This week FM Asa Hoffman joins us for an interesting talk. Asa is an author, speed chess specialist, and New York City chess legend. Like Bobby Fischer, Asa was born in 1943, and both spent their formative years in NYC. With such shared history, Bobby Fischer is one of the many chess legends with whom Asa had personal encounters and blitz battles. In fact, Asa has met every chess World Champion who came after Max Euwe! He also has beaten Fischer in a famous blitz game, and once defeated Gata Kamsky in a rapid game. In our interview, Asa sheds light on the personality of Bobby Fischer and tells a few of his favorite stories from his encounters with countless chess legends who have passed through New York. Please read on for more details, timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- What are Asa’s memories of Bobby Fischer? How does the current chess moment compare to the Fischer boom?

Mentioned: Hans Kmoch, Al Horowitz, Sylvia Miles, GM Yasser Seirawan, Bernard Zuckerman, Asa Hoffman vs. Bobby Fischer (blitz, 1963)

13:00- Who are the strongest blitz players Asa ever played?

Mentioned: GM Valentin Arbakov, GM Roman Dzindzichashvili, GM Yasser Seirawan, Polgar sisters, Episode 185 with IM Stuart Rachels, IM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun, GM Nicolas Rossolimo

19:30-After Fischer won the World Championship in 1972, did Asa ever see him again?

22:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They have a huge library of opening, middlegame, and endgame instructional videos, as well as a free blog.

23:45- Asa tells some more stories from playing against Fischer, as well as describing many of the classic NYC chess venues.

29:00- Why did Asa decide to drop out of Columbia University to pursue chess?

31:00- What was Asa’s involvement with the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer?

Mentioned: GM Nona Gaprindishivili lawsuit against Netflix

33:00- What did Asa do to improve at chess?

Mentioned: Mike Valvo, IM Greg Shahade, John Fernandez, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Julio Becerra, GM Michael Rohde, IM Jay Bonin

39:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: What was Asa’s most memorable game against IM Jay Bonin?

Mentioned: Active Pieces by IM Jay Bonin and Greg Keener

43:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

43:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

45:00- What were Asa’s highest stakes blitz matches?

Mentioned: IM Cris Ramayrat, Episode 193 with Tom Murphy, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Robert Hess, GM Alex Lenderman, GM Irina Krush

51:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: When will Asa’s memoir be published and will it be available as an e-book?

Mentioned: Dr. Frank Brady

53:00- Asa has met every world champion since Max Euwe. What are his most memorable interactions?

Mentioned: GM Miguel Najdorf, Edward Lasker

57:00- Asa tells a few stories of fights and muggings at NYC gaming establishments

1:02:00- In addition to chess, Asa plays Scrabble, bridge, poker, and backgammon, and he dabbled in betting at horse racing as well. What is Asa’s 2nd best game after chess?

1:04:00- Has Asa had any non-chess jobs?

Mentioned: Al Horowitz

1:06:00- Has Asa played GM Maurice Ashley? Did he ever see GM Viktor Korchnoi in New York?

Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Maxim Dlugy, IM Anatoly Lein

1:09:00- Did Asa ever play GM Samuel Reshevsky?

Mentioned: GM John Fedorowicz

1:12:30- Asa's World Championship thoughts

1:14:30- What are Asa’s favorite chess books?

Mentioned: Masters of the Chessboard by Richard Reti, The Psychology of the Chess Player by Reuben Fine

1:18:00- Why did Asa stop betting on horse racing?

1:22:00- Thanks to Asa for joining the show! You can reach him via his chess.com profile here:

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

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Book Recap #20- Discussing GM Viktor Korchnoi's Chess Is My Life with John Fernandez Oct 29, 2021

We are back for another edition of Chess Books Recaptured. This month we take a brief break from discussing books that are focused on chess improvement and discuss the eventful, insightful, autobiography, Chess is My Life, by legendary GM Viktor Korchnoi. Korchnoi, of course, was a 4 time Soviet champion, who eventually emigrated to Switzerland, and twice challenged GM Anatoly Karpov for the World Championship.

My guest co-host this month is John Fernandez. In addition to being an old friend of mine, John is a member of the US Chess Executive Board, a USCF expert, and was an early admin and employee of the Internet Chess Club. By day, he works as a Senior Vice President of Marketing at Glia, and he is also the father of twins. John has had some memorable interactions with GM Korchnoi, so it was great to hear those, as well as to discuss the book of this legendarily irascible chess figure. As you will hear, this 2 hour podcast only scratches the surface of Korchnoi’s legacy, so you might want to click through to some of the links below, which are given with timestamps.

0:00- Why did we pick Korchnoi’s Chess is My Life?

Mentioned: Book Recap #17 of Bronstein’s Zurich 1953, Korchnoi’s Best Games Volume 1 and Volume 2

5:30- We go over Korchnoi’s amazing chess resume and exceptional life story.

Mentioned: Caruana-Korchnoi 2011

15:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

16:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought you in part by Chess.com!

Among their many resources, you can check out their drills here and their vision trainer here.

17:00- We read a few excerpts from the Preface (by Kasparov), the Foreword(by GM Sergey Ivanov) and the Prologue by Korchnoi himself and discuss Korchnoi’s playing style.

Mentioned: Book Recap #1 Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Closing Gambit, Episode 235 with Joe Posnanski

29:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

30:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

31:00- We each draft our top 5 storylines from Chess if My Life, starting with Korchnoi’s difficult upbringing.

37:00- We discuss the insanity of the 1978 World Championship Match with Karpov.

Mentioned: Korchnoi’s Mirrored Glasses, YouTube footage of the match

51:30- Why did Petrosian and Korchnoi hate each other?

56:00- How was the Korchnoi-Fischer relationship?

1:01:00- Did Korchnoi know the rules of castling?

Mentioned: Korchnoi-Karpov Game 21 1974, Bagirov-Korchnoi 1960

1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Korchnoi had a rules issue in a game with a young Magnus Carlsen- What happened there?”

Mentioned: Photo and Reddit Thread about Korchnoi-Carlsen 2004

1:13:00- Korchnoi played Maroczy while he was dead! How was the game?

Mentioned: Maroczy/Robert Rollans vs. Korchnoi 1985, Lichess analysis here

1:18:00- Korchnoi played Che Guevara!

1:20:30- What were Korchnoi’s interactions with Tal like?

1:24:30- Korchnoi lived in New York for 2 years!?

1:27:00- Korchnoi on Nimzowitsch!

Mentioned: Book Recap #18: Talking Aron Nimzowitsch’s My System with IM Christof Sielecki

1:31:30- John discusses his own involvement in one of Korchnoi’s most legendary displays of poor sportsmanship

Mentioned: Reddit thread about Korchnoi-Polgar incident

1:41:00- Coming next month-- recapping the allegedly excellent book for newer players: A First Book of Morphy

1:43:00- Thanks to John for helping out!

You can support US Chess here

You can support Perpetual Chess here

You can reach John via Twitter here:

Or Chess.com here

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EP 249- Dr. Mark Glickman Oct 26, 2021

Our guest this week is one of the world’s leading experts on chess ratings. Mark Glickman is a senior lecturer on Statistics at Harvard University, from which he completed a Ph.D. in statistics. Mark has been researching and sharing ideas about ratings for decades, and has been the chairman of the US Chess Ratings committee since 1992. He is the inventor of the Glicko and Glicko2 rating systems, versions of which are used on liChess and Chess.com. He is also a USCF Master, and has written and co-written several papers on ratings. In our conversation, we review the history of chess ratings, the efficacy of the “Elo rating system,” rating deflation and other potential issues with the current online and OTB systems. This was a fascinating conversation during which I learned a great deal! More info and shownotes below.

0:00- We begin by discussing how Mark became interested in ratings, and a bit about the history of chess ratings.

Mentioned: Arpad Elo, Kenneth Harkness Bradley-Terry Model, Ernst Zermelo

15:15- Mark tells the funny story of some work they did developing a “rating” model for Tinder to improve their dating app.

17:00- Why have ratings been such a boon for the popularity of chess?

21:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Mark think of IM Ken Regan’s concept of Intrinsic Rating?”

Mentioned: Dr. Ken Regan’s paper on Intrinsic Rating, Episode 136 with IM Kenneth Regan

28:00- Does Mark think the FIDE and USCF rating systems are working?

34:00- What is the history of Mark’s “Glicko system” and where does the name come from?

Mentioned: Dr. Christopher Chabris

37:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

41:00- Patreon mailbag question: How do we know if rating gains reflect a gain in strength rather than just that they were underrated to begin with?

47:30- Patreon mailbag question: What could FIDE and US Chess learn from the advances in rating systems that have been made by online video game sites?

Mentioned: Trueskill Ranking System

52:00- Has Mark had any conversations with FIDE about implementing changes to the rating system?

54:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought you in part by Chess.com!

Among their many resources, you can check out their Drills here and their vision trainer here.

54:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

56:00- Mark has written that the ELO rating system may have a deflationary tendency. Mark explains why this is, and suggests some potential fixes.

Mentioned: Pandemic Lag by Dr. Kenneth Regan

1:06:00- Mark reflects on his own competitive chess career and shares a few stories and study tips from his journey to USCF Master.

Mentioned: Alexey Troitsky

1:14:00- Are there any lessons to be derived for chess from the sports analytics revolution?

1:18:00- Could Mark envision a universal rating system across live and online sites?

Mentioned: Rating conversion site here

1:20:00- Thanks so much to Mark for sharing his knowledge. You can keep up with him via his website:

http://www.glicko.net/index.html

You can read his papers here:

http://www.glicko.net/research.html

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EP 248- GM Noel Studer Oct 19, 2021

GM Noel Studer is a top Swiss player and a winner of many Swiss national titles. He has a popular and insightful blog called Next Level Chess, where Noel shares great chess improvement advice, book recommendations, and relates anecdotes from his experiences as a chess professional. Noel recently surprised his readers by announcing that at the age of 24 he is retiring from professional chess. In our conversation, Noel shares the reasons for his decision, and dispenses all kinds of awesome chess improvement advice. It was both helpful and enjoyable to hear all of Noel’s recommendations and stories. Please read on for lots more details and any relevant links.

0:00- What led to GM Noel Studer’s decision to retire from OTB chess at the age of 24? What is he planning next?

Mentioned: Derek Sivers

13:30- What will be the topic of Noel’s upcoming chess course?

16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan onEpisode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channelhere.

16:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought you in part by Chess.com!

Among their many resources, you can check out their Drills here and their vision trainer here.

17:30- Patreon mailbag question from Neal Bruce! “What are the most common mistakes Noel sees from amateurs?”

Mentioned: Atomic Habits

23:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is the minimum amount of work to do to maintain a level while one is unable to train chess seriously due to life circumstances?”

Mentioned: FIDE World Rapid and Blitz 2021

29:00- Patreon mailbag question “How much do openings matter for club players?”

Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Noel’s posts Chess Improvement: Simple not Easy, What is The Best Chess Opening?, GM Surya Ganguly, GM Avetik Grigoryan’s Post: How to Memorize Chess Openings and Variation- Without Forgetting Them a Few Days Later

36:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What would Noel recommend for breaking through a tactics training plateau?”

Mentioned: The Woodpecker Method , Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos, GM Pentala Harikrishna

48:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

48:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part byAImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

49:00- What are the best sources of motivation for chess improvement? How did Noel get through a period where he was bullied as an adolescent?

Mentioned: Simon Sinek’s Start With Why

1:01:00- What approach does Noel recommend for analyzing games after you play them?

Mentioned: How to Analyze Your Game Part 1, How to Analyze Your Game Part 2

1:11:00- What lessons has Noel learned from working with GMs Artur Yusopov, Josif Dorfman, Markus Ragger?

Mentioned: My Favorite Chess Advice: Talk With Your Pieces, IM Mark Dvoretsky, IM Josh Waitzkin’s The Art of Learning

1:22:00- What are Noel’s favorite books?

Mentioned: Atomic Habits, The Art of Learning, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Learn from the Legends, GM Boris Gelfand’s Books ,GM Judit Polgar’s Books, GM Alireza Firouzja, Bortnyk-Studer 2014, Harikrishna-Studer 2019

1:31:00- What is Noel’s life like away from the board?

Mentioned: Lucy the Golden Queen’s Instagram!

1:32:00- Thanks so much to Noel for sharing his insights!

Be sure to subscribe to his blog/newsletter at https://nextlevelchess.blog/

You can follow him on Twitter here

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EP 247- Michael Franco (Adult Improver Series) Oct 12, 2021

Michael Ross Franco is a 28 year old Applied Mathematics Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley who is also an accomplished chess improver. As Michael tells us, his interest in chess was sparked when he was looking for an engaging hobby while fighting leukemia in 2013. He started following the 2013 Carlsen-Anand World Championship match, and his interest has blossomed from there. Michael’s chess rating has also blossomed, as he has slowly climbed from beginner level to a 2300 peak Lichess Rapid Rating in the subsequent 8 years. In our interview, Michael details the books, experiences and lessons that have influenced him along the way. Please read on for lots more details and any relevant links.

0:00- Michael shares the unique story of how in 2013, the leukemia diagnosis left him looking for an engaging hobby, which turned out to be chess. Michael followed the 2013 Carlsen-Anand match and developed a particular affinity for Magnus Carlsen.

Mentioned: Chess Network YouTube Channel, PowerPlay YouTube Channel

10:30- Michael began his chess climb with about an 1100 LiChess rating. Which books helped him ascend from there?

Mentioned: A First Book of Morphy, How to Reassess Your Chess

19:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them Here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

20:15- How did Michael approach game analysis and learning from his games when he was climbing from Lichess 1100 to 2000 or so?

Mentioned: Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces by GM Igor Stohl

25:30: Once he started grad school, Michael was able to take advantage of an IRL chess club at University of California-Berkeley. What lessons did he learn from face-to-face games with stronger players?

Mentioned: Chess Club at Berkeley

30:30- What was Michael’s approach to studying openings?

34:00- When did Michael play his first tournament? What does he advise other online players who are new to tournaments?

43:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan onEpisode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channelhere.

43:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part byAImchess.com. Check out the site,

and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

44:30- Michael shares some more book recommendations.

Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating, Essential Chess Sacrifices, Thinking Inside the Box, Winning Chess Middlegames, Chess Structures, James Altucher interview with GM Judit Polgar, Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos

49:00- What was Michael’s approach to studying tactics?

54:30- Michael shares the various online resources he has joined:

Mentioned: IM Andras Toth Twitch channel, Chessbrah Twitch channel, Morphy Chess Club Discord, GM Jesse Kraai The Plus Minus Equal of Chess Improvement

57:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Has Michael’s mathematical background helped him succeed at chess?” Michael also gives some background on his academic/professional career.

1:02:00- What are Michael’s 3 biggest chess improvement tips?

Play longer games and analyze them in depth.
Play higher-rated people
Enjoy the game, expand your chess culture!

1:05:00- Thanks so much to Michael for sharing what he has learned about chess improvement. You can reach him via his Lichess account, NoseKnowsAll, here:

https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll

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EP 246- CM Tryfon Gavriel (aka KingsCrusher) Oct 05, 2021

Programming Note- this podcast is also being published in video format on Tryfon’s YouTube channel-link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw1o0opNJ-s

Tryfon Gavriel, better known as “KingsCrusher” was one of the trailblazers of “Chess YouTube” and still uploads regularly to his following of over 110,000 subscribers. Tryfon launched his channel on a whim in 2007, and spent years as one of the most popular chess channels in the world. It was fun to hear Tryfon take us through those early days of online chess content, which feel like so long ago. As we discuss, Tryfon also has a keen knowledge of chess history, with a special interest in Bobby Fischer, Paul Morphy, and Mikhail Tal. Tryfon shares what makes these players so special and how we can apply lessons from their games. Tryfon is a bullet chess specialist who believes that studying these greats has even helped him at the fastest time controls. It was fun to talk chess history, chess content history and get some improvement tips from one of the original chess content creators! Timestamps and lots more details below.

0:00- We discuss the early days of Tryfon’s YouTube channel in 2007 and his website Chessworld.net!

Mentioned: Veratasium YouTube algorithm, Chess on the Web by Sarah Hurst, Richard Palliser and Graham Brown, Sam Copeland’s TIme Lapse Video of the Most Popular Chess YouTubers, Agadmator, MatoJelic, GothamChess, ChessNetwork,

21:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com.

Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

21:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site,

and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

22:00- From the Patreon mailbag: “Tryfon’s two most popular videos are about Bobby Fischer, and Tryfon is a big fan. What books has he read about Bobby Fischer?”

28:00- What sparked Tryfon’s interest in writing a LiChess blog?

30:00- What captivates Tryfon about Fischer, Morphy and Tal?

39:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Will the King’s Gambit ever feature in elite chess again?” This segues to a discussion of other openings that are underrated for club players

Mentioned: Chris Callahan’s Twitter thread on how openings perform at different levels, Episode 221 with Chris Callahan

46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them Here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!

46:30- Tryfon offers many chess courses on Udemy, including its most popular chess course, what was the inspiration for branching out from YouTube?

Mentioned: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

53:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What tips can we share for a 1200 player working to improve calculation and visualization skills?”

Mentioned: Peter Giannatos’ Everyone’s First Chess Workbook, Benedictine’s Visualization Series, Chess Steps 2: Thinking Ahead, IM Ken Regan paper- Intrinsic Ratings Compendium

1:12:00- As a top junior, Tryfon played Demis Hassibis of DeepMind as a kid. How was Demis’ game?

1:18:00- Thanks so much to Tryfon for joining the show. Here is out to keep up with him.

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/user/kingscrusher

Udemy Courses- https://www.udemy.com/user/tryfon-gavriel/

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

Lichess- https://lichess.org/@/Kingscrusher-YouTube

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Book Recap #19- Discussing Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals with Jessi Shakarian Oct 01, 2021

Chess Books Recapturedis back for another monthly book review/recap. This month I am joined by UX designer and recently-minted chess enthusiast, Jessi Shakarian to discuss the 1921 classic, Chess Fundamentalsby former World Champion, Jose Raoul Capablanca. Jessi provides the perspective of someone new to chess who was looking to learn some basics from one of the all time greats of the game. I try to give some historical perspective on the book, as well as to detail why this did not turn out to be my favorite book, despite its being written by one of my favorite players. Of course, there are still many useful insights and beautiful chess moves in the book, and we try to share a few highlights in our conversation. As always, you can find more details and timestamps below.

0:00- We introduce this month's guest co-host Jessi Shakharian. Jessi shares a bit about her background and her recent deep dive into the chess world, and chess books in particular.

3:45- Patreon mailbag question- “What approach has Jessi taken to reading chess books?”

8:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What tips can Ben share for how to analyze games?

Mentioned: How to Chess” interview with GM Davorin Kuljasevic

10:00- We discuss Jose Raoul Capablanca’s background and the context of the book’s publication in 1921.

Mentioned: GM Mikail Botvinnik, LiChess study with Chess Fundamentals, GM Nick DeFirmian’s Chess Fundamentals Revised

Book Recap #18 of My System with IM Christof Sielecki, Everyman’s Chess Fundamentals, Martin Justesen’s new version of Chess Fundamentals

17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out whats new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

18:00- What do we think of Capablanca’s famed “learn the endgame first” philosophy? What are the pros and cons of the book itself?

Jostein Langstrand’s Review of Chess Fundamentalsi, Edward Winter’s Capablanca: A Compendium

30:00- What insights does Capablanca share about the relative value of the chess pieces, especially about how the bishop compares to the knight?

39:00- Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel here.

39:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site,

and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%

40:00- What did “Friend of the Show” Fred Wilson think of this book? What alternative books might we recommend?

Mentioned: Fred Wilson books in NYC, Episode 86 with Fred Wilson, Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, A First Book of Morphy, Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings, Logical Chess Move by Move, Make it Stick, Episode 242 GM Surya Ganguly, How Grandmasters Memorize Opening Variations by GM Avetik Grigoryan

55:00- What grade would we give Chess Fundamentals?

Mentioned: Episode 240 Pawn Book Championship with Neal Bruce

58:00-Coming next month- Chess is My Life with John Fernandez

Thanks to Jessi Shakarian for helping out this month!

I will be making another donation to Chess in Slums on her behalf.

You can follow her on Twitter here.

1:00:00- Blindfold Puzzles!

Puzzle #1-

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. e5 Ne4 6. d3 Bc5! 7. dxe4

Black to move and win

For the answer, go to #1 here

Puzzle #2-

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Bc4 Ng4 7. O-O Qh4 8. h3 Nxf2 9. Qf3 Nxh3+ 10. Kh1

Black to move and force mate

For the answer, go to #2 here

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EP 245- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Sep 28, 2021

GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave is a 3 time champion of France, 2 time Sinquefield Cup winner, and perennial top 10 player in the world. Maxime joined me from his home in Paris while on a brief break from a hectic tournament schedule. In addition to some events in St. Louis, Maxime recently played in FIDE World Cup in Russia, and won the Zagreb Grand Chess Tour event in July. Maxime was very candid in our conversation as he discussed his recent successes, his 2nd place finish in the 2020-2021 Candidates Tournament, his thoughts on the World Championship match, and his opinions on the formats and qualification criteria of various important tournaments. It was amazing to hear the honest reflections of a chess player who is amongst the best in the world and still working to get even better! Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links.

0:00- We begin by discussing Maxime’s recent travels and chess events.

Mentioned: MVL interview with Agadmator, FIDE Candidates, FIDE World Cup, FIDE Grand Swiss in Riga

11:00- Does Maxime feel that his OTB game has been progressing? Which upcoming tournaments are his biggest priorities?

Mentioned: GM Ian Nepomniatchi, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, GM Sergei Karjakin, GM Teimour Radjabov, 2022 FIDE Grand Prix

20:30- Patreon mailbag question: How does Maxime feel about the current rules for qualifying for the FIDE Candidates tournament and the formats for FIDE’s other major events.

27:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

27:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site,

and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

31:30- Maxime has several GMs on his team, as well as a performance coach. What do they work on? How did he feel that GM Ian Nepomniachtchi handled his nerves in the Candidates?

Mentioned: MVL In Conversation with GMSurya Ganguly

37:30- What are Maxime’s thoughts on the upcoming World Championship match?

41:30- How much does Maxime discuss match preparation strategy with other elite players?

42:00 Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out whats new from them

here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast!

47:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Maxime’s training regimen?

Mentioned: Maxime’s blog post and video is here.

49:00- Patreon mailbag questions: How does MVL’s prep regime change for an open tournament as

compared to a closed? Has his prep routine changed as he has gotten stronger?

Mentioned: GM Etienne Bacrot

58:00- Is Maxime in favor of OTB playoff matches for the FIDE Candidates and FIDE Grand Swiss?

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade

1:02:00- Has Queen’s Gambit changed chess at the elite level?

GM Anish Giri interview with IM Levy Rozman, Twitch Streamer, NM Kevin Bordi aka Blitzstream

1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: why did Maxime decide to pursue a degree in Mathematics?

1:15:00- Is MVL inspired by the longevity of his favorite tennis player, Roger Federer

1:17:00- What are Maxime’s thoughts on GM Alireza Firouzja joining the French team?

1:19:00- Maxime is famous for his devotion to the Najdorf and the Grunfeld defenses. Is it a

philosophical or practical choice to frequently play those openings?

Mentioned: GM Wesley So

1:23:00- Thanks so much to Maxime for joining the show.

You can read his reflections on his blog here:

https://www.mvlchess.com/en/#panel1

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 244- GM Andrew Tang Sep 21, 2021

21 year old GM Andrew Tang (aka “PenguinGM”) is a former National High School champion chess player, popular Twitch streamer and Princeton University student. He is best known as one of the strongest “bullet chess” players in the world. Andrew is quite possibly the fastest moving Grandmaster in the world and has had many epic online battles with other elite bullet players like GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Daniel Naroditsky, and GM Alireza Firouzja. In our conversation, Andrew shares some great stories from his bullet battles, and talks about the origins of his chess skills. Other highlights of the interview include the lessons he learned from his childhood coach IM John Bartholomew, the feeling of playing GM Magnus Carlsen in person in the World Blitz championship, and his professional plans when he finishes college. This was a fun conversation with a very talented young man. More details and timestamps below.

2:00- How is Andrew so fast at chess? When did he realize he was good at bullet? What kind of mouse does he use?

Mentioned: IM Ali Mortazavi, Azio Exo1 Gaming Mouse

10:00- Does Andrew play video games?

Mentioned: Video of Andrew playing 2D Aim, Cloud9 Gaming

12:00- How did Andrew learn to convert winning endgames so quickly?

Mentioned: GM Daniel Naroditsky

13:30- Who, in Andrew’s opinion, are the best bullet players in the world?

Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Daniel Naroditsky, FM OrangeGhost (not OrangeCrush, as I said)

16:15- How does GM Andrew Tang describe his exchanges with GM Magnus Carlsen ?

Mentioned: FIDE World Rapid and Blitz, Watch Andrew’s OTB Blitz Match with Magnus here

20:00- What are Andrew’s goals in Classical chess, if any? What are his professional plans for life after college?

23:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

24:00- Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

25:00- How seriously does Andrew take his blitz game? How did he develop his tactical vision?

Mentioned: Episode 164 with IM John Bartholomew

29:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Do you have any advice for getting better at time management in blitz?”

33:00- Does Andrew plan on playing in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz if it happens?

39:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

40:00- Who is the strongest player Andrew has ever played in classical chess?

Mentioned: GM Le Quang Liem, GM Wesley So, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Nikola Mitkov

44:00- What was it like to have IM John Bartholomew as a coach?

47:30- What are Andrew’s most memorable online bullet escapades?

51:00- Quick hitter round. Andrew answers Twitter questions relating to browser tabs, playing chess against prisoners, blindfold chess, and his upcoming schedule.

Mentioned: Video of GM Andrew Tang playing blindfold UltraBullet

1:10:00- Thanks to Andrew for coming on the show! Here is how to keep up with him:

Twitch-

https://www.twitch.tv/penguingm1

YouTube-

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcJxY7NovRrYCsxyl6qaFLA

Twitter-

https://twitter.com/penguingm1

Email-

Penguingm1 at gmail.com

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EP 243- GM Anna Muzychuk Sep 14, 2021

GM Anna Muzychuk is the winner of 3 FIDE World Championship events, and is consistently amongst the highest-rated woman players in the world. In 2012, Anna made history when she became the 4th Woman in history to cross the 2600 FIDE rating. After a lull during the Covid-quarantine, Anna has been actively competing again, and she made a deep run in the FIDE World Cup. Anna came in 4th place in this prestigious event, which earned her a coveted spot in the 2022 Women’s Candidates Tournament. The winner of that Candidates Tournament will challenge GM Ju Wenjun for the Women's World Championship title. As we discuss, Anna’s schedule of competitions is generally packed, but the Covid quarantine gave her a chance to try out commentating, Twitch streaming and even organizing a tournament, with her sister GM Mariya Muzychuk. We discuss which new hobbies Anna is likely to stick with, as well as her thoughts on many recent and upcoming events, and, of course, Queen’s Gambit. As always, timestamps and the details of all that we covered can be found below.

0:00- We discuss the recent FIDE Women’s World Cup and the 2022 Candidates Tournament for the Women's World Championship.

Mentioned: GM Ju Wenjun, GM Tatev Abrahamyan

13:00- Anna’s training regimen

Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, Theory and Practice of Chess Endings by GM Alexander Panchenko, the books of GM Jacob Aagaard, Chess Calculation Training: Middlegame by GM Romain Eduoard,and Learn from GM Michal Krasenkow .

19:00- What is it like to frequently play her friends and her sister in Elite Women’s events?

Mentioned: GM Mariya Muzychuk, IM Elisabeth Paehtz, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina

23:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel here.

24:00- Anna’s upcoming tournament schedule.

28:30- Patreon mailbag question: “How have you balanced competing and preparing for top women events with trying to improve your chess level by playing significantly stronger opponents?

Mentioned: 2021 European Club Cup

31:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What has led to her decisions regarding which country to represent?” Mentioned: Boris Kutin, GM Levon Aronian, GM Alireza Firouzja

38:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

More info on the How to Chess podcast here:

https://howtochess.com/

39:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

40:00- Anna and Mariya’s parents are both professional chess trainers, Anna shares a bit about the way she and her sister were taught as kids.

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How should club level players approach game analysis?”

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is the key to calculating at an elite level?”

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What did Anna think of Queen’s Gambit? Did Beth Harmon’s life resemble Anna’s in any way?”

Mentioned: GM Garry Kasparov visits US Chess Girls Club

1:06:00 -Anna famously refused to play in the 2017 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz in Saudi Arabia when she would have been required to wear a hijab and an abaya during the tournament competition. Patreon mailbag question: “Does she think that her stance helped change things?”

Mentioned: Anna’s Facebook Post is here

1:11:00- Anna discusses the first annual Muzychuk’s Sisters Cup, in Ukraine.

Mentioned: Read more here

1:14:00- What are Anna’s plans for her Twitch channel?

Mentioned: Challenger’s Chess Cup

1:22:00- Thanks to Anna for joining the show! Here are the best ways to keep up with her. Twitch channel- https://www.twitch.tv/annamuzychuk

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/anna.muzychuk.9,

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/anna_muzychuk.official/

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EP 242- GM Surya Ganguly Sep 07, 2021

GM Surya Ganguly is one of the top players in India, and was the India national champion for 6 consecutive years starting in 2003! He has won countless medals in National team events, and was the Asian champion in 2009. GM Ganguly also works actively as a trainer, and most notably, worked on the preparation team of of GM Viswanthan Anand for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 World Championship Matches. Given this unique experience, I couldn’t wait to hear GM Ganguly’s insightful reflections on the upcoming World Championship match. GM Ganguly is also an active trainer for us non-World Champions, and in fact, has recently released his first Chessable course, Lifetime Repertoires: Nimzo/Semi-Tarrasch. Last but not least, Surya is a founding trainer of ProChessTraining.com. This experience informs Surya’s ability to share some useful tips for young chess talents and adult improvers alike. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

0:00- World Championship Match Talk! As a former member of GM Anand’s World Championship team, what would a prep team’s routine look like 100 days before the match?

Mentioned: The Anand Files, Mind Master, Episode 156 with FM Michiel Abeln, Episode 177 with GM Peter Heine Nielsen, Surya’s YouTube show, In Conversation with GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Peter Leko, Challenger’s Chess Tour with Kramnik and Polgar

23:00- Patreon mailbag question- Does Surya think that his past work on World Championship Teams makes him more likely to be hired on another team?

25:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

26:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

27:00- What does Surya mean when he says, in his new Chessable course, “Memorization without understanding is a sin.”

Mentioned: Lifetime Repertoires Nimzo and Ragozin

38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

38:30- What is the vision behind ProChessTraining, which Surya has launched with GM Ramesh R.B. and GM Magesh Panchanathan?

51:00- How does Surya advice to budget one’s chess study time?

58:00- When Surya was 9 years old, Surya worked on the demonstration board when GM Anand came to Kolkata for an elite tournament. What does Surya remember about this experience?

Mentioned: GM Luke McShane, GM Levon Aronian, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Etienne Bacrot, GM Ruslan Ponomariov, GM Sergei Azarov, GM Mark Paragua, GM Paco Vallejo

1:01:00- Surya tells a memorable story of playing a 13 year old Magnus Carlsen in 2004.

Mentioned: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1283190, GM Yevgeniy Vladimirov

1:05:00- Patreon mailbag questions: How are Surya’s ping pong skills? Who is his favorite player other than Anand?

Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer

1:07:00- GM Ganguly did not have a coach until he was already a titled player. What was it like to workwith legendary GM Alexei Shirov?

1:10:00-

Thanks to GM Surya Ganguly for joining us. You can root for him in the following upcoming tournaments Sharjah Masters 2021, Bundesliga, and the FIDE Grand Swiss.

Here are the other links you might find helpful:

Pro Chess Training:

https://prochesstraining.com/

Surya’s Chessable Course:

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-nimzosemi-tarrasch-part-1/course/66522/

Surya’s Twitter:

https://twitter.com/suryachess64?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Surya’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/suryasekharchess/?hl=en

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EP 241- FM Peter Giannatos (Adult Improver Series) Aug 31, 2021

This week on Perpetual Chess, we have two interviews in one for you! Return guest, FM Peter Giannatos, who many know as the founder and head of the award-winning Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy, is also an extremely accomplished adult improver, and in the first half of this interview, Peter shares many inspirational words and his best chess improvement advice. As we discuss, in the past decade, Peter has made the difficult climb from 2100 to 2390 USCF! Peter has also improved his blitz game, but, as Peter explains, he does not think that requires the same skill set as playing slower tournament games.

In the second half of the interview we turn our attention to Peter's new book and Chessable course.. It is a great resource for newer chess players and chess teachers. Last, but definitely not least, we discuss the current system for players seeking to earn the Grandmaster title. There has been a fair bit of conversation and controversy on this topic of late, so it was great to have one of the world’s leading organizer’s of “norm tournaments' ' help us separate fact from fiction.

0:00- Peter shares his beginnings in tournament chess and discusses the 2 major rating plateaus he faced (Approximately 1600 and 2100 USCF)

Mentioned: Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos, Episode 151 with JJ Lang, Matthew Noble, On the Origin of Good Moves, A First Book of Morphy, NM Dominique Myers, Noel Studer’s Blog

16:45- Peter talks about how his chess evolved in his 20s and the ways that GM Ben Finegold and GM Alexander Shabalov helped Peter improve

Mentioned: Episode 239 with GM Jan Markos,

26:30- How do adult improvers approach chess improvement differently from kids?

Mentioned: #chesspunks, Neal Bruce

33:00- How did Peter change his opening repertoire once he started working with GM Alexander Shabalov?

37:45- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

38:15- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

40:00- How many hours per week did Peter study while his rating was climbing?

Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, Perfect Your Chess

48:00- How does Peter adapt his game for speed chess?

Mentioned: Simple Chess, How to Reassess Your Chess

57:00- Recommendations for players rated below 1600

Mentioned: Step 2 Thinking Ahead, Forcing Chess Moves

1:05:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

1:06:30- Peter’s improvement bullet points

Play Stronger Players
Be willing to change things up and exit your comfort zone
Work hard! Do 10-15 minutes puzzles that push yourself
(my addition)- find a training partner

1:14:00- We discuss Peter Giannatos’ new book and Chessable course Everyone’s First Chess Workbook,

Mentioned: Laszlo Polgar’s Chess, Al Woolum’s Chess Tactics Workbook, Chess Steps Books

1:21:00- We discuss a recent, somewhat controversial New York Times article about how title norms are achieved.

Link for the article here

Mentioned: GM Abhimanyu Mishra, GM Sergey Karjakin, GM Bobby Fischer, GM Judit Polgar

Ian Nepomniatchi’s tweet is here, IM Nikolas Theodorou, GM Nigel Short, IM John Bartholomew . Chess for Charity Jacksonville

1:55:00-

Thanks so much to Peter for coming on the show! Here are the links you need to reach Peter or buy his book/course:

See a preview of the book here

Buy the book here:

Buy it in Chessable form here:

Follow Peter on Twitch here:

Email him here:

Peter.giannatos at charlottechesscenter.org

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EP 240- "Pawn Book Championship" Special Episode with Neal Bruce Aug 24, 2021

This week’s Perpetual Chess is the much anticipated “Pawn Book Championship” with popular adult improver Neal Bruce. Neal learned chess from scratch after the age of 40, and has been consistently studying and using flashcards to improve his skills in the last handful of years. In the past year, Neal has turned his attention to better understanding pawn play and positional chess, and he has read 6 (!) different books in order to facilitate better chess understanding. We Perpetual Chess listeners are very fortunate that Neal has offered to do a podcast crowning the “champion” of the pawn books, and has also agreed to give his honest assessment of the other books. When not working on his chess game, Neal is the Chief Product Officer of a software startup and a father of 3, so we greatly appreciate his taking the time for this large project. Please read on for more details and relevant links.

0:00-

The transcript of episode 237 with GM Vladimir Kramnik is here
If you would like to subscribe to the Perpetual Chess Patreon page, you can do so here.

4:00- Other podcasts to hear Neal Bruce:

Book Recap 6- Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement

Book Recap 11- Winning Chess Strategies

How to Chess with Neal Bruce

Dojo Talks #24 with Neal Bruce

5:00-

Which books are entrants in Neal’s “Pawn Book Championship,” and how and why did he choose them?

Small Steps to Giant Improvement by GM Sam Shankland (Most appropriate for those 1700-2400 FIDE)

Small Steps 2 Success by GM Sam Shankland (Most appropriate for those 1800-2400 FIDE)

Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis (Most appropriate for those 1500-2200 FIDE)

Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios (Most appropriate for those 1500-2200 FIDE)

The Power of Pawns by GM Jorg Hickl’s (Most appropriate for those 1200-2000)

Pawn Power by IM Hans Kmoch (Not recommended for any rating range)

22:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

24:00- Hans Kmoch Pawn Power

30:30- GM Andy Soltis’s Pawn Structure Chess

34:00-GM Sam Shankland’s Small Steps 2 Success

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/345/small_steps_2_success_by_sam_shankland/

Mentioned: New in Chess Magazine

38:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

39:00- Small Steps to Giant Improvement

Free sample from Quality Chess here:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/316/small_steps_to_giant_improvement_by_sam_shankland/

43:00- The Power of Pawns by Jorg Hickl.

Link with free sample from New in Chess Books here:

https://www.newinchess.com/en_US/the-power-of-pawns

47:00- Chess Structures

Free sample from Quality Chess here:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/235/chess_structures_-_a_grandmaster_guide_by_mauricio_flores_rios/

51:00- In what order would Neal recommend that you read these books?

Mentioned:

Interview with Magnus Carlsen on Wolfgang Wee Uncut-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElHa52f_bC8&t=4725s

58:30- What lessons did Neal learn from these readings? What books are next for him?

Mentioned: Mastering Chess Strategy, Mastering Positional Sacrifices, Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook, Practical Chess Exercises, Zurich 1953, New York 1924, Judit Polgar’s How I Beat Fischer’s Record, Book Recap #7 with Jen Shahade

1:04:00- Thanks so much to Neal for undertaking this massive project and sharing his findings with the chess community! You can keep up with Neal on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/NealBruceBC

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Book Recap #18- Discussing Aron Nimzowitsch's My System with IM Christof Sielecki (aka ChessExplained) Aug 20, 2021

This month on Chess Books Recaptured I am joined by renowned Chessable author, IM Christof Sielecki, to discuss what may be the best known chess book of all time. Aron Nimzowitsch’s My System. There was a time when My System seemed to be universally recommended as an indispensable manual for newer chess players, but in recent years, with so many excellent learning resources, it has often been criticized as well. Christof and I try to contextualize the good and the bad of My System. We discuss everything in the book from Nimzo’s famous quotes to his “dad jokes”, to what does, and does not hold up to the scrutiny of modern chess analysis. Whether you love or hate this book, we hope that this podcast can help you decide if this book is worth (re)visiting. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- Why is My System so famous? Why are there so many versions of it?

Mentioned: Episode 6 with IM Christof Sielecki, Episode 153 with IM Christof Sielecki, Quality Chess’ Edition of My System, also available on Forward Chess, Chess Metrics, Chess24’s Top 50 Player of All Time Series with GM Jan Gustafsson and GM Peter Heine Nielsen

8:30- For what rating range or audience would this book be most helpful?

Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, Episode 239 with GM Jan Markos

16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

16:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

17:00- How is the book structured?

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard, GM John Shaw, IM John Watson’s Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy , Johner vs. Nimzowitsch 1926

36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

37:00- How would we describe Nimzowitsch’s writing style?

Mentioned: John Watson’s Review of My System, Lou Hays’ Edition of My System, Siegbert Tarrasch, Rubinstein-Duras (1908), Winning Pawn Structuresby GM Alexander Baburin,

54:00- What books might we recommend as instructional substitutes for My System?

Mentioned: THe Neal Bruce Pawn Book Championship is coming August 24!, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios, Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean, IM Jeremy Silman’s Books, Book Recap Podcast #13, Simple Chess, On the Origin of Good Movesby IM Wily Hendricks

1:00:00- We will be back next month discussing Jose Raoul Capablanca’s Chess Fundamentals,

1:02:00- Thanks so Christof for donating his time! We close by discussing what Christof is working on next for Chessable.

Mentioned: Chess in Slums Go Fund Me:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/chess-education-in-africa

Check out Christof’s whole Chessable catalog here:

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

Check out his books here:

Amazon.com: Christof Sielecki: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/ChessExplained

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

EP 239- GM Jan Markos Aug 17, 2021

Our guest today is the three-time champion of Slovakia, the highest rated player in his country and an award-winning author! Jan Markos’ 2018 book Under the Surface has been recommended on this show many times and was the winner of the ECF book of the year this year. He is out with another offering, The Secret Ingredient. Jan's new book is co-authored by GM David Navara and is also Quality Chess books. Both of Jan’s works are fantastic books which display an accessible writing style and a breadth of knowledge that extends far beyond the chess board. In our conversation, we discuss many of the ideas presented in these books, as well as a bit about Jan’s own competitive career, his advice for improvers, and his busy life away from the chessboard. Please read on for more details and relevant hyperlinks.

3:00- We discuss a question raised in Under the Surface. “What do Grandmasters see that club players do not?”

Mentioned: Thinking Fast and Slow, JJ Lang, GM Jesse Kraai

9:30- Patreon mailbag question- “How did GM Markos come up with so many metaphors to describe chess thinking in Under the Surface?”

14:30- Listener question- “Why do adults find improvement so challenging?”

Mentioned: GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess, Street Smart Chess by GM Axel Smith

18:00- Twitter Question: “Who is the intended audience for Jan’s book?”

20:00- Twitter Question: “Was Jan inspired by Aron Nimzovich’s My System?”

Mentioned: Patzer’s Review Blog Review of Under the Surface

22:00- Twitter Question: “Are there new chapters Jan would add to Under the Surface today?”

24:00- Twitter Question: “Why do we tend to notice mistakes just as we make a move, and not before we make a move?”

Mentioned: Jan’s game where he hung a mate in one is here:

Manage Your Favourite Games (chessbase.com)

26:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com

They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

27:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

30:00- We discuss The Secret Ingredient. How can adult chess players learn to translate chess knowledge into skills?

39:00- Why is trying to “get your openings down first” before tackling other aspects of the game often a “Sisyphean task”?

41:30- What advice can Jan offer on managing one’s time during a chess game?

Mentioned: GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Daniel Fridman, GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, Episode 08 with GM Sam Shankland

48:30- What should you do when confronted with an unknown idea in the opening?

50:00- How should chess improvers allocate their chess study time?

Mentioned: Episode 237 with GM Vladimir Kramnik

54:00- Can online games be adapted so that they more resemble tournament chess?

58:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

1:00:00- What was Jan’s journey to the GM tite like? Who are his favorite chess authors?

Mentioned: GM Lubomir Ftacnik, Ludek Pachman’s Chess books, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jonathan Rowson, GM Jacob Aagaard

1:04:00- What is Jan’s approach to writing?

1:05:30- How is the chess culture in Slovakia?

1:08:00- Does Jan miss playing chess professionally? What are his fondest memories?

Mentioned: GM Jan-Khristof Duda, GM Sergei Karjakin

1:15:00- BOOK GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS

Take a screenshot of your subscription to the How to Chess Podcast on any podcast app or on Chessable’s YouTube channel.
Email the screenshot to ben at perpetualchesspod.com
The winners of Jan’s books will be announced on September 3, 2021 via email

1:17:00- Thanks to Jan for joining us. You can email him at jan.markos at gmail.com

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EP 238- Jerald Times Aug 10, 2021

Jerald Times is a USCF Chess Master, and the 2 time Chess champion of Harlem. Jerald is also a chess commentator, and is probably best known as a chess teacher who recently received the 2021 Chess Educator of the Year award from the University of Texas at Dallas. Jerald has been predominantly based in his native New York City, where he twice was the chess champion of Harlem, and where he has served in different capacities at successful chess programs such as The Dalton School, The Harlem Children’s Zone, and The Success Academy. Jerald also spent a few years as a chess trainer in South Africa, and coached the South African National team. These days, Jerald is launching a new organization, called Chess Across Borders, which aims to use digital tools to enable chess players from all backgrounds to compete in national and international chess championships. Jerald shared insightful comments as he on his own chess journey to a peak FIDE rating of 2400, as well as his reflections on how chess, and chess education has changed. Jerald also highlighted some important instances of racial discrimination that he has seen in his career both in the chess world, and as a teacher. All in all, there is lots to learn from this discussion with Jerald, please read on for more details and timestamps.

0:00- How did Jerald get into chess in his native New York City in the 1980s and 1990s?

Mentioned: Think like a Grandmaster, My System, Alexander Alekhine, GM Vassily Smyslov, GM Jose Raoul Capablanca, IM Levy Rozman, WGM Alexandra Botez, GM Miron Sher, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Robert Hess

13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

14:00- Jerald discusses his plans to launch a new organization, called Chess Across Borders

20:00- How have chess teaching tools changed in recent decades?

Mentioned: Google Classroom, FM Mike Klein, Chesskid.com

25:00- Jerald’s most recent position was heading the chess program at a New York- based network of charter schools called Success Academy. Jerald discusses both the positive and the negative of his experiences with Success Academy.

Mentioned: Jessica Hyatt

41:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

42:30- Patreon mailbag question: How does chess in South Africa (where Jerald lived, and worked as a chess trainer) compare to chess in the United States?

Mentioned: GM Kenny Solomon, Nick Vandernot, IM Henry Steele, IM Watu Kobese , GM Maurice Ashley, IM Kassa Korley, Tani Adewumi, James Black, IM Justus Williams, FM Joshua Colas

52:00- Where is Chess Across Borders in its launch process?

53:30- Jerald shares stories about his encounters with GM Garry Kasparov and GM Maurice Ashley.

Mentioned: Rochelle Ballantyne, Maurice Ashley to host recaps of the Upcoming World Championship on NBC Sports:

https://twitter.com/FIDE_chess/status/1417258790169321472?s=20

1:01:00- Thanks to Jerald for joining the show!

Find out more about Chess Across Borders here:

https://chessacrossborders.site123.me/

Email Jerald at:

jtimes at gmail.com

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EP 237- GM Vladimir Kramnik Aug 03, 2021

Note- one can read a transcript of this interview here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-3Q-sZ9DYfI4N8sqNRZd4MNUef6_C1L3l5ak1fQAQnE/edit?usp=sharing

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are privileged to be joined by the 14th undisputed World Chess Champion, Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik. GM Kramnik spent decades atop the chess world, and is best known as the man who ended Garry Kasparov’s historic reign as World Champion. GM Kramnik is one of the 10 highest rated players of all time, and left a special imprint in his contribution to opening theory, as many of his favorite lines are now embraced by modern chess engines and frequently seen at the elite level. We had a wide-ranging conversation where GM Kramnik discussed his match with Kasparov, the effect of engines on chess, his recent “no-castling” exhibition match with GM Viswanathan Anand, and, of course, his new Chessable course. Vladimir’s course is called Thinking in Chess: A How to Guide, and it offers a Super GM level framework on how to think about preventing your opponent’s plans. There are many great insights in this interview, so I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as I did speaking with him. Please read on for more details, timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- We begin by discussing Kramnik’s rise in the 1990’s, including his breakout tournament at the 1992 Manila Olimpiad, a tournament for which he was a surprise choice to compete on the stacked Russian team.

08:30- Vladimir recently concluded his match with GM Vishy Anand in a new variant called “no-castling chess.” He discusses the match and the future of chess variants.

Mentioned: GM Vasyl Ivanchuk

22:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

23:45- GM Kramnik answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: "How has his game has been influenced by computer chess?"

26:00- A couple more Patreon mailbag questions- “Did computers help Vladimir prepare the Berlin endgame for his match against Kasparov?” “How much did his team help him with it?”

33:00- GM Kramnik discusses the match dynamics of the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik match.

Mentioned: GM Viswanthan Anand

41:30-Are there any modern players who use the engines especially effectively in their preparation?

45:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

46:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Why did GM Kramnik decide to focus his chess course on “quiet moves” and prophylaxis?”

1:02:00- What does Vladimir think about the upcoming World Championship match?

Mentioned: Norway Chess 2021

1:08:00- “Is it more stressful to be World Champion than to “just” to be a top-echelon player?”

1:12:00- “Can a player who has passed her 60th birthday compete in the top echelon?”

1:15:30- “Did Vladimir enjoy competing in Chess24’s Legends of Chess tournament last year?”

1:18:00- “What kind of improvement can amateur players expect to see in their games if they have jobs outside of chess?”

1:22:30- “What was it like to play his childhood hero, GM Anatoly Karpov, for the first time?”

Mentioned: GM Garry Kasparov. You can review the game here:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067080

1:29:00- Did working on Kasparov’s team give him a competitive advantage in their 2000 World Championship match, and might Nepomniachtchi have a similar advantage from having worked with GM Magnus Carlsen?

1:30:00- Thanks so much to GM Kramnik for joining the show! You can check out a free version of his Chessable course here:

https://www.chessable.com/vladimir-kramnik-free-lesson/course/81696/

Or you can buy the whole course here:

https://www.chessable.com/thinking-in-chess-a-how-to-guide/course/77175/

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EP 236- Dr. Courtney Frey (Adult Improver Series) Jul 27, 2021

Welcome to another “Adult improver” edition of Perpetual Chess. Our guest this time is Dr. Courtney Frey. Courtney is a 35 year old doctor (radiologist) and father of 2 kids. Like a lot of us he played in a chess club during his school years, but then didn’t play for many yearsuntil he finished medical school. He got more serious during the pandemic, started taking lessons with a coach, and he has seen his LiChess Rapid rating go from the 1500s to 1900 in about a year! As you will hear, Courtney has been successful with a very balanced approach to chess improvement that focuses on studying the aspects of chess that he enjoys most. Courtney had a lot of helpful tips to share- you can find relevant links and timestamps below!

0:00- Did you know that Chessable now sponsors an adult improvement weekly chess podcast called How to Chess? Did you know that you can subscribe to it on Spotify and all the other podcast apps? Be sure to subscribe, or go to Howtochess.com for more info.

https://open.spotify.com/show/5SzyXVaBZtM8CA6dtBQj7o?si=Q5SZzmcXT4i65y219xKTzQ&dl_branch=1

2:00- Courtney briefly delves into his chess background prior to his renaissance that began during Quarantine.

Mentioned: Episode 87 with Adult Improver Stacia Pugh

6:00- Once Courtney decided to start training what did he do?

Mentioned: Episode 194 with Yuriy Krykun, Book Recap #14- Discussing The Seven Deadly Chess Sins with David Franklin,

The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Scotland's Youngest Grandmaster Discusses the Most Common Ca): Rowson, Jonathan: 9781901983364: Amazon.com: Books

13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

13:45- Courtney answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to how he selected his opening repertoire. Then he provides more detail on his chess study regimen.

Mentioned: IM Yuriy Krykun’s Chessable Course- The Dynamic Italian Game

30:00- What does Courtney do when he faces an opening move he hasn’t seen before?

Mentioned: Chessable Course- My First White Opening Repertoire

35:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

36:00- Courtney shares a few more recommendations, he has found many ways to improve beyond tactics training!

Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual

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EP 235- Joe Posnanski Jul 20, 2021

This week, Perpetual Chess features a different kind of guest, Joe Posnanski was twice- named the best sportswriter in America by the Associated Press. He is also a popular podcaster and best selling author of 6 books. I have been a huge fan of Joe’s writing for many years, so when he recently wrote about his enthusiasm for chess I couldn’t resist the opportunity to invite him to talk to us on Perpetual Chess. In our interview, Joe discusses the beginnings of his interest in chess (his dad was a USCF expert.) Joe then dives into topics including: the current state of his own chess game, why he has a "love-hate" relationship with the game, who his favorite chess YouTubers are, and the lessons that he has learned from his coach, FM Mikhail Perelshteyn. Whether in written word or on his Poscast, Joe is always entertaining and insightful, so it was a real thrill for me to talk chess with him! Please read on for more details and relevant links.

0:00-

Joe tells us about the evolution of his interest in chess over the years.

Mentioned: Read Joe’s recent blog post about chess here. Read his article about playing with NFL player Priest Holmes here. Read Joe’s famous, non-chess post about seeing Hamilton with his daughter, here.

13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to our How to Chess podcast ! More info here:

https://howtochess.com/

13:30- Joe is a big fan of chess YouTube. Who are Joe’s favorite chess YouTubers?

Mentioned: Agadmator’s YouTube Channel, Perpetual Chess Episode 160 with Agadmator, GM Hikaru Nakamura, IM Eric Rosen, IM Levy Rozman, Levy’s Guess the Elo playlist here, GM Simon Williams’ Jobava London Chessable Course here

25:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

26:30- We discuss the state of Joe’s own chess game. What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Mentioned: FM Mikhail Perelshteyn, GM Eugene Perelshteyn, How to Chess Episode with GM Eugene Perelshteyn here, Joe’s game that we are discussing can be found here

48:00- Joe’s most recent book is an excellent biography, The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini, Did he see any similarities between the magic and chess sub-cultures?

Mentioned: The Baseball 100

53:00- If Joe were to write a feature about chess, what would he write?

1:02:00- Thanks so much to Joe for joining us to talk chess! Here is how to keep up with his great writing:

Subscribe to his blog here: https://joeposnanski.substack.com/

Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JPosnanski

Check out his books on Amazon here:

Amazon.com: Joe Posnanski: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

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

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 234- GM Jonathan Levitt Jul 13, 2021

GM Jonathan Levitt is a chess journalist, an author and a professional cricket bettor! Jonathan is retired from competitive chess, but he has written a few great chess books, including co-authoring the classic Secrets of Spectacular Chess, and Jonathan has recently released his first non-chess book, Contemplating Comedy, which, as you might guess, is a meditation on the topic of humor. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss Jonathan’s varied chess career, his transition to cricket betting, the upcoming World Chess Championship, and the intersection of chess and humor. There is lots to learn from Jonathan, so I hope you all enjoy this conversation. Please read on for many more details and relevant links.

London Chess Festival Info here!-

https://www.englishchess.org.uk/chessfest-in-londons-trafalgar-square/

0:00- We tackle the age old question, “What constitutes chess talent?” This is a question that Jonathan grapples with in his excellent 1997 book, Genius in Chess.

Mentioned: IM Malcolm Pein, Episode 20 with GM Timur Garyev, Book Recap #10- Talking Blindfold Chess with Jerry Wells, Episode 95 with Dr. Christopher Chabris

14:00- Jonathan answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag relating to ways he could potentially tweak his famed “Levitt question.”

18:00- Jonathan tells the story of what he learned from studying and sharing a house with legendary GM Alexei Shirov.

Episode 189 with GM Patrick Wolff

25:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

26:30- What were the key components to Jonathan’s own chess improvement path?

Mentioned: GM Mikhail Botvinnik, Lasker’s Manual of Chess, Fischer’s 60 Memorable Games

35:00- Secrets of Spectacular Chess by Jonathan and FM David Friedgood is a great book that shares a lot of brilliant endgame studies. Did endgame studies help Jonathan’s own game?

41:00- Jonathan talks about the only “real job” when he worked for a few months for the original Kasparov Chess website.

Mentioned: Mig Greengard, GM Vladimir Kramnik

43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

44:00- How did Jonathan’s chess background help him become a professional cricket bettor? What does his work entail?

Mentioned: Episode 57 with GM Pascal Charbonneau

53:00-Jonathan’s newest book, Contemplating Comedy is a meditation on what makes things funny. Does Jonathan think chess players are funnier than non-chess players? Does he have any good chess jokes?

Mentioned: GM Tony Miles, GM Nigel Davies, GM Nigel Short, GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Benjamin Finegold, GM Jan Gustafsson

1:04:00- What were Jonathan’s interactions with Kasparov like?

Mentioned: Magnus Carlsen, GM Bobby Fischer

1:09:00- What are Jonathan’s thoughts on the Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi match?

1:11:00- Thanks so much to Jonathan for joining us!

Here is how to keep up with him:

Buy his books here:

Amazon.com

Follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/JonathanLevitt7?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

You can email him directly at jonathanlevitt at btinternet.com

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Book Recap #17- Discussing "Zurich 1953" with FM Nate Solon, featuring GM Andy Soltis Jul 09, 2021

It has been a while, but Perpetual Chess is back with a blockbuster bonus book recap podcast. For this episode of Chess Books Recaptured, I am joined by FIDE Master Nate Solon to compare two books about one of the most famous chess tournaments of all time, the 1953 Zurich-Neuhausen Candidates tournament.(More commonly known as just, Zurich 1953) GM David Bronstein’s book, Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 , is one of the most popular chess books of all time, and is often recommended on this podcast. GM Miguel Najdorf’s tournament book, Zurich 1953: 15 Contenders for the World Chess Championship, is also considered a classic by many, but may not be as well known due to having only been translated into English in the past decade. So how do we compare the books? Do they live up to their reputation as instructional chess book classics? What made the tournament so special? What are we to make of the “ghost writing” and “match fixing” allegations which have come to light in recent decades? So much to discuss! We even feature a guest appearance by renowned author and GM Andy Soltis to help answer these questions! Please read on for lots more details and relevant links.

0:00- Why did we choose these two books?

Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 - Kindle edition by Bronstein, David. Humor & Entertainment Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Zurich 1953: 15 Contenders for the World Chess Championship - Kindle edition by Najdorf, Miguel. Humor & Entertainment Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Mentioned: GM Andy Soltis’ Soviet Chess 1917-1991, Chess24 series: The 50 Greatest Chess Players of all Time, GM Genna Sosonko’s Smylov on the Couch, Boris Samoilovich Vainstein (author, collaborator of David Bronstein)

20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com.

Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to Chessable’s new podcast focused on chess improvement How to Chess (hosted by me), more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

21:00- GM Andy Soltis joins the show to share his perspective on why he thinks these books are so famous.

You can preorder Andy’s upcoming book here:

Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Taimanov and Averbakh: A Chess Multibiography with 220 Games: Soltis, Andrew: 9781476677934: Amazon.com: Books

42:00-

Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

42:30- For what level chess fans are these books most beneficial? How do the books compare?

Mentioned: IM Christof Sielecki video looking at the analysis of Zurich 1953:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHCE68qr5oQ

John Watson’s review of the Zurich 1953 books:

https://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-106-zurich-1953-by-najdorf

Episode 46 with IM John Watson

54:00- We share a few choice quotes from both books.

1:03:00- Who wrote Bronstein’s book? Bronstein or his friend Boris Vainstein? Is it important?

Mentioned: GM Genna Sosonko’s The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein

1:07:00- We finally dive deeper into the allegations that the Soviet government ordered match fixing by the Soviet players

Mentioned: Chesscafe.com, GM Yuri Averbakh, Taylor Kingston, Taimanov vs. Smyslov

1:21:00- Thanks so much to Nate for donating so much time! Tune in next time for a recap of My System with IM Christof Sielecki.

Support Chess in Slums here:

https://gofund.me/61ae63d6

Here Tunde on the Perpetual Chess Episode 219 here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2a57aGslpbGW08KozHQ2ih?si=Yg9RZqpgRMqonYQhGcBbOA&dl_branch=1

You can subscribe to Nate’s free email newsletter here:

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/

Follow Nate on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/natesolon

Lichess Study with Selected Games Here:

https://lichess.org/study/pCrnDQxs/o0AoddYo

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EP 233- IM Levy Rozman Returns Jul 06, 2021

IM Levy Rozman a/k/a “GothamChess” is a chess commentator, Twitch streamer, and, of course, creator of one of the most popular Chess YouTube channels in the World. His channel has seen explosive growth since his prior visit to Perpetual Chess, one year ago. It recently surpassed 1 million subscribers and is still growing quickly! In our conversation, Levy reflects on the success of his channel, and shares lots of advice for other aspiring content creators. We also discuss his recent return to competitive chess. Levy recently competed in the National Open in Las Vegas. He had pretty good results over the board, but perhaps more surprisingly, the videos analyzing his tournament games proved to be amongst his most popular ever! Why does he think that is? Will his comeback and pursuit of the Grandmaster title continue? Will he ever stop speaking out on political issues? We tackle all of these questions and many more in this fun, wide-ranging conversation. Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links.

0:00- We begin by doing a post-mortem on Levy’s recent return to over-the-board “OTB” chess. How does Levy reflect on his performance in the recently completed National Open in Las Vegas?

11:00- Levy answers a Patreon mailbag question, relating to whether making videos during a tournament is distracting, and why he thinks his game recap videos were so popular (often with more than 400,000 views per episode)!

The first of Levy’s game recapps from Vegas is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqNenU-sQZI

His recap of his game with IM Christopher Yoo is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPBLVuVk1zw

Also mentioned: GM Alex Grischuk, Czech Open, GM Wojciech Moranda, FM Kyron Griffith

25:30- With so much content coming out, what steps has Levy taken to avoid burnout?

29:30- What aspects of his chess game does Levy think he needs to work on?

34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com.

Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to Chessable’s new podcast focused on chess improvement How to Chess (hosted by me), more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

35:00- Levy delves into some of the key decisions behind his YouTube channel’s huge growth in the past year.

Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, Agadmator, Guess the Elo, Kasparov vs. the World Video-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOrLfEZav14, Hanging Pawns YouTube, Mato Jelic YouTube, Kevin Durant, Dewa Kipas, WGM Irene Sukander

50:00- Levy answers another question from a Patreon subscriber, relating to explaining his YouTube success.

53:00 Another Patreon question- “What advice does Levy have for new chess streamers? “

Mentioned: Agadmator, GM Daniel King, IM John Bartholomew, GM Hikaru Nakamura, Mr. Beast, TierZoo, Daily Dose of Chess

1:01:00- What encounters with celebrities has Levy had as a result of his success?

Mentioned: Levy’s lesson with Gordon Hayward, Joe Posnanski’s blog post about chess is here:

https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/chess

1:03:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

1:04:00- Levy made a few enemies with this tweet, Does he stand by the sentiment? We also discuss Levy’s penchant for tweeting about politics.

Mentioned: GM Daniel King, GM Ben FInegold

1:17:00- Levy also has been an outspoken advocate for helping to foster a more supportive atmosphere for women in chess. How did this issue come to his attention?

1:24:00- How is Levy’s girlfriend’s game progressing?

1:27:00- Has Levy made any big purchases in the wake of his recent success?

Mentioned: Joe Rogan podcast, Magnus Carlsen

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 232- James Altucher returns Jun 29, 2021

James Altucher is a best-selling author, popular business podcast host, entrepreneur, USCF Master and adult improver! I last interviewed James back in October of 2017. At the time, James had some fun stories to tell about his chess background, but he wasn’t actively working on his chess. As it has for many people, that has changed in the past year. In the wake of the Queen’s Gambit boom, James’ love for chess is back in full bloom. He has been training 3-4 hours a day and hopes to return to competitive chess soon. In addition to his chess expertise, James is a keen student of adult learning who has interviewed experts in the field, such as Anders Ericsson and Angela Duckworth, among others. James gives some great advice on how to approach chess improvement and shares what he has learned from working 1 on 1 with coaches like IM Eric Rosen, and GM Jesse Kraai. James also offers some actionable advice for aspiring content creators, and he asks me a few questions about how Perpetual Chess has been affected by the pandemic. As always, please read on for lots more details, timestamps and relevant links.

0:00- I am pleased to announce that Perpetual Chess is joining the Blue Wire Podcast Network! Blue Wire is a fast growing network of sports, comedy and lifestyle podcasts, and Perpetual Chess is the first chess podcast to sign on with them. More information about Blue Wire Podcasts here:

https://www.bluewirepods.com/

2:00- James rejoins the show, and we dive right into James’ recent chess studies..

Mentioned:

Perpetual Chess Episode 42 with James Altucher

The James Altucher Episode 667 with Jen Shahade

The James Altucher show Episode 716 with Garry Kasparov

IM Eric Rosen, GM Jesse Kraai

Perpetual Chess Podcast Episode 182 with IM Willy Hendriks

Perpetual Chess Podcast Episode 213 with IM Greg Shahade

Perpetual Chess Podcast Episode 11 with GM Alex Lenderman

The Woodpecker Method by GM Axel Smith

Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios

19:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

20:30- How does James incorporate spaced repetition of tactics into his chess study?

32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here.

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com

Also be sure to subscribe to Chessable’s new chess improvement focused podcast, How to Chess (hosted by me), more info here:

https://howtochess.com/

32:30- I ask James, whether it is as intimidating to interview GM Garry Kasparov as it is to play against him.

Mentioned: GM Michael Wilder, Episode 215 with Vishnu Sreekumar

37:00- We discuss another highly instructive book, GameChanger by GM Mathew Sadler, and WIM Natasha Regan

46:00- James asks me- What have I learned from interviewing so many adult improvers?

Mentioned: Episode 231 With Braden Laughlin, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Sam Shankland’s Banter Blitz Videos, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, The Modern Tiger

1:01:00- James asks me: how were the download numbers for Perpetual Chess affected by the Queen’s Gambit?

Mentioned: Episode 229 with GM Davorin Kuljasevic, Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, GM Ben Finegold, IM Greg Shahade, WGM Jen Shahade, FM Mike Shahade

1:12:30- How close does James think podcasts are to their growth peak? + some helpful content creation advice

Mentioned: Kevin Kelly- “Don’t Just Be the Best, Be the Only”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vincGfoF8FA

1:15:00- Thanks so much to James for rejoining the show! Here is how to keep up with him:

Buy his latest book here: Amazon.com: Skip the Line: The 10,000 Experiments Rule and Other Surprising Advice for Reaching Your Goals eBook: Altucher, Jamhttps://jamesaltucher.com/es: Books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaltucher

Website: https://jamesaltucher.com/

The James Altucher show- https://open.spotify.com/show/0Tqw1AaZyrZ7kWnrNSgbNQ

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Bonus Pod- Episode 02 of "How to Chess" with Guest Stjepan Tomic aka "Hanging Pawns" Jun 24, 2021

Stejpan Tomic, bettter known on YouTube as "Hanging Pawns" discusses How to Choose an Opening. This will be the last time How to Chess is shared on the Perpetual Chess Feed, so please subscribe to How to Chess via the following links: Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/74A0JotybXUvnviTCzsSUp?si=qx4NioNpSGejntNjXIcxtA&dl_branch=1 Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-chess/id1572917817 Chessable YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxVGiP4dl19wwGJlCy3_u8g Google Podcasts- https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaG93LXRvLWNoZXNzLw If you do not see "How to Chess" on your podcast platform, please email HowToChess at Chessable.com to let us know. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bonus Pod- Episode 01 of "How to Chess" with Guest GM Eugene Perelshteyn Jun 17, 2021

Here is a preview of my brand new chess improvement podcast, "How to Chess," brought to you by Chessable. In Episode 1, Author, GM and the founder of ChessOpeningsExplained.Com, Eugene Perelshteyn shares advice on how to limit blunders. Here is how to subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74A0JotybXUvnviTCzsSUp?si=DZnY-yoRRl-Awcmn5OtPSg&dl_branch=1 Subscribe at Chessable's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Chessable/videos?view=0&sort=dd&flow=grid Apple Podcast- https://t.co/gBuwchfxRo?amp=1 Google Podcasts- https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaG93LXRvLWNoZXNzLw For comments, guess suggestions, or a chess improvement question you'd like to hear answered on How To Chess you can email to HowToChess at Chessable.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.231 - Braden Laughlin (Adult Improver Series) Jun 15, 2021

My guest on this week’s adult improver edition of Perpetual Chess is Braden Laughlin. Braden is a 22 year old Canadian chess enthusiast who has seen robust gains in the first few years of his chess development. Braden went from 0 to 1750 (Canadian rating) in his first 16 months of chess! In the subsequent 2.5 years he has continued to get stronger, and now has an online blitz rating peak of over 2100! Not bad for four years work! How did he do it? As you will hear, Braden has an approach that is wholly different from any other adult improver that has appeared on Perpetual Chess. Braden has taken full advantage of all of the great free chess content on YouTube, and is also a big proponent of playing tons of games, and trying to derive a lesson from each game. For many more tips, as well as some background about Braden as a video editor and recently hired Chessable employee please check out our interview. As always, lots more details, timestamps and relevant links can be found below. 0:00- How to Chess Podcast info from your host Ben: Here are the links to subscribe to How to Chess: First YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Y_E7CjneE Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74A0JotybXUvnviTCzsSUp?si=DZnY-yoRRl-Awcmn5OtPSg&dl_branch=1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNK7qZ8m2n54hviCjAPNe7w Apple Podcasts- Coming Soon For any how to chess related questions you’d like answered please email howtochess at chessable.com 6:00- Braden joins the show and digs into his chess background and his early steps in chess improvement. Mentioned: Chess Network’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCDOQrpqLqKVcTCKzqarxLg Also mentioned: IM John Bartholomew- Climbing the Rating Ladder Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2huVf1l4UE&list=PLl9uuRYQ-6MCBnhtCk_bTZsD8GxeWP6BV Also mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, The St. Louis Chess Club’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM-ONC2bCHytG2mYtKDmIeA Also mentioned: Jonathan Rowson’s Chess for Zebras 18:00- Braden discusses how chess served as an escape for him when he faced some physical and mental health challenges: 21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then if you subscribe use the promo code Perpetual30 22:00- How did Braden balance actual chess playing with the study he did and chess videos that he consumed? 27:00- What tips does Braden have for learning positional chess concepts? Mentioned: ChessNetwork, IM John Bartholomew, Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean, Simple Chess Podcast, Book Recap #13, Episode 213 with IM Greg Shahade 33:00- How much time did Braden spend working on tactics? GM Roman Dzindzichashvili 38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 39:00- Has Braden’s study approach changed as he has reached higher levels? 45:30- Braden answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to how the OTB tournament situation will compare in Spain to North America. (Braden is moving to Spain soon) 48:00- Patreon question: “Did Braden use any Chessable resources to help his chess improvement?” Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Braden’s video about the longest possible chess game is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DXJxR3Uig Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Kostya Kavutskiy 56:00- Braden discusses how he got into creating Youtube videos. Mentioned: Good Blood Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC55OV4HSSKJEthG4ulsKkyw Zelda video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyUcwsjyd8Q 1:02:00- Thanks so much to Braden for sharing the details of his unique climb up the rating ranks! Subscribe to his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DXJxR3Uig Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Braden_Laughlin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.230 - WGM Irene Sukandar Jun 08, 2021

WGM and IM Irene Sukander is one of the top players in Indonesia, the two-time Asian Women’s Chess Champion, and she earned a Grandmaster norm at the Asian Continental in 2012. Although her numerous chess accomplishments required an investment of time, Irene did not shirk her studies. She studied English literature in Indonesia, and Irene earned a Masters Degree in International Relations at chess powerhouse Webster University in St. Louis. Irene was already a well-known and accomplished chess player, but we saw her fame explode when due to an unusual set of circumstances she participated in a live, high stakes chess match with 1.25 million online viewers! Irene reflects on that match, and the ways it changed her life both for better and for worse. We also discuss Irene’s current chess goals, the unique chess culture in Indonesia, ways to popularize chess for women, and many more topics. There is much to learn from Irene, so I hope you enjoy this conversation as I did. Please read on for more details, timestamp and related links. 0:00- We begin by discussing the latest on Irene’s chess game. Is she studying? Is she planning on chasing the GM title? This segment also touches on chess in Indonesia. Mentioned: Ray Robson, Eric Rosen, Ilya Nyzhnik, Le Quang Liem, Susan Polgar Ladies Knight Podcast interview with Jen Shahade: https://open.spotify.com/episode/108CgkISEvilraOmayh887?si=9df44dab494b4bb1 Biel Open, Jakarta Post article about Irene: https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2021/04/09/meet-irene-kharisma-sukandar-the-grandmaster-thrust-into-the-spotlight.html 10:00- Irene was a bit of a prodigy as a child. She delves into the intense study regimen that helped her earn her chess success. Mentioned: GM Mikhail Botvinnik, Chess Informant’s, Hort-Karpov 1981 27:00- Irene answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag relating to ways that more women can be inspired to pursue chess. Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar, GM Maia Chiburdanidze, GM Hou Yifan, GM Ju Wenjun, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 34:00- Irene reflects on the experience of participating in the most viewed chess match of all time, an event which came about under quite unusual circumstances. Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman a/k/a Gotham Chess , Dewa Kipas, Here is Peter Doggers’ Chess.com story- Cheating Controversy Results in Most Watched Chess Event of All Time- https://www.chess.com/news/view/most-watched-chess-stream-in-history-dewa-kipas 43:00- What content advice has Irene been given from her friend IM Eric Rosen? Mentioned: Episode 36 with IM Eric Rosen, Episode 130 with IM Eric Rosen 47:00- Patreon question- was the $14,000 Irene received for her match with Dewa Kipas her biggest chess payday? She also reflects a bit more on what she will remember from this landmark chess match. 58:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 1:01:00- We talk a bit about Irene’s life and interests away from the board. Mentioned: Reykjavik Open Chess Tournament- https://www.reykjavikopen.com/, Kopi Luwak 1:08:00- Thanks so much to Irene for joining the podcast Here are the best ways to keep up with her: Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/irene_sukandar/?hl=en Twitter- https://twitter.com/irene_sukandar?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Twitch- https://t.co/tIJGJkZzLp?amp=1 Chess.com If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.229 - GM Davorin Kuljasevic Jun 01, 2021

GM Davorin Kuljsevicis an author, a trainer and, of course, an accomplished chess player. Davorin has won several international tournaments and competed with the Croatian National team. As a trainer, he has coached the Finland Men’s and Women’s National Chess teams,and he has taught many titled players. In recent years, Davorin is becoming best known for his books. His first book, Beyond Material, helps players learn to sacrifice for initiative and to play more dynamically. Davorin’s new book,How to Study Chess On Your Own: Creating a Plan that Works and Sticking to it, is an expansive and instructive book that provides both chess instruction and study plans for the ambitious improver. The book, and our interview, contain useful tips on how to properly use engines, improve tactics, structure study time, and lots more. Please read on for more details and relevant timestamps. 0:00- We dive right into Davorin’s new book,How to Study Chess On Your Own: Creating a Plan that Works and Sticking to it. What advice can be gleaned from this impressive book? Mentioned: GM Efstratios Grivas, IM Lawrence Trent, GM Daniel Fridman, Kuljasevic-Fridman 2013, GM Richard Rapport, GM Judit Polgar, GM Veselin Topalov 12:00- Davorin’s book advocates a very ambitious study plan. Can it be adjusted for those who have less time to devote to chess study? Mentioned:Pump Up Your Ratingby GM Axel Smith, Berlin Wall by GM John Cox 18:00- Davorin answers a few Patreon mailbag questions, including, “Is there a minimum amount of study one must to do to expect chess improvement?” Mentioned: IM Cyrus Lakdawala 24:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How should adult improvers measure progress?” 28:00-Patreon mailbag question: “Can humans use non GM strength engines as playing partners?” Mentioned: ChessDojo, Episode 215 with Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar 31:00- How should one properly use chess engines? James Altucher Episode 716 with Garry Kasparov 37:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 38:00- How can we break the spell of excessive “materialism” in chess, and learn to sacrifice for dynamic compensation? Mentioned: Beyond Material by GM Davorin Kuljasevic, Gamechangerby GM Mathew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan, Artemiev-Motylev 2015, Mastering Positional Sacrifices by IM Merijn van Delft 46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 49:00- How would Davorin ramp up for a tournament if he were getting ready to compete? Mentioned: WGM Iva Videnova, 51:00- What was it like to do a Chess TV show in Croatia? How is the chess culture there? Mentioned: Episode 160 with Agadmator, Episode 117 with Stjepian Tomic aka Hanging Pawns, Episode 223 with Dr. Luka Popov, GM Alojzije Janković 54:30- Davorin discusses his experience studying in the US at University of Texas at Dallas, and at Texas Tech University Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew, IM Dmitry Schneider, FM Andrei Zaremba 58:00- Davorin names a few of his favorite chess authors Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Jacob Aagaard, GM Boris Gelfand, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 1:02:-- Thanks so much to Davorin for joining the show. Link below for where to reach him and purchase his books: Buy from New in Chess Publishing (including ebook): https://www.newinchess.com/how-to-study-chess-on-your-own Buy from Amazon: How to Study Chess on Your Own: Creating a Plan that Works… and Sticking to it! - Kindle edition by Kuljasevic, Davorin. Humor & Entertainment Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Reach Davorin here: https://lichess.org/coach/GrandmasterThinking If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.228 - GM Ben Finegold returns May 25, 2021

This week we are rejoined by the always entertaining Twitch streamer,YouTube creator and accomplished Grandmaster, Ben Finegold! Ben was an early guest of Perpetual Chess, back in 2017. In the subsequent years, Ben has seen his online following grow rapidly, and The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta (which he co-founded with his wife Karen Boyd) continues to find its footing despite the pandemic. In this interview, Ben reflects on his recent success, and shares some great stories from his own journey to the GM title, his early encounters with the Polgar sisters, and some chess history wisdom regarding Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Tal and many others. It is always illuminating and amusing to get to chat with Ben, please read on for all of the details, relevant links and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by hearing the story of how Ben earned the GM title at the relatively late age of 40. Mentioned: Episode 9 with GM Ben Finegold, Episode 52 with GM Ben Finegold, Episode 271 “IM to GM special episode” with IMs Lawrence Trent, Sean Nagle and Attila Turzo, Bill Goichberg, Susan Polgar, Sevan Muradian, FM Peter Giannatos, GM Vishy Anand, GM Garry Kasparov, Albert Pujols, Robert Parish, GM Viktor Korchnoi, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Tyson 18:00- Since Ben wasn’t a big book reader, to what does he attribute his chess accomplishments? Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer, WGM Jenn Shahade, Episode 223 with Adult Improver Dr. Luka Popov 24:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 25:30- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks: As someone with a popular chess center, what advice would Ben give for opening a venue in a major city? Mentioned: Episode 185 with IM Stuart Rachels, Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos Mentioned: The Queen’s Gambit, Silver Knights Enrichment 41:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 42:00- Ben answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to the differences in playing style between GMs Magnus Carlsen and GM Garry Kasparov Mentioned: HBO’s Real Sports featuring GM Fabiano Caruana: https://www.youtube.om/watch?v=nbvrDspsGNU&feature=emb_imp_woyt Also mentioned: Paul Morphy, GM Anatoly Karpov 50:00- Ben had a few memorable games against the Polgar sisters. What were those experiences like? Mentioned: FM Emory Tate , GM Roman Dzindichashvilli, J. Polgar-Finegold 1989, Finegold, Gelfand 1989, J. Polgar-Finegold 1990, Finegold-Susan Polgar 1990 56:00- Why does Ben think he has found an audience on Chess Twitch? How does he think about some recent controversies involving chess Twitch personalities? Mentioned: GM Jon Speelman, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Eric Hansen, The Botez Sisters, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Aman Hambleton, IM John Bartholomew, IM Eric Rosen, IM Anna Rudolf, WFM Anna Cramling, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Ben have plans to improve his Twitch clips? Mentioned: The Family Guy 1:16:00- Patreon mailbag question: Which players of the past would have been good Twitch streamers? Mentioned: GM Ljubomir Ljubojević FM Emory Tate, GM Mikhail Tal, GM Alonso Zapata 1:21:00- GM Ben Finegold was featured in Sasha Chapin’s entertaining book All the Wrong Moves. What were Ben’s experiences with Sasha like? Mentioned: Episode 152 with Sasha Chapin, Howard Stern, George Stephonopoulos, 1:26:00- Thanks, as always to Ben for joining the show. Here is how to keep up with him: Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/gmbenjaminfinegold Twitter- https://twitter.com/ben_finegold?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Ben’s Personal Youtube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6EnFbK-P5q0zeaqI5yobKg Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta Youtube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqLLqbclDQ6IQg39Wsgy-4w See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.227 - WFM Maria Emelianova May 18, 2021

WFM Maria Emelianova a/k/a “Photochess” is a popular Twitch streamer, photographer, translator, and chess journalist. Maria often spends more than half of her time travelling to cover and help organize chess tournaments. She has accumulated many memorable images and great stories from her time on the chess beat. To give an idea of her schedule, Maria worked on staff at the 2020-2021 FIDE Candidates in her native Yekaterinaburg, Russia, and she joined the podcast en route home from working at the Russian Team Championship in Sochi. In our conversation, Maria gave a first hand perspective on the Candidates Tournament, and we also touched on Maria’s chess book recommendations. We talked about her career as a chess competitor, as well as stories from her life as a chess photographer and advice regarding chess photography, Twitch streaming, and much more. Please read on for timestamps, lots more details and links related to this fun conversation. 0:00- As an Yekaterinaburg native and resident, Maria was part of the FIDE Candidates staff. She describes what her work entailed and gives some behind-the-scenes info from the tournament. Mentioned: https://www.sima-land.ru/, WGM Leya Garifullina, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, GM Peter Leko, Lennart Ootes 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 24:45- What are Maria’s favorite chess resources? Mentioned: My Great Predecessors , Decision Making in Major Piece Endings , Chess Life Magazine, IM Elizabeth Paehtz’s Twitch channel- https://www.twitch.tv/ellipaehtz 32:30- Maria discusses her decision to play internationally for the United Kingdom, rather than Russia 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 39:45- Maria reflects on her experiences as a Twitch streamer and shares some advice for other aspiring streamers and chess professionals. Mentioned: Twitch Streamer MrLlamaSC- https://www.twitch.tv/mrllamasc Also Mentioned: Episode 180 with IM Levy Rozman, Episode 140 with GM Aman Hambleton 53:30- Maria tells the memorable story of her first gig as a chess photographer Mentioned: GM Alexander Motylev, Former FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov 1:00:00- What makes for a good chess photo? Who are Maria’s favorite players to photograph? Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, GM Anton Korobov, GM Alexander Grischuk 1:07:30- Which of Maria’s 5 cats is most beloved by her Twitch viewers? 1:13:00- Thanks so much to Maria for joining the show. Here is how you can keep up with her: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/photochess Webpage: https://photochess.com/ Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/member/photochess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photochess/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/photochess?lang=en Reddit Photo Challenge: https://www.reddit.com/r/photoshopbattles/comments/6kywwe/psbattle_world_chess_champion_receiving_golden/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.226 - Tim Krabbé May 11, 2021

Tim Krabbé is a popular Dutch novelist who is probably best known for the cult cycling classic The Rider, and the book The Vanishing, which was adapted into film in both The Netherlands and the U.S. In chess circles, Tim is a strong player who was once among the top 20 in the Netherlands, and he was a competitor in two Dutch National Championships. He has written for New in Chess Magazine, and wrote a classic (out of print) book called Chess Curiosities. Around the late 1990s and 2000s, Tim maintained an amazing blog which tracked chess news, shared stories and contained many noteworthy chess studies and records. Tim no longer updates the blog, but fortunately he maintains the archive, so that chess fans still can immerse themselves in it. Tim has accumulated some great stories from his interactions with legends like GMs Jan Timman, Garry Kasparov, and Vishy Anand. In our interview, he shares a few of the stories, assesses the chess boom, and shares his wisdom on the topics of writing, cycling, longevity, and of course, chess. Please read on for more details and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We dive right into chess talk, as Tim shares his thoughts on the FIDE Candidates tournament, and discusses his current relationship with chess. Mentioned: GM Anish Giri, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, Babson tasks , Episode 210 with Tom Vanderbilt. See Tom Vanderbilt’s profile of Tim Krabbé here- https://www.bicycling.com/news/a20026829/think-you-understand-the-rider-think-again/ 09:45- Tim made a comeback to cycling in his 60’s, and still works hard on his writing at the age of 78. What advice does he have for staying mentally and physically robust? This segues into Tim’s thoughts on the relative differences between chess, cycling, and racing. 16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 16:45- Tim answers a few questions from The Patreon mailbag relating to whether there are any similarities between cycling and chess. Mentioned: Marc Cavendish, GM Simen Agdestein, Tim’s article about Simen is here: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess2/agd_eng.htm 23:30- Tim tells the memorable story of how Bobby Fischer’s achievement’s deterred him from pursuing professional chess. He then tells a few stories derived from his attending the Fischer-Spassky World Championship in 1972. Game 1 here- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044722 Also mentioned: GM Friðrik Ólafsson 30:30- Patreon mailbag question: “How important does Tim think exercise is for competing at chess?” 34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 35:00- What is Tim’s most cherished chess memory? What sites does he read? Mentioned: Leonid Yarosh’s Babson Task- more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babson_task Also mentioned: Chessbase.com, Chessvibes.com 40:30- What are Tim’s favorite chess books? Mentioned: The Kingby GM Jan Hein Donner, Hein Donner, The Biography, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal 44:00- What does Tim think about the future of chess? Mentioned: GM Jan Timman, Read Tim’s chess short story, Master Jacobson, here: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/text/jacobson.htm 49:00- What advice does Tim have for how to tell a good story? Who are his favorite novelists? Mentioned: Lev Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ivan Turgenev 53:00- Tim describes a memorable interaction with legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov. Mentioned: Kasparov vs. Piket 1995, Tim’s piece A Walk with Garry Kasparov: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/text/kaspeng.html Thanks so much to Tim for sharing his stories and wisdom! Read his archive here:https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess/chess.html Purchase his books here: https://www.amazon.com/Tim-Krabbe/e/B000APEA88%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share You can reach him at timkr At xs4all.nl See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.225 - GM Axel Smith May 04, 2021

This week I am joined by one of my favorite modern authors, Grandmaster Axel Smith. Axel is a two-time Swedish Chess Olympiad member, who is probably best known for co-authoring the 2017 book, The Woodpecker Method with his fellow Grandmaster, Hans Tikkanen. Axel has written a few other books, which are excellent guides for more advanced players. They are Pump Up Your Rating, e3 Poison, and his latest offering from Quality Chess, Street Smart Chess. In our interview we discuss all of these books, and touch on topics like the origins of The Woodpecker Method, Axel’s own experience with using spaced repetition, and his improvement advice for ambitious club players. There are lots of useful nuggets in our conversation, so I hope you will enjoy it. Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by discussing what is probably GM Axel Smith’s most popular book, the famed The Woodpecker Method, which he co-wrote with GM Hans Tikkanen. The book is available from Amazon and is very popular on Chessable. Mentioned: Book Recap #6 discussing Woodpecker Method with Neal Bruce, Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris, Episode 216 with Dr. Jana Krivec 15:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 16:00- In Pump Up Your Rating, Axel listed the 4 key components of chess improvement: “ (1) analyzing your games and making a ‘list of mistakes;” (2) using a De la Maza-esque program to study tactics; (3) doing serious opening work via the creation of ‘opening files’ in ChessBase; and (4) mastering approximately 100 key theoretical endgames.” Does he still think this is the best approach? Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know 20:45- In e3 Poison, Axel mentioned that we may be entering a post theoretical era- what does he mean by that? Mentioned: GM Anish Giri 24:30- What players does Axel look up to? Mentioned: GM Stellan Brynell, GM Ulf Andersson, YouTube Video- Play Like Ulf Andersson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDo--EPHnfc 27:00-Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 28:30 What is the theme of Axel’s newest book, Street Smart Chess? Mentioned: Forward Chess, Street Smart Chess, Free book excerpt from Quality Chess here: http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/StreetSmartChess-excerpt.pdf GM David Navara, GM Aryan Tari, GM Baskaran Adhiban, GM Laurent Fressinet,GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Magnus Carlsen, My Chess World, The Secret Ingredient by Jan Markos and GM David Navara 39:45- What is the chess culture like in Sweden? 41:00- What are some of Axel’s favorite books? Mentioned: Learn from the Legends, Move First Think Later, On the Origin of the Good Moves 46:00- Axel Smith shares some life and chess advice before departing. You can keep up with him via his website: http://www.schackstudion.se/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.224 - GM Ruslan Ponomariov Apr 29, 2021

This week’s guest is none other than former FIDE World Champion, 2 time Olympiad Gold Medalist, and 2011 Ukrainian National Champion, GM Ruslan Ponomariov! With the FIDE Candidates having concluded it was a great time to hear the thoughts of this genial super grandmaster. In our conversation, Ruslan puts the 2020-2021 FIDE Candidates into historical context, shares his perspective on GM Ian Nepomniachtchi’s victory, and then assesses the 2021 World Championship matchup between Nepomniachtchi and GM Magnus Carlsen. We then delve into GM Ponomariov’s storied career. How does he reflect on having been the youngest FIDE World Champion ever? What is he up to these days? We discuss this and much more in this fascinating, wide-ranging interview. Please read on for lots more details and timestamps. 0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings, inclluding IM Christof Sielecki's course on the Pirc defense here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 2:00- We begin, of course, by discussing the just-ended FIDE Candidates Tournament. What were GM Ponomariov’s impressions of the FIDE Candidates Tournament? Mentioned: Curacao 1962: The Battle That Shook the Chess World, GM Garry Kasparov, GM Alexei Dreev, Alexander Grischuk, GM Garry Kasparov, Rublevsky vs. Ponomariov 2007 20:00- How does he assess GM IanIan Nepomniachtchi’’s chances vs. Magnus Carlsen? Mentioned: Bwin World Championship Odds- https://sports.bwin.com/en/sports/events/world-championship-2021-11184631 GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Peter Heine Nielsen 26:00- Ruslan answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: “How would a world championship team typically prepare for a match?” Ruslan describes his own experiences working with Magnus Carlsen. Mentioned: The Anand Files, GM Wang Hao, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Sergei Karjakin, GM Boris Gelfand 37:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Ruslan place his FIDE World Champion title within historical context?” Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Bobby Fischer 43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 44:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ruslan have any professional chess plans outside of continuing to compete?” Mentioned: Dortmund Chess Days 2021 51:30- Patreon question: “Does GM Ponomariov have any suggestions for how to avoid information overload?” Mentioned: GM Noel Studer’s blog- https://t.co/4zQNhZV958?amp=1 56:00- GM Ponomariov discusses some of the chess-related projects on which he is working. Mentioned: German Bundeslga, GM Vladimir Baklan, GM Pavel Elianov, GM Yuriy Kuzubov, Russian Language Academy of Olympic Champions website here: Академия Олимпийских Чемпионов 1:01:00- Does Ruslan have any good stories involving GM Vasyl Ivanchuk? Has he ever played him in checkers? Mentioned: Ivanchuk interview with Fiona Steil Antoni: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGpT9el_9i8, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Alexander Morozevich, GM Tiger Hillarp Person, GM Emanuel Lasker, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Mikhail Podharetz 1:15:00- Twitter question from GM Denes Boros: “Is there anything GM Ponomariov would have done differently from his time at the top of the chess world?” Mentioned: GM Yuriy Kryvoruchko , GM Vladimir Topolov, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Wang Hao 1:23:00- In view of the fact that Ruslan lives in Spain, I asked whether he does any chess work there, or is it primarily on the road, and in his native Ukraine? 1:29:00- In 2008, GM Ponomariov told Chessbase.com of his desire to travel through the Mongolian steppes. Has he taken that trip yet? 1:32:00- Thanks so much to GM Ponomariov for sharing his time and reflections. Here is how you can keep up with him: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ruslanponomariov Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ponomariov?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #16: Discussing Logical Chess Move by Move with Barry Katz Apr 23, 2021

Welcome to another bonus book recap podcast, also known as Chess Books Recaptured! This month’s book of choice is one of the most popular beginner-oriented chess books of all time, Irving Chernev’s Logical Chess Move by Move. My guest co-host this month is Barry Katz. Barry is a Brooklyn based father of 4, and college writing instructor who discovered chess in recent years through the interest of his son. Irving Chernev has left quite a legacy as an accomplished and popular writer of 20 chess books. Logical Chess Move by Move was first published in 1957, so some have suggested it is outdated, but both Barry and I find it to be very readable and instructive, and an excellent book for those looking to understand the timeless principles of master level chess play. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- Barry shares a bit about his background, and we discuss why we chose to discuss Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev Mentioned: Facebook Chess Books Collectors Group, GM Max Illingworth, GM Andy Soltis, Brian Karen, World Chess Hall of Fame, Chernev tribute: https://worldchesshof.org/hof-inductee/irving-chernev Also Mentioned: Episode 221 with Chris Callhan, Lichess Study Featuring Logical Chess Move by Move: https://lichess.org/study/Wn7aMkPy, Jen Shahade, Mike Klein, Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played The 1979 Chernev interview from the Chess Life and Review archive can be found here: http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1979/1979_All.pdf 12:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: Chessable.com 13:45- Is Logical Chess Move by Move secretly a good guide to openings? What other move by move chess books are available on the market? Mentioned: The Scandinavian Defense, Understanding Chess Move by Move by GM John Nunn, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy by IM John Watson, Episode 41 with GM Judit Polgar 20:30- We share a few noteworthy quotes of Chernev discussing the common early moves of chess games. Mentioned: IM Andras Toth, Girl vs. Wang Hao 2021 32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then if you decide to subscribe use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 33:30- We share a few more favorite quotes from the book. Mentioned: Dan Heisman, IM Eric Rosen, Jose Rauol Capablanca, Harry Pillsbury, GM Sam Shankland, Siegbert Tarrasch 44:30- We discuss a couple of our favorite games from the podcast. Mentioned: Rubinstein-Salwe 1908, Tarrasch-Mieses 1916 48:00- What were our main chess improvement takeaways? Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Caruana-Vachier-Lagrave 2021, World’s Most Instructive Amateur Game Book by Dan Heisman, IM Cyrus Lakdawala 59:00- Thanks so much to Barry Katz for helping out this month’s book recap. You can email him at: Iambarrykatz at gmail.com Mentioned: Subscribe to FM Nate Solon’s email newsletter here: Zwischenzug (substack.com), Bronstein’s Zurich 1953 book, Najdorf’s Zurich 1953 book If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.223 - Dr. Luka Popov (Adult Improver Series) Apr 20, 2021

My guest on the podcast is adult improver Dr. Luka Popov. Luka is a 39 year-old Croatian dad, theoretical physics Ph.D., software engineer and content creator. Luka started serious chess in 2017, and was primarily emphasizing over-the-board chess before the pandemic. Then he switched to online chess, and his Lichess rapid rating has gained about 250 points in the last 1.5 years.

Luka shares a lot of his wisdom and experiences on his YouTube channel called “The Adult Chess Improver.” As the channel and our interview make clear, Luka has quickly gained expertise in the topic of adult chess improvement, and our interview is filled with quality recommendations for like-minded players. Please read on for lots more details.

0:00- Luka delves into his chess background.

Mentioned: Agadmator, Hanging Pawns

12:00- Why does Luka think many titled players struggle to understand the plight of adult improvers?

Mentioned: IM Andras Toth, Dr. Jana Krivec

17:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:

New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com

18:30- Why is it important for improvers to try to acquire chess skills rather than gain chess knowledge?

Mentioned: Neal Bruce

26:00 What do Luka’s family and friends think of his chess hobby?

28:30- Luka answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to developing board visualization.

Mentioned:: Jason Cigan, JJ Lang, Benedictine’s Basic Chess Patterns:

https://www.chessable.com/basic-chess-patterns-/course/46181/

Also Mentioned: Chesstempo, Perpetual Chess Book Recap of Woodpecker Method and Michael De La Maza’s Rapid Chess Improvement:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/4/17/bonus-pod-recapping-the-woodpecker-method-and-rapid-chess-improvement-with-neal-bruce

36:45- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the best ways to improve tactically and strategically respectively?”

Mentioned: GM Jesse Kraai, IM John Bartholomew, IM Andras Toth, GM Jacob Aagaard’s Thinking Inside the Box

43:00- Luka answers another Patreon question: “What is the best way to improve at endgames?”

Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Positional Chess Handbook by FM Israel Gelfer

45:30- Patreon question: “What advice does Luka have when it comes to setting goals?”

50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. If you subscribe use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%.

51:00- How does Luka think about the concept of “ceilings” in chess potential?

55:30- What are Luka’s plans for tournaments as the pandemic recedes?

1:01:00- What other hobbies does Luka have?

1:05:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Popov for joining the show.

Be sure to follow his YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCChy0letCdw0KtnMnfAukLw

You can email him at drpopovchess at gmail.com -

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

Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast

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EP.222 - GM Peter Svidler returns Apr 13, 2021

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are fortunate to get a return visit from the legendary commentator, Super GM, and now Chessable author, GM Peter Svidler! Peter talked with me a few days before he was set to depart for Yekaterinaburg, Russia. Yekaterinburg, of course, is where the FIDE Candidates Tournament will resume after being postponed amidst the Covid pandemic in March 2020. The tournament resumes on April 19, and the winner of the tournament will face GM Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship in November of 2021. As a competitor in prior Candidates Tournaments, and someone who is now assisting GM Kirill Alekseenko, one of the participants, it was amazing to hear GM Svidler’s perspective on the tournament. Of course, GM Svidler has also just released his much anticipated Chessable course, Lifetime Repertoires: Peter Svidler’s Grunfeld. We talked about how he researched this huge project, as well as what surprised him about the process of writing his first Chessable course. Lastly, we got lots of questions from supporters of the Perpetual Chess Podcast. GM Svidler tackled questions relating to his famed modesty, his plans for competing and commentating in 2021, and much more. Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by discussing the FIDE Candidates Tournament, which is set to resume on April 19, 2021. Mentioned: Russian Superfinals, GM Kirill Alekseenko, FIDE Candidates Wikipedia Page including participants and standings here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship_2021 Candidates odds to win: https://sports.bwin.com/en/sports/events/candidates-tournament-2020-9514213 22:30- Peter answers the first question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: “is it possible that Peter’s famed modesty gives him a competitive disadvantage?” Mentioned: GM Sergei Shipov 26:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can pick up GM Peter Svidler’s The Grunfeld: Lifetime Repertoires Part 1 here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-peter-svidlers-grunfeld-part-1/course/63116/ The free short and sweet version is here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-peter-svidlers-grunfeld/course/70030/ 27:00 What were the biggest challenges of creating Peter’s much- anticipated course on the Grunfeld opening? Mentioned: GM Danill Dubov, GM Harikrishna 41:25- Patreon question: How can a player improve at quiet positions? Mentioned: Peter’s Svidler’s “Training with Tani” Youtube Series 48:30- Patreon question: “When will we see Peter and GM Jan Gustafsson announcing again?” 53:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your online games and gives you actionable advice on what phases to work on. You can check out their site for free, and if you sign up, use the Promo Code “Chess30” to save 30% 54:00- Patreon question: “Does Peter’s love for the video game Hearthstone help his chess?” GM Evgeny Tomashevsky, GM Ian Nepomniatchi 56:30- Patreon questions: “Will Peter ever write a chess book? If he did, what would it be about?” Mentioned: Masterclass with GM Yannick Pelletier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paCReNKAcNg Peters’s Recap of his Tilburg 1997 win vs. GM Garry Kasparov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1iefMAb-Tk Also Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand’s books with GM Jacob Aagaard, FM Michiel Abeln’s The Anand Files, From London to Elista 1:04:00- Patreon question: “Who are Peter’s favorite cricket players?” 1:05:30- Patreon question: “Does Peter think that there are similarities between learning languages and chess?” Mentioned: Leisure Suit Larry 1:10:00- Thanks to much to GM Peter Svidler for re-joining the show! Here are the links for his Twitter account, Twitch Streaming, and Chessable course: https://twitter.com/polborta?lang=en https://www.twitch.tv/plbrta https://www.chessable.com/discussion/thread/242991/lifetime-repertoire-the-grunfeld-peter-svidler-/ Peter Svidler “Lifetime Repertoires” Grunfeld-Part 1- Course Giveaway Instructions! Go to Perpetual Chess Youtube page here- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcudElmRsQYTwULtd_gnFw/videos Subscribe to the channel and take a screenshot Email the screenshot to ben@perpetualchesspod.com with the subject header “YouTube” Done! Deadline April 30. Winners will be determined by random drawing, and announced via email on May 1. I will not be able to respond to all contestants emails, but you all should get an email when the winners are announced. Thanks for playing! If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, or to help support Perpetual Chess in other ways, you can learn more here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.221 - Chris Callahan of LiChess.org Apr 06, 2021

This week we are joined by Chris Callahan, who is the Community Organizer of LiChess.org. Lichess is a community supported, free, open-source, ad- and tracker-free chess site which plays host to over 5 million chess games per day. Back in 2017, I interviewed its founder, Thibault Duplessis, so it was past time to catch up on all that is new with this great site. It has been especially important during the past year as online chess has surged in popularity. We discussed everything from how they dealt with a huge traffic surge, to their capabilities in the area of cheating detection. We talked about the viability of their current business plan as well as their future plans. Chris also delved a bit into his own chess background, and shared his unique perspective on scholastic chess teaching and chess improvement. It was fun to catch up with him and to learn more about this website on which so many of us enjoy playing on a daily basis. 0:00- Chris shares a bit about his chess background, what is new with Lichess founder Thibault Duplessis, and how he became a LiChess employee, Mentioned: IM Christof Sielecki, LiChess Studies , Episode 25- Thibault Duplessis 7:00- LiChess traffic doubled in 2 weeks when the pandemic hit. How did they handle it? As a donation-driven non-profit, how is LiChess holding up financially? Mentioned: The Lichess Costs document we reference is here: http://lichess.org/costs 16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest here, including GM Peter Svidler's much anticipated course on the Grunfeld: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 17:00- Chris answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to various Lichess capabilities and future plans including what their philosophy is on sharing their open source coding. 25:30- Chris discusses a recent controversy involving Chessbase and the open source community. It is alleged that Chessbase was not transparent about using Stockfish’s Open Source Code for its Fat Fritz engine. More info in Peter Dogger’s summary here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/chessbase-fat-fritz-2-stockfish-leela-chess-zero 31:00- What is Lichess’ approach to the use of a cheat detection/engine by players? Mentioned: Episode 18 with IM Danny Rensch, Episode 136 with IM Ken Regan, GM Wesley So, GM Raunak Sadhwhani 48:00- What are the goals of the LiChess Twitch and YouTube channels? What other projects might LiChess work on? Mentioned: LiChess Study- Logical Chess Move by Move: https://lichess.org/study/Wn7aMkPy 58:00- What is Chris’ guiding principle in teaching chess to kids? What else would Chris like to see change in the chess community? Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen and The Stafford Gambit, Chess for Zebras 1:05:00- Thanks so much to Chris for sharing his knowledge and catching us up on Lichess. Join the LiChess Discord here: https://lichess.org/team/chesscord-discord-community You can follow Chris on LiChess here: https://lichess.org/@/NoJoke If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: The Perpetual Chess Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.220 - Bruce Pandolfini Mar 30, 2021

Bruce Pandolfini is a trailblazer for American chess who is well known as a top scholastic coach, prolific author, and consultant on landmark chess productions like the 1993 movie, Searching for Bobby Fischer, and the 2020 smash hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit. Bruce even served on the announcing team for PBS in the legendary 1972 Fischer vs. Spassky World Championship match. With such a resume, obviously Bruce has accumulated a treasure trove of stories, and perspective. In our interview, Bruce drew on his experience as an early coach of future GM Fabiano Caruana and IM Josh Waitzkin to discuss the nature of chess talent, and he told stories of a few of his interactions with Bobby Fischer as a New Yorker of the same generation. Bruce also opined on the growth of and future of chess, and discussed his involvement in The Queen’s Gambit, both the novel and the series. Obviously,I found this to be an entertaining and informative interview, and I hope that you will as well. Please read on for more details and links related to all that we discussed. 0:00- We begin by reliving some stories from Bruce’s youth in Brooklyn, and his interactions with chess legends like Bobby Fischer and GM Larry Evans. Mentioned: Caroline Marshall, Fabiano Caruana, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick, Al Horowitz 9:30- How did Bruce end up a part of the announcing team for PBS for the 1972 Fischer vs. Spassky “Match of the Century?” Mentioned: Shelby Lyman, Eugene Meyer, GM Edmar Mednis, Dustin Hoffman, GM Nicolas Rossolimo, IM Bernard Zuckerman. Bobby Fischer’s Outrageous Chess Moves, Here is the video of Bobby Fischer appearing on The Tonight Show in 1972- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxvnEwvgfeI, Saul Bellow, Kurt Vonnegut 22:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can always check out what’s new there through this link: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 23:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Bruce deal with students whose parents are challenging?“ Mentioned: Bill Goichberg 29:00- Does Bruce notice any traits in common amongst the top talents he has worked with such as IM Josh Waitzkin and GM Fabiano Caruana? Carol Ann Caronia, Fred Waitzkin, Bonnie Waitzkin. Lou Caruana, Robert Hess, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Miron Sher 37:00- Another Patreon Mailbag question: “What are some of Bruce’s favorite chess books?” Mentioned: My 60 Memorable Games, Botvinnik: One Hundred Selected Chess Games, Alekhine’s My Best Games of Chess, Fred Reinfeld’s The Human Side of Chess, Irving Chernev, GM Andy Soltis 39:00- Another question from a Patreon supporter: “How has Bruce’s chess improvement advice changed over the years?” Mentioned: Shelby Lyman 46:30- Bruce answers the question, “How has the rise of chess on YouTube and Twitch impacted Bruce’s students?” Mentioned: Jose Raoul Capablanca, Wilhelm Steinitz 52:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. Check out their website and subscribe to their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBUU6aq2b07VtTAMO0xGTw 53:00- We talk about Bruce’s work on The Queen’s Gambit, both Walter Tevis’ novel and the series. Mentioned: John Hartmann interview with Bruce Pandolfini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpfWu-OvAlg Also Mentioned: Bill Horberg, Scott Frank, Anya Taylor Joy, Garry Kasparov’s talk with the US Chess Girl’s Group is here: https://www.kasparov.com/garry-kasparov-talks-to-us-chess-girls-group-about-the-queens-gambit/ Also Mentioned: Searching for Bobby Fischer, Lasker’s Manual of Chess, 1:03:00- In closing, we discuss Bruce’s future projects, including whether he may ever write a memoir. Thanks so much to Bruce for joining the show! Mentioned: Kimberly Doo McVay If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.219 - Tunde Onakoya (founder of Chess in Slums) Mar 23, 2021

Twenty-six year-old Tunde Onakoya is one of the top 50 chess players in his native Nigeria (rated 2165 FIDE), and is the founder of a life-changing organization called Chess in Slums. This organization introduces chess to kids in the slums of Lagos, Nigeria, and uses the game as a learning tool to instill confidence and teach critical thinking. It's a much-needed program, because the kids learning about chess are often unable to go to school due to financial or other life circumstances. As Tunde tells us, he was one of those kids not that long ago. Tunde credits chess with changing his life and aims to do the same for the next generation. Tunde is also a musician, a tech aficionado, a speed chess lover, and he has a university degree in Computer Science. Despite his many talents, it is his work bringing chess to kids that inspires him the most, and Tunde joined me amidst a week where a swarm of media attention had helped convince him to devote even more time and energy to the Chess in Slums cause. Tunde tells an inspiring story which is still in its early stages. Please read on for more details, relevant links and timestamps of our interview. 0:00- We begin by discussing the hectic week that Tunde had preceding our interview, in the wake of a viral tweet of his about the Chess in Slums program, that begat lots of message and media requests. 7:30- Tunde tells the story of how he discovered chess during his own childhood, and how the game changed the trajectory of his life. Mentioned: Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Jose Raoul Capablanca 15:45- What were the beginnings of the Chess in Slums program? Mentioned: Chess in Slums’ Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/chessinslums/?igshid=zmqk3bq3d52e Here is a tweet with the story of the girl named Basirat https://twitter.com/Tunde_OD/status/1265289693731721216?s=20 Facebook page here- https://www.facebook.com/pg/chessinslums/posts/ 27:45- How do the kids in the slums respond to chess? 31:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. They are having a big sale this week, to check out what's available, you can go here: Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 32:00- Tunde discusses Chess.com/Chesskid’s sponsorship of Chess in the Slums. Mentioned: Carey Fan, University of California, The Chess in Slums Go Fund Me link is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/chess-education-in-africa?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1& 40:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 40:30-Tunde explains a bit about how the Nigerian school system works, and about the living situation for himself and the local kids. 48:00- Is a chess culture taking hold in Nigeria? 51:30- We talk a bit about Tunde's own blitz game. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 42 with James Altucher, IM Eric Rosen, GM Simon Williams (Ginger GM), GInger GM’s Iron English course: https://www.chessable.com/the-iron-english-botvinnik-variation/course/50500/ Here is Tunde’s Lichess account: https://lichess.org/@/giftedhandz 58:00 Thanks so much to Tunde for joining the show, and for the work that he is doing! Please support Chess in Slums if you are able. Here is all the contact info you need: The Chess in Slums Go Fund Me link is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/chess-education-in-africa?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1& Twitter- https://twitter.com/Tunde_OD Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/chessinslums/?igshid=zmqk3bq3d52e Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pg/chessinslums/posts/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #15 : Discussing Secrets of Practical Chess and Attacking the Strongpoint Mar 19, 2021

After a one month hiatus, Chess Books Recaptured is back to discuss two chess books, Grandmaster Igor Zaitsev’s Attacking the Strongpoint, and GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess. The guest co-host this month is a regular visitor of the show, cognitive scientist and USCF Master Christopher Chabris. As we discuss, these books tackle chess study from opposite perspectives, as GM Zaitsev’s book has a very philosophical tone, while GM Nunn’s classic lives up to its promise of giving lots of practical advice for chess competitors. Of course, there is much to be learned from both books, and it is always a pleasure to talk chess with Dr. Chabris. Please read on for more details and timestamps. Click here to download the Episode Episode 95 with Christopher Chabris Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris Book Recap: Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov Attacking the Strongpoint: The Philosophy of Chess by GM Igor Zaitsev Secrets of Practical Chess by GM John Nunn 0:00- How did we choose these two books? Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Jacob Aagaard 08:00- We break down Attacking the Strongpoint including its title origins, highlights and weaknesses. 16:00 -Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. They are having a big sale this week, to check out what's available, you can go here: Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 17:00- Sample quotes from the book Mentioned: Steinitz-von Bardeleben 1895, Capablanca-Tartakower 1924, GM Genna Sosonko 30:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com 31:00- What can we learn from Secrets of Practical Chess? Mentioned: Secrets of Grandmaster Chess, Understanding Chess Move by Move, Beating the Siclian, Alexander Kotov’s Think Like a Grandmaster , Episode 8 with GM Sam Shankland , Andersson-Mestel 1982 IM John Watson’s The Week in Chess review of Secrets of Practical Chess is here: https://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/three-improvement-books Dr. Patzer’s Review of Secrets of Practical Chess: https://patzersreview.blogspot.com/2020/01/nunns-secrets.html Book Recap Podcast of Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-recap-woodpecker-method-rapid-chess-improvement/id1185023674?i=1000471766064 Nikolaos Ntirlis (Quality Chess Author) 1:13:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 1:13:45- We summarize our thoughts on Secrets of Practical Chess and get a quick update on Christopher and his son’s latest chess studies. Mentioned: Chess Middlegames by Laszlo Polgar, GM Jan Markos, GM Michael Adams 1:26:00- Thanks as always to Christopher Chabris for helping out. You can check out his website here: chabris.com This month’s donation will go to Washington International Chess Tournament, more info here: https://www.mdchess.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=49 1:27:00- Blindfold puzzle #1- d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 What move did Greco play to make his opponent resign? (Answer shown in game link) Blindfold puzzle #2- d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. Nf3 d6 5. exd6 Bxd6 6. g3?? Black to play and win material (Answer shown in game link) If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.218 - GM Max Illingworth Mar 16, 2021

GM Max Illingworth is one of Australia’s top players and is the 2 time national Australian Champion among other distinctions. in recent years, Max has shifted his focus from competing to training. His work ethic has evident, as in the last years ce co-authored the book, Dismantling the Sicilian, contributes actively on Facebook chess forums, and has launched his own training site, Illingworth Chess Academy. In our interview, we dive deep into the topic of chess improvement, and Max provides a lot of good insights about how he became so strong at tournament chess, blitz chess, and even the chess variant called Crazyhouse! Please read on for all of the details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing Max’s approach to adapting the right mindset for chess. Mentioned: Facebook Chess Endgame Studies and Composition Group, IM Cyrus Lakdawala, Chess Improvement: Its All in the Mindset, 8:30- Max discusses his affinity for a chess variant called Crazyhouse 10:30- What did Max do to raise his online blitz rating from 2800 to 2950? 13:50- What should non GMs do to improve their blitz ratings, and their games generally? Mentioned: Max Illingworth interview with Bryan Castro: http://www.betterchesstraining.com/2019/05/gm-max-illingworth.html The Woodpecker Method , CT-Art 23:45-Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. They are having a big sale this week, to check out what's available, you can go here: Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 24:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What advice do you have for one who wants to start solving endgame studies but finds most of them too difficult?” Mentioned: Philip Stamma Endgame Studies, Say Chess’ Blindfold Endgame Trainer is here: https://saychessblog.com/blindfold-endgame-puzzles/ 31:00- Another mailbag question: “What advice does Max have for club players on how to learn to evaluate positions?” Mentioned: Simple Chess, Podcast recapping Simple Chess 39:00- One more Patreon mailbag question: “How can one learn to assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses?” Mentioned: Openingtree.com, Aimchess.com 42:30- What Chessbooks does Max recommend? Mentioned: Logical Chess Move by Move, My System, Art of Attack in Chess, The Complete Chess Swindler by GM David Smerdon 47:30- Max tells the story of the moment that his competitive fire for chess was ignited. Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Ian Rogers, GM Darryl Johansen, IM John Paul Wallace 52:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog is here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 53:00- Patreon question: “What advice does Max have for pursuing goals?” Mentioned: Episode 215 with Vishnu Sreekumar 57:00- How has Max been impacted by legendary Australian players Cecil Purdy and GM Ian Rogers? Mentioned: Chess Fundamentals by Jose Raoul Capablanca, IM Andras Toth, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, IM Stephan Solomon 1:05:00- In closing, Max shares a few of his interests away from the board.? 1:09:00- Thanks to Max for joining the show! Here are the best ways to keep up with him. Web page- Illingworth Chess Academy Facebook- Max Illingworth | Facebook If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.217 - "IM to GM" Adult Improver Special with IMs Lawrence Trent, Sean Nagle and Attila Turzo Mar 09, 2021

This week’s podcast is a special feature that includes three different IM guests who are working to attain the Grandmaster title! My guests are popular commentator, IM Lawrence Trent, 9-time Minnesota State Champion IM Sean Nagle, and Hungary-based chess trainer, IM Attila Turzo. These guests have very different backgrounds, chess distances to travel and life situations, but they all share the common goal of wanting to earn the highest title in chess. Why is it important to them? What do they need to improve in order to climb this final steep step? What will their study routines entail? I know that many of you will also be pursuing new chess milestones and goals post-pandemic, so I hope that you find some good advice and inspiration in these 3 interviews! Please read on for more details and timestamps for each interview.

For complete show notes and links, please go to the webpage:

Episode 217- "IM to GM" special episode with IMs Lawrence Trent, Sean Nagle, and Attila Turzo

0:00- Intro Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM Eric Rosen, IM Kassa Korley, IM John Bartholomew, IM Greg Shahade, IM Abimanyu Mishru, IM Christopher Yoo, IM Carissa Yip

5:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by HotSaucery.co You should try some of their delicious hot sauces. Use the promo code PERPETUAL to save 10%. You can Follow them on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/hot.saucery/

6:00- IM Lawrence Trent joins the show! Lawrence is a frequent and popular chess commentator, streamer and content creator. He has served as the manager for his friend GM Fabiano Caruana, and was one of the co-hosts of the original chess podcast, The Full English Breakfast, with Macauley Peterson, GM Stephen Gordon, and GM Simon Williams. He joins us to share his reasons for deciding that now is the time for him to pursue his last GM norm and the 100 FIDE points that he requires to earn the GM title. Thanks to Lawrence for joining the show.

45:50- IM Sean Nagle joins the show. Sean is a Minnesota based Corporate and Securities Attorney, 9-time Minnesota State Chess Champion,husband, and dad of 3 kids.

1:30:30- IM Attila Turzo joins the show.

Here is how you can contact him and track his quest: Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/attilaturzo

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

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCezDjmS_25xjLYi8_jLAWeA

First Saturday Tournament- http://www.firstsaturday.hu/2012/index.htm

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EP.216 - Dr. Jana Krivec Mar 02, 2021

This week Dr. Jana Krivec joins me. She is the seven-time Woman’s National Champion of Slovenia. Jana is also a Professor of Psychology at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica, Slovenia. She has recently released a book that synthesizes her interests in chess and brain science. Her book, Improve Your Life by Playing a Game, gives a rundown of the many psychological issues that chess players often confront, and offers actionable advice on how we all can improve our study habits and our approaches to playing chess. I had a good time speaking with Dr. Krivec, and I think that you will enjoy the interview. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing the cognitive biases that are most prevalent amongst chess players. Mentioned: Adult Improver interview with Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar, (The book recap I mentioned with Dr. Christopher Chabris will be out later this month) , The Dunning Kruger Effect, Emanuel Lasker, Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman 15:00- How can we combat these biases? 20:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their latest offerings include, Lifetime Repertoires: The Queen’s Gambit Declined by GM Alex Colovic and The Psychology of Chess Tactics 21:00- Dr. Krivec answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about how to deal with the common issue of online “chess tilt.” Mentioned: The Power of Habit 39:00- Jana answers a Patreon question about how to deal with stress in online chess and she’s asked whether she thinks chess is helpful or harmful with anxiety issues. Mentioned: Autogenic Training, Progressive Muscle Relaxation 55:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog is here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 56:00- What factors were most instrumental in Jana’s chess successes? 1:04:00- Does Dr. Krivec have an opinion about whether it is better to learn from books or from online tools like Chessable? 1:12:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Krivec for joining the show. You can contact her via Facebook. You can purchase or see a free teaser of her book via Thinkers Publishing Here: Improve Your Life by Playing a Game – Learn how to turn your life activities into lifelong skills - Thinkers Publishing If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.215 - Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar (Adult Improver Series) Feb 23, 2021

We are back with another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. My guest, Vishnu Sreekumar, is a 35 year-old cognitive scientist and dad, who has been dedicating many hours to studying and playing chess since he rediscovered his love for the game in 2018. There have been plenty of obstacles along the way, but Vishnu has had great success, as his USCF rating has risen from 1675 to 1954 in the 1.5 years preceding the onset of Covid’s changes to all of our lives. During this period he has continued to work on his chess, although unfortunately work responsibilities and a pending move back to his native India may soon slow down his chess schedule. Vishnu is also a classically-trained pianist. This background gives him even more perspective on the field of adult learning. So between the chess talk and the neuroscience talk, there is a lot to learn from Vishnu. Please read on for many more details and timestamps. 0:00- Vishnu shares a bit about his background and his beginnings in chess, as well as his initial tentative return to tournament play in 2018. . Mentioned: GM Nihail Sarin, Meet the Dojo with GM Jesse Kraai- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kAGwWsRsKU&t=1381s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman, Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis 12:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. To check out their latest offerings, you can go here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/for-beginners/ 13:00- At the peak of his chess obsession, Vishnu was spending 3+ hours a day on chess while maintaining work and family responsibilities as well. In this segment, Vishnu shares some of the resources he studied, but he also reflects on that period of obsession, and the adjustments he has since made to make sure that chess doesn’t supplant his family and work responsibilities. Mentioned: Domination in 2,545 Endgame Studies, Grandmaster Chess- Positional Play, Test Your Chess IQ. Understanding Chess Move by Move, Tal Botvinnik 1960 , GM Jesse Kraai, Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, Episode 175 with GM Jesse Kraai 21:00- Vishnu answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag. “Is it better to study tactics from a book or from an online tactics trainer?” Mentioned: The Test of Time, Winning with the King’s Indian by Eduard Gufeld 26:00- Patreon question: “What are Vishnu’s biggest regrets in how he has studied chess?” Mentioned: GM R.B. Ramesh 33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount. 35:00- Vishnu answers a few questions from Patreon supporters relating to the cognitive science of chess. Mentioned: Practical Chess Exercises, Lev Alburt Pocket Chess Training Books, Woodpecker Method, Sherlock’s Method, Universal Chess Training, IM Elizabeth Paehtz, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics 41:00- Patreon question: “As a cognitive scientist, why does Vishnu think it’s so hard for adults to improve at chess?” Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Peter Svidler, GM Jan Gustafsson, IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, GM Jesse Kraai, GM Avetik Grigoryan 57:30- Another Patreon question- “Is there a correlation between chess and long term brain health?” 1:00:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 1:01:00- Does Vishnu have advice for how to balance a desire to improve at chess with work and family responsibilities? 1:08:00- We discuss Vishnu’s background in music, as well as his daughter’s burgeoning interest in music. He also answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to whether he thinks that chess talent and music talent are transferable? Mentioned: The Steps Method 1:16:00- With Vishnu moving to India and opening a lab, what role will chess take in his life? Thanks to Vishnu for sharing his chess story! You can keep up with him via Twitter https://twitter.com/VishChess or Facebook Vishnu Sreekumar | Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.214 - GM Vlastimil Hort Feb 16, 2021

Czech grandmaster Vlastimil Hort was among the world's best players in the 1960s, '70s, and into the mid-'80s. Born in Czechoslovka, the five-time national Czech champion emigrated to West Germany in 1985 and was subsequently the 3 time West German national champ. GM Hort has played against most World Champions of the modern era, and has memorable stories about Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, Paul Keres, and countless others. GM Hort is also the co-author of the classic instructional book, The Best Move, and his latest book, My Chess Stories, 64 Stories From His Life Near the Top in Chesshas recently been translated to English. GM Hort reflects on a few of the standout stories in our interview, including how a bribe at a chess tournament in Tunis helped him escape Czechoslovakia in 1985. He also gives us the details of his less-than-pleasant interactions with GM Mikhail Botvinnik. So many fun stories below, and such an honor to speak with GM Hort. Please read on for timestamps and more details. In addition to listening via audio, a transcript is available of this podcast thanks to the efforts of Dr. Stephen Sparks. You can read the interview transcript here. 0:00- We launch in by GM Hort sharing his memories of attending Hastings 1967, a tournament for which he had no money to attend, so he ended up sleeping in a park en route to the facilities. Chess has come a long way! Mentioned: Hastings 1967-1968 7:30- Why did GM Hort decide to emigrate from the Czechoslovakia to Germany? He tells the amazing story of bribing passport control after theTunis Interzonal in 1985. Mentioned: Wilfried Hilgert, Tunis Interzonal 1985, GM Mikhai Suba, GM Evgenij Ermenkov 14:00- Hort tells a story involving his fellow Czech native who recently passed away, GM Lubomir Kavalek. Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, Leonid Brezhnev 16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 17:30- GM Hort did not have the best relationship with former World Champion, GM Mikail Botvinnik. What events led to this bit of discontent? Mentioned: GM Bent Larsen, GM Paul Keres 24:00- GM Hort had a famously tough loss against GM Boris Spassky in 1977 during the Candidates cycle. How does he look back on that match? And how is GM Boris Spassky doing today? Mentioned: GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM William Lombardy. GM Lajos Portisch, GM Pal Benko, GM Bent Larsen, GM Viktor Korchnoi 30:00- GM Hort answers a Patreon mailbag question: how did it feel to compete against Soviet players when one had to worry about the possibility of collusion? Mentioned: GM Karpov, GM Lajos Portisch, GM Bent Larsen, Wolfram Hartmann, 34:00- It has been alleged that GM Milan Matulovic accepted a bribe to throw the Candidates match against Taimanov in the FIDE Candidates in 1970? Does GM Hort find this story credible? 36:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 37:30- Was there a test given to Czech youth to assess chess talent? What constitutes chess talent? Mentioned: Lubomir Ljubovic, GM Tony Miles, GM Lajos Portisch 42:00- How did GM Hort study middlegames? Mentioned: GM Hans Kmoch, Rubinstein Chess Masterpieces 44:00- Another Patreon question: How did the idea for the classic book, The Best Move, come about? Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jacob Aagaard 46:30- Patreon question: Who was the most intimidating player to play against? This leads to GM Hort sharing some recollections of the famed Match of the Century in 1970. Mentioned: GM Lev Polugaevsky 50:00- How was GM Hort’s relationship with Bobby Fischer? Mentioned: GM Svetozar Gligoric, GM Eugenio Torre 55:00- What does GM Hort think of modern chess and the increased importance of computers? He also mentions the name of the player who, in his opinion, is the best player that ever was. Mentioned: GM Firouzja, GM Jorden van Forrest, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Anish Giri, Bobby Fischer 58:00- Patreon question: What keeps GM Hort loving chess after all of those years? 1:02:00- How does GM Hort keep up with modern chess? 1:03:00- What are GM Hort’s favorite activities outside of modern chess? 1:06:00- Thanks so much to GM Hort for joining us and sharing some amazing stories! His book is available here: https://chess.co.uk/products/vlastimil-hort-my-chess-stories Thanks to Michael Busse of the Schachgeflüster Podcast. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.213 - IM Greg Shahade returns again Feb 09, 2021

In an annual tradition, IM Greg Shahade returns to the show. Greg is the founder of the Pro Chess League as well as the US Chess School, and is a former scholastic champion turned adult-improving, dangerous speed chess specialist. His Chess.com blitz rating hovers in the 2600-2700 range, and he has beaten the likes of GM Alexey Shirov and GM Praggnanandhaa in recent Chess.com TItled Tuesday tournaments. Greg breaks down the secrets to his success- it turns out it has involved a lot of hard work on his openings! He also impart lessons from his success in order to help improving players lower on the rating ladder. Additional topics include: the growth and evolution of chess, why Greg isn’t as vocal about his chess promotion ideas anymore, plus he answers a few fun Patreon mailbag questions. Whether you agree with Greg’s views of chess or not, its always fun to hear his perspective. Please read on for lots more details and timestamps. Prior Interviews with IM Greg Shahade Episode 1 Episode 55 Episode 107 Episode 159 0:00- Greg’s blitz rating has been consistently improving even as he hits his early 40s. What are his study tricks? What approach should he take to study openings? Mentioned: Chessable.com, GM Alexei Shirov, GM Kiril Alekseenko, GM Jan Gustafsson’s Lifetime Repertoires Course, GM Elshan Moriadibadi, The London System, IM Andras Toth, GM Magnus Carlsen 10:00- A question from the Patreon mailbag. What is the best way for a beginner to study an opening repertoire? Mentioned: Fight like Magnus: The Sveshnikov Sicilian, Lifetime Repertories: Nimzo-Ragozin Defense, Sam Shankland’s 1. D4 Chessable course 18:00- What is the status of Greg’s blitz game? Mentioned: GM Kirill Alekseenko, GM Conrad Holt 22:00- What is the status of Greg’s Twitch streaming career? 23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 23:45- Patreon question: “Dude, when is Greg going to start blogging again?” We also discuss the ongoing Chess.com I am Not a GM Tournament Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew, I am not a GM Tournament, IM Levy Rozman, IM Tania Sachdev, IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, Alexandra Botez, IM Lawrence Trent 30:00- Another Patreon question relates to the status and format of the 2021 Pro Chess League, which of course also leads to a discussion of the explosion of popularity in online chess. Mentioned: Klay Thompson, Lennox Lewis, Gordon Hayward, Leveon Bell 37:00- Another Patreon question: are there improvements to the Pro Chess League website in the works? 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount. 39:00- Patreon question- has Greg read any good books lately? This segues into a general discussion of how to study chess. Mentioned: Playing 1. E4 by GM John Shaw, GM Peter Svidler, 100 Endgames You Must Know Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Sherevsky, Vancura Defense, Frontal Defense, Jeremy Silman’s Endgame Course, GM Jacob Aagaard 49:00- In his chess development, did Greg do any targeted blindfold chess training? Mentioned: Chessboard Magic by Irving Chernev, GM Jeffrey Xiong, GM Ray Robson, IM Christopher Yoo 56:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 57:00- Greg answers a Patreon question pushing back against the importance of the idea that Classical Chess wouldn’t exist if chess were invented in modern times. (As Greg has previously said) Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Alexander Grishchuk, IM Andras Toth 1:03:00- Greg makes his brief, shining singing debut on The Perpetual Chess! And then gives some shout outs. Mentioned: Episode 204 with FM Nathan Resika, Episode 12 with Christopher Yoo Agadmator, Chessbrahs, IM Levy Rozman, Jennifer Shahade, The Botez Sisters, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM David Howell, GM Jovanka Houska, Kaja Snare, Mark Crowther, ChessDoJo YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsFJol3ToXA&list=PLH4lD9b6ZgbeAzMlaYoWSHL_lEF5BWZA0 Thanks as always to Greg for joining the show! You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gregshahade?lang=en See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.212 - IM John Donaldson returns again! Feb 02, 2021

In addition to being a strong player, and often the Captain of the US Olimpiad team, IM John Donaldson is a renowned chess historian and author. He has been researching the life of Bobby Fischer for over a decade, and he has been on the podcast in the past to discuss his prior publications on Fischer. Late in 2020, IM John Donaldson published his most comprehensive, and acclaimed Fischer work yet, Bobby Fischer and his World. This book was already named Chess.com’s 2020 book of the year, despite some stiff competition in a stellar year for chess books. I greatly enjoyed John’s work, which is a combination of biography and game analysis. In our conversation, of course we discuss details of Fischer’s life in some detail, with a particular emphasis on the new details John has uncovered. We also take time to remember the life and legacy of John’s friend, legendary GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek, and to discuss the state of John’s own chess game. As always, you can get lots more details and related hyperlinks in the description or on the Perpetual Chess webpage. Enjoy! 0:00- We begin by discussing the legacy of John’s friend, legendary player and trainer, GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek who recently passed away. Mentioned: Episode 54 with IM John Donaldson Episode 143 with IM John Donaldson Also Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Wesley So, GM Lubosh Kavalek, Fred Wilson’s interview with GM Lubomir Kavalek, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Lev Alburt, Jerry and Fran Weikel of the Western States Open, GM Kavalek’s Huffington Post archive, Peter Doggers chess.com obituary of GM Lubosh Kavalek, Chess Life and Review of Archive, Milos Forman, Ivan Passer, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Portisch-Kavalek 1975, GM Andrew Soltis 18:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount. 18:45- Are there any fact that John and his friend and fellow eminent Fischer biographer Frank Brady disagree on? Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand’s Technical Decision Making in Chess, FM Andrey Terekhov’s The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov, IM Stuart Rachels’ The Best I Saw in Chess, GM William Lombardy, Dragoljub Minec, Jackie Beers 27:00- John’s book is published by the publishing company of IM Jeremy Silman and his wife, Gwen Feldman- Did John work directly with Silman on this book? Mentioned: Silman-James press 29:00- A question from the Patreon Mailbag: Which modern player most resembles Fischer in playing style? Mentioned: GM Peter Leko, Leko discussing studying with Fischer. GM Miguel Najdor 33:00- How would Bobby have enjoyed modern chess with faster time controls? Mentioned: GM Walter Shipman 35:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 37:00- How close was Bobby Fischer to playing a comeback match against GM Yasser Seirawan? Is John glad that Fischer did make a comeback? Mentioned: Lou Hays, GM Alex Sherzer, GM Larry Christiansen, GM Boris Spassky, GM Duncan Suttles 43:00- Patreon question: Did Bobby have any students or proteges? Mentioned: GM Michael Bezold, Carmine Nigro, GM Reuben Fine, Episode 202 with Dr. Frank Brady, No Regrets, Fischer-Spassky 1992 48:30- How is this book different from John’s prior publications about Fischer? Mentioned: A Legend on the Road 53:00- Will there be more Fischer projects forthcoming from John? What mysteries still remain from the details of Bobby’s life? Mentioned: World Chess Hall of Fame, GM Jesse Kraai’s interview with John Donaldson, David Delucia, GM Svetozar Gligoric, James Gore, IM Anthony Saidy, John Collins 1:05:00- As an expert on American chess history, can John think of any historically accomplished adult improvers? Mentioned: GM Akiba Rubinstein, Jerry Hanken, GM Mihai Suba, Abe Turner, Carmine Nigro, 1:09:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 1:10:00- John discusses the underappreciated chess legacy of IM Bernard Zuckerman 1:13:00- From 1988-2000, John and GM Yasser Seirawan published a legendary chess magazine called Inside Chess, how does John recall those years? Mentioned: Hanon Russell, IM Nikolay Minev, GM Alexander Baburin, TheChessLibrary.com, FM Michael Shahade 1:21:00- Now that this book has been published, will John be resuming OTB chess? If he were to resume chess training, what would he do to sharpen up? Mentioned: Mark Pinto, Your Jungle Guide to Chess Tactics by GM Peter Prohaszka, IM Yuriy Krykun, Quality Chess, Thinker’s Publishing, New in Chess Books, Russell Enterprises, GM Boris Gelfand 1:29:00- What will John work on next? Mentioned: IM Eric Tangborn, GM Hein Donner, GM Pal Benko 1:33:00- Book giveaway instructions! Write a review of Perpetual Chess on ANY PODCAST REVIEW PLATFORM Take a screenshot before hitting submit Email the screenshot to Ben at perpetualchesspod.com Winner will be announced on February 14, 2020 1:34:00- Thanks to John for joining the show! Order the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fischer-World-John-Donaldson/dp/1890085197/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=john+donaldson+chess&qid=1612108311&s=books&sr=1-2 Email John at imwjd at aol.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #14 : The Seven Deadly Chess Sins by GM Jonathan Rowson Jan 29, 2021

Perpetual Chess is back with another monthly bonus edition of Chess Books Recaptured. This month Chicago-based law professor, dad, and speed chess specialist, David Franklin joins me. Like me, David is a long-time fan of the writing of GM Jonathan Rowson, and of his 2000 book, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, in particular. Due to its uniquely philosophical, digressive tone and its advanced chess subject matter, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins is not universally loved. Nonetheless, both podcast hosts and many other chess fans consider it to be a classic. In our conversation, we define and discuss each of GM Rowson’s 7 "chess sins", as well as sharing a bit of information about the author, the guest-co-host, and of course, a few of our favorite quotes. Please read on for many more details, links, and timestamps! 0:00- Why does David love this book? Why is this book somewhat polarizing despite many rave reviews? Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 193 with Tom Murphy, Adult Improver Episode 151 with JJ Lang 08:30- We discuss GM Rowson’s background and his other chess books briefly. Mentioned: Understanding the Grunfeld,Chess For Zebras, The Moves that Matter, Perpetual Chess Episode 150 with GM Jonathan Rowson, IM Andras Toth, IM John Watson’s review of Seven Deadly Chess Sins: Some Products and Two First-Rate Books 12:00- What other books might have been the intellectual inspirations of this unique book? Mentioned: Facebook Chess Collectors Group, The Chess Mind by Gerald Abraham, Secrets of Practical Chess, Improve Your Chess Now, Genius in Chess, Improve Your Chess Now Book Recap Podcast with FM Alex Chua, Alex King, Godol, Escher and Bach, Emotional Intelligence, Richard James, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Dynamics of Chess Strategy, GM David Navara 15:00- For what rating level is this book best suited? 20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 20:45- We discuss Sin #1- “Thinking”- lack of faith in intuition, and “bureaucracy” Mentioned: “Talking to Your Pieces”, Tom Murphy 27:00- Sin #2- “Blinking” Identifying, missing critical moments Mentioned: Bobby Fischer, Russians vs. Fischer , GM Alex Yermolinksy’s The Road to Chess Improvement, The Road to Chess Improvement Recap Podcast, Episode 7 with GM Jon Ludvig Hammer 31:00- Sin #3- “Wanting” Attachment to results, carelessness, ‘chalking it up’ expectation Mentioned: “The Theory of Infinite Resistance,” FM Bill Jordan, GM Ian Rogers, GM David Smerdon, Jerry Wheeler 42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Be sure to download the much-anticipated Chessable app for IOS, and Seven Deadly Chess Sins will be available on Chessable later this year! 43:00- Sin #4- “Materialism” Lack of dynamism, oversights Mentioned: Plato’s Symposium, 49:30- Sin #5- “Egoism” ‘forgetting the opponent’- fear - how many results am I playing for? 54:00- Sin #6- “Perfectionism” time trouble, jam-lust (asking too much of your position), moralizing (punishing the opponent), copy-cat crime (trying to emulate another player) Mentioned: GM Alexander Grischuk, Chess Explained’s YouTube Channel , GM Michael Adams 1:03:30- Sin #7- Looseness- losing the plot, drifting (playing without a plan), “neural hijackings” (emotions overwhelm the thinking brain, whether consciously or not), “tension transference” (relieve tension at all costs, uncomfortable with discomfort) Mentioned- Anand-Carlsen 2013, Kasparov-Sokolov 1999 1:07:00- We share a few favorite quotes from the book. Mentioned: Endgame Strategy, GM Tiger Hillarp Person, GM Jonathan Levitt, GM Jan Gustafsson, GM Luke McShane 1:11:30- A question from Patreon supporter and friend of the pod- is it a fair characterization that Rowson characterizes this book in hindsight as “a good first draft?” 1:14:00- What were David’s personal interactions with GM Rowson like? 1:18:30- Does David get more nervous before a tournament chess game or before arguing before the Supreme Court? 1:19:30- Thanks to David for contributing his time and knowledge! You can keep up with David on twitter or Facebook. Next month will likely feature a recap of Attacking the Strongpoint by GM Igor Zaitsev Twitter- https://twitter.com/DFranklinChi Facebook- David Franklin | Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.211 - IM Andras Toth Jan 26, 2021

IM Andras Toth is a Canberra, Australia-based chess trainer who has built a loyal online following due to his no-nonsense YouTube chess videos and popular Chessable courses. Andras originally hails from Hungary, where he trained under the same trainer as the Polgar sisters and was the two-time Hungarian Junior Champ. Andras’ background as a school teacher is evident in his engaging and energetic teaching style. As is clear from our conversation, Andras is not shy about expressing his hard-earned chess opinions. Andrey answers questions such as, should you play the London System?--do you need to hire a coach?--can one improve by focusing only on chess calculation?-- plus many more pertinent queries. This was a fun conversation that revealed many insights about chess improvement. Please read on for more details and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- Andras begins by discussing his chess and chess-training background a bit. Mentioned: IM Laszlo Hazai, The Polgar Sisters 0:8:15- Does Andras agree that club players should not learn much opening theory? Mentioned: The Road to Chess Improvement 16:30- Andras answers the first of many questions from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: Neal Bruce asks, “ How important is it to have a chess coach?” 23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by Chessable.com! Be sure to download the much-anticipated Chessable app for IOS, and you can check out Andras Toth’s courses here: https://www.chessable.com/profile/ChesscoachAndras/ 24:00- Another Patreon listener question: “What is the proper way to analyze one’s own games and to study strategic concepts?” Mentioned: Alexander Alekhine: My Best Games of Chess, Paul Keres: The Road to the Top The book and game to which Andras refers can be found here: Mark Dvoretsky’s School of Chess Excellence, Tactical Play, Borkowski-Nunn 1974 34:00- Why is Andras so blunt in his communication as a teacher and presenter? Mentioned: IM Jop Delemarre 41:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 42:00- How much can a 1500 player improve by working on calculation alone? How should we divide our study time? Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard 55:30- Another Patreon question: “How can one transition from slower games, like Correspondence chess, to rapid games?” Mentioned: Episode 191 with GM Daniel Naroditsky 1:05:00- What are the pros and cons of correspondence or “daily” games? IM John Bartholomew. Tata Steel Masters 1:14:00- What Chessable courses would we recommend for a player rated below 1000? Mentioned: Jan Gustafsson’s Lifetime Repertoires 1. E4 e5, Endgame Bootcamp with IM John Bartholomew, Learn Chess the Right Way Series, with GM Susan Polgar, 100 Endgames You Must Know, The Checkmate Patterns Manual, Mastering Mates, 1001 Deadly Checkmates , Andras’s book recommendations, via YouTube videos, are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCwQyNLblm0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg-u_HlZKco&t=1334s 1:18:00- What books have informed Andras’ teaching style? What is his background? How did he end up in Canberra, Australia? Best Lessons of a Chess Coach. 1:30:00- Why has making Chess YouTube videos been frustrating for Andras? Check out his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYZTGsTO5TbCaA1O0wcBzw Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 180 with IM Levy Rozman 1:34:00- Another listener question: “ What is the chess culture like in Australia and New Zealand?” Mentioned: GM Murray Chandler, FM Nicholas Croad 1:43:00- One last Patreon question… “Why did Andras stop playing OTB chess?” Thanks to IM Toth for joining the show! Here are all the links you need in order to keep up with him: Twitter- https://twitter.com/chesscoachandra?lang=en YouTube-https://t.co/RgSPMwU9Is?amp=1 Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/profile/ChesscoachAndras/ Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/im_andras See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bonus Pod - GM Lubomir Kavalek (2003 Interview with Fred Wilson) Jan 21, 2021

As chess fans may have heard, legendary GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek passed away this week at the age of 77. GM Kavalek was a fierce, attacking player, who at his rating peak, was a top 10 player in the world. He was two-time winner of the Czechoslovak National Championship, and after emigrating from Czechoslovakia, he went on to become US National Champion three times as well. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to interview GM Kavalek, but Fred Wilson has given me permission to share with you all a long audio interview that he did with GM Kavalek. The interview took place on September 10, 2003. In this conversation, they cover many of the highlights of GM Kavalek’s illustrious career as a player, trainer, and author. They discuss Kavalek’s beginnings in chess, and his work helping with the World Championship matches of Bobby Fischer (against Spassky in 1972), and assisting GM Nigel Short against Kasparov in 1993. In listening to this interview, I was struck by the wit and personality of GM Kavalek. You can read on for brief timestamps, but of course you should listen to the entire interview with this chess legend! 02:45- GM Lubomir Kavalek discusses his beginnings in the chess world,, and his experiences with some of the other great Czech and US players of his generation. 17:00- What chess books influenced Lubosh? 23:30- He talks about working as the second of Nigel Short in the 1990s. 53:00- Question from Alex Baburin. Did chess help him adapt when he immigrated to Virginia? 58:00- What was his most pleasant and worst tournament? 1:02:15- What are his thoughts on quick draws? 1:10:00- How to optimize one’s time in preparation for a tournament? 1:11:00- Are there any plans for a book about his best games? 1:22:00- What was it like to play against Bobby Fischer? 1:24:00- What was GM Kavalek’s role in working with Fischer in the 1972 World Championship Match against GM Boris Spassky? If you enjoy this interview, you could consider becoming a Perpetual Chess Patreon subscriber in order to access the entire audio archive of Fred Wilson’s great interviews. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.210 - Tom Vanderbilt Jan 12, 2021

This week, bestselling author Tom Vanderbilt joins me to talk about his 5th book, the recently released, Beginners:The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. In this book Tom writes about his experience learning a handful of new activities from scratch while in his late 40’s. These new adventures include learning chess, surfing, singing, juggling and drawing. Tom, like many adult chess enthusiasts, discovered chess through his school-aged daughter’s interest in the game. In our conversation, Tom reflects on what was like to be thrown headfirst into the chess world, and shares many of the resources that he found most helpful in accelerating his learning. Tom also shares broader conclusions from his learning experiences across disciplines. It was a fascinating conversation about an enjoyable book. As always, read on for more details, timestamps and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- Why is the pandemic a good time to release a book about starting new things? Mentioned: NY Times review of Beginners 06:00- How was Tom’s interest in chess piqued? What were his first steps to learn more about the game? Mentioned: The Queen’s Gambit , Szymon Rudowski, GM Daniel Naroditsky’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/c/DanielNaroditskyGM/playlists Daniel King’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBATpFb--uLNAODOVWvCTA The Amateur’s Mindby Jeremy Silman IM Levy Rozman’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q IM John Bartholomew’s Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA 19:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com . To check out the many choices of beginner-oriented material they offer, go here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/for-beginners/ 20:00- Tom mentions a few more resources that were helpful in his dive into chess. Mentioned: Chessable’s 100 Endgames You Must Know, The Brooklyn Strategist, The Marshall Chess Club 25:00- How is his daughter progressing in chess during the pandemic? Mentioned: Her Move Next, US Chess’ Women in Chess Initiative 34:30- Was it more challenging to learn a mental game like chess or a physical endeavor like surfing? What other broader lessons did Tom draw from his learning adventures? Mentioned: William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days, The Passion Paradox, Mindset, Anders Ericsson, Tim Krabbe’s The Rider, Perpetual Chess Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, GM Robert Hess, Tim Krabbe’s Chess Curiosities Website: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess/chess.html 54:00- Now that his book is finished, will Tom continue to play chess? Mentioned: Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition 57:00- Thanks so much to Tom for the fascinating interview. You can find him on Lichess here: https://lichess.org/@/wernerherzog You can purchase his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Transformative-Power-Lifelong-Learning/dp/1524732168/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=beginners&qid=1610383429&s=books&sr=1-2 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.209 - Martin Justesen (Adult Improver Series) Jan 05, 2021

Welcome to another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. My guest is Martin Justesen, who is a 34 year, Denmark-based father of 3. He works as an archivist in the Library of the Danish Parliament, but devotes a lot of his free time to chess improvement and chess-related projects. His efforts have paid off, as Martin has gained a few hundred points in the past years. Prior to the pandemic, Martin had ended a long plateau, as his Danish rating went from 1600 to 1820. During the covid shutdown, he has seen continued improvement, his Lichess classical rating is now up to 2200! In our interview, Martin reveals what he thinks to be the key contributors to his improvement success. Martin is also a blogger, and has recently released a great new book called, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Positions. We also discuss how Martin decided to take on this project and why we think that it’s an important study tool. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We begin by discussing Martin’s background and his entree into the chess world. Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, Playchess.com , Winning Chess Series by GM Yasser Seirawan, Logical Chess Move by Move 12:00- Check out our new sponsorAimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, be sure to use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%. 13:00- How has Martin’s approach to chess improvement evolved in recent years? Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 117 with Stjepan Tomic 17:30- A Patreon supporter writes in to ask Martin how his approach to openings has changed as he has improved. Mentioned: Chessable Short and Sweet Free Courses are Here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/s/short%20and%20sweet Opening Tree.com 27:00- Another Patreon question: How does Martin find games and construct his opening repertoire? Did he adjust his repertoire choices due to time constraints? Mentioned: Chessgames.com, Bobby Fischer: The Career and Complete Games of the American Chess World Champion, Chess DoJo Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ChessDojo, IM Kostya Kavuitskiy, GM Jesse Kraai, GM David Pruess Greg Shahade video: Chess Opening Study for Serious and Advanced Players: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93kO7OXn9Lc 37:00- - Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their holiday sale here. It ends in a few days: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ 38:00- As a busy working father, has Martin experienced periods of burnout? Mentioned: Neal Bruce 43:00- Does he have trouble taking online games seriously? Mentioned: ChessDojo Discord, 50:00- What was the idea behind Martin’s great new book, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Positions? Mentioned: Alexey Troitsky 59:00- What are the main lessons Martin has learned through his improvement efforts? Mentioned: Mastering Pawn Endgames on Chessable, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Ruiz, Pump Up Your Rating by Axel Smith, Atomic Habits by James Clear 1:08:00- Thanks so much to Martin for joining the show, here are all of the links you need to keep up with him: Twitter- https://twitter.com/saychess1?lang=en YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/c/say_chess Blog- https://saychessblog.com/ Book- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QRB3H7M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_zzk3Fb7A3ZTE9 Twitch- https://t.co/hZvPmFCBdL?amp=1 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #13: Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean Jan 01, 2021

We are back with another bonus podcast edition of Chess Books Recaptured. This month I am joined by Jonathan of The Abysmal Depths of Chess Blog to discuss a classic book, Simple Chess, by GM Michael Stean. Simple Chess is an excellent positional primer which features succinct and helpful annotations for the club player. Over the past couple of months, Jonathan has been blogging about each of the 30 games in the book, so he knows the material inside and out, and I was very glad to have him share some highlights of what he has learned from studying Simple Chess so thoroughly. As always, we discussed improvement takeaways, favorite quotes and lessons distilled from this excellent book. You can get all of the details, timestamps and hyperlinks below. 0:00- Why did Jonathan volunteer to discuss Simple Chess? Mentioned: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Perpetual Chess Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos, Perpetual Chess Episode 195 With GM Keith Arkell, The Chess Dojo ranks: Classic Chess Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRETstfHyDE, Fred Wilson books 6:30- What is the format of the book? GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Wolfgang Uhlmann, GM Lajos Portisch, GM Samuel Reshevsky, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Bobby Fischer 12:30- What should we know about the author, GM Michael Stean Mentioned: Sicilian Najdorf by GM Michael Stean, GM Viktor Korchnoi , End Game: Kasparov vs. Short by Dominic Lawson, GM Ray Keene, William Hartston 17:30- For what rating is this book most helpful? (Probably around 1300-1900) Mentioned: Recap of Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce, Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten, Link to Jonathan’s blog post about Karpov-Westerinen 1974 24:00- Check out our new sponsorAimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, be sure to use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%. 25:00- Why is Karpov Westerinen from the book Jonathan’s favorite game ever? Jonathan’s blog post about the game is here: https://theabysmaldepthsofchess.blogspot.com/2020/12/sc-week-73-karpov-westerinen-nice.html 28:00- I read the opening paragraphs and we discuss the major themes and chapters of the book. 32:00- We discuss some listeners questions relating to how this book compares to My System, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Mastering Chess Strategy, Chess Fundamentals 37:00- Is it worth uploading the games from Simple Chess into Chessbase? What is the best way to study it? Mentioned: Chessgames.com list of games from Simple Chess: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1038489 The Passion Paradox, Peak Performance, Chess Improvement: Its All in the Mindset 46:30- What positional concepts are not covered in Simple Chess? Hanging Pawns, Isolated Queen Pawn, Karpov Spassky 1975 50:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable! Resources to work on your positional chess there include Winning Chess Strategies, and Chess Strategy for Club Players: https://www.chessable.com/chess-strategy-for-club-players/course/27755/ 51:30- We discuss a few of our favorite games from the book. Mentioned: Fischer - Gadia, Unzicker - Fischer, Spassky-Fischer Game 5 1972, Andersson-Knaak, Vogt-Andersson, Recapping Reassess Your Chess with Todd Kennedy 55:00- We read a few favorite quotes from the book. 56:30- What are the chess improvement takeaways? 1:02:00- Do we have any quibbles with the book? Mentioned: Everyman Chess e-books, Fred Wilson, Martin Justesen 1:15:00- Thanks to Jonathan for joining the show and sharing his incredibly detailed knowledge of Simple Chess. Follow him on twitter here: https://twitter.com/Berlin_Endgame Read/Subscribe to his blog here: https://theabysmaldepthsofchess.blogspot.com/ 1:16:00- Blindfold puzzles are back! This month’s puzzles are courtesy of Martin Justesen’s book, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Compositions #1- White to move and draw White: Kc6, Ba4 Black: Kb1, Pb2 Link To Position, Turn Engine On for Solution #2- White to move and win White: Kc4, Pc6 Black: Kh2, Nd8 Link to Position, Turn Engine on For Solution If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, You can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.208 - FM Andrey Terekhov Dec 29, 2020

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is FM Andrey Terekhov, who has recently released the book, The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov. (With Foreword by Peter Svidler!) This biography about the 7th World Champion is an excellent book that has critics raving. The book features both game analysis and biographical details, and our conversation also covers both life details, as well as takeaways for adult improvers from Smyslow’s games. Andrey had access to Smylov’s private archive and has been laboring during nights and weekends on this book for years. Away from the board, Andrey has a Ph.D. in computer science, and works for Microsoft in its Singapore office. Andrey is also a devoted dad, and of course, an active chess player when time permits. Thanks to Andrey for sharing so many details from this great, multi-volume project! Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- To join or find out more about the North American Corporate Chess League, go here: https://www.nacorporatechess.com/ 0:02- FM Andrey Terekhov discusses his background and chess in Singapore, where he lives. He talks about the beginnings of his giant Smylov project. . Mentioned: John Hartmann, FM Carsten Hansen, Perpetual Chess Episode 184 with GM Kevin Goh, Andrey’s interview with Olimpiu Urcan is here: New Smyslov research project | ChessBase, Junior Tay, Find Andrey’s free course on The Two Knights Defense on Chessable here: https://www.chessable.com/two-knights-defense/course/18646/ 11:30- Andrey reads the opening paragraphs of his book, The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov, and discusses Smyslov’s amazing feat of making the Candidates semi-finals at the age of 63! 16:00- What can club players learn from Smyslov’s approach to chess? Study the classics! Focus on endgames 21:30- Is it true that Smyslov didn’t calculate that much during his game? Mentioned: Hans Kmoch, Max Euwe, GM Vladimir Kramnik 26:15- What are some lesser known facets of Smylov’s playing style from which we can learn? 29:00- What did Smyslov do better than other great players? How complex/understandable is Smylov’s style of play? Mentioned: Smyslov-Golombek 1947, Smyslow-Euwe 1946, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Garry Kasparov, GM Peter Svidler 34:30- How did the project of annotating the games compare to that of researching Smyslov’s life? 37:00- How does this book compare to GM Genna Sosonko’s Smyslov on the Couch? 41:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Chessable has a new course on the Najdorf by GM Anish Giri, and you should also check out Andrey’s free course on The Two Knights Defense here: https://www.chessable.com/two-knights-defense/course/18646/ 42:30- What was it like to go to Moscow to visit Smyslov’s estate? Masterpieces and Dramas of the 20th Century by Sergei Voronkov 49:30- Was he hindered by the Soviet government? Did Smyslov ever consider defecting? Mentioned: GM Mikhail Botvinnik 54:00- What was Andrey’s experience like growing up in the Soviet Union? Mentioned: Everything was Forever Until it was No More 58- How much was Smyslov’s music career affected by his chess aspirations? 1:03:00- How were Smyslov’s career, and chess generally, affected by World War 2? Mentioned: Bazya Dzagurov, Mikhail Botvinnik, Isaac Boleslavsky 1:08:00- How did it Andrey persuade GM Peter Svidler to write the foreword for his book? Mentioned: GM Peter Svidler, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Vasily Yemelin, GM Aleksei Lugovoi, GM Sergey Klimov, FC Bayern Munich, and Baden-Baden Bundesliga teams, GM Pentala Harikrishna, GM Viswanthan Anand 1:13:00- What has Andrey learned about chess from studying hundreds of Smyslov’s games? 1:17:00- Andrey book giveaway! If you write a 5 star review on the Perpetual Chess Apple Podcasts page- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-chess-podcast/id1185023674 email a screenshot to Ben at Perpetualchesspod.com by January 8, 2020 to win a copy of the book 1:18:00- Thanks so much to Andrey for writing this book and joining the show! You can keep up with Andrey the following ways: Chess.com- https://www.chess.com/member/ddtru Facebook-Andrey Terekhov | Facebook Twitter- https://twitter.com/ddtru If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.207 - Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam Dec 22, 2020

Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam is a Dutch chess journalist, organizer and commentator who is best known as the Editor-in-Chief of New In Chess magazine. New in Chess Magazine has been the industry leading chess magazine for decades and is known for its on-the-scenes reporting of major events, its high-level Grandmaster analysis of games, and insightful interviews and book reviews. In conjunction with his work for New in Chess, Dirk Jan has travelled the world and shared conversations and meals with many of the games most revered figures. In our conversation, Dirk shared several of the amazing stories he has collected over the years, and also discussed how New in Chess is being affected by the pandemic and the chess boom. Please read on for more details and the timestamps. 0:00- How have the pandemic and the online chess boom affected New in Chess, which as the preeminent chess print magazine often devotes lots of pages to elite OTB chess tournaments? GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Wesley So, Magnus Carlsen interview with GM Jonathan Tisdall here: https://new.uschess.org/news/were-trying-grow-chess-interview-magnus-carlsen 14:00- What did Dirk Jan learn from interviewing the young phenom, GM Alireza Firouzja? 16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their holiday sale here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ 17:00- What was it like for Dirk Jan to spend a day with legendary GM Miguel Najdorf? Mentioned: The Day that Kasparov Quit, Finding Bobby Fischer, GM Viswanathan Anand 23:00- Dirk Jan shares his experiences spending time with the author of Zurich 1953 GM David Bronstein Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein by GM Genna Sosonko, Zurich 1953 29:00- Dirk shares a few Korchnoi and Botvinnik stories! Mentioned: GM Ljubomir Ljubojević, GM Vassily Smyslov, GM Mikhail Botvinnik, GM Hein Donner, GM Max Euwe, GM Tony Miles, GM Alexei Shirov 38:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast requested that Dirk share some stories about GM Vasyl Ivanchuk. Mentioned: GM Garry Kasparov, Haruki Murakami 46:00- Check out our new sponsorAimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, be sure to use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%. 47:00- On the day that GM Vladimir Kramnik defeated GM Garry Kasparov for the World Championship in 2000, Dirk spoke to both the winner and the loser of the match. What is the story behind that? Mentioned: GM Jan Timman 57:00- What was it like to spend time with Danish great, GM Bent Larsen? Mentioned: GM Nigel Short 1:02:00- Thanks so much to Dirk Jan for sharing some amazing stories. You can learn more about or subscribe to New In Chess Magazine here: https://www.newinchess.com/en_US/new-in-chess-2020-8 If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.206 - FM Carsten Hansen returns Dec 15, 2020

Returning guest, FM Carsten Hansen, is one of the busiest chess authors in the business, as he writes a tactics column for Chess Life Magazine, a book review column for American Chess Magazine, and is a prolific chess author in his own right. Carsten has recently released a new book, Marvellous Modern Miniatures, and has also collaborated with popular co-author, IM Christof Sielecki for the Chessable course, Lifetime Repertoires 1.c4 1.Nf3 Part 1. As 2020 nears a conclusion, I thought it would be a great time to catch up with Carsten on his new projects, the year in chess books, and on his own dreams of attaining the IM title as he nears the age of 50. Please read on for more details and timestamps of all that we discussed. 0:00- What is Carsten doing to work on his own chess game? Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 84 with FM Carsten Hansen- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-84-fide-master-carsten-hansen/id1185023674?i=1000416496522 , GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Loek Van Wely, GM Alexander Stripunsky, Chess Life Magazine, Episode 81 with FM Peter Giannatos , GM Jens Kristiansen 12:00- Carsten answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Facebook Group- How does the chess scene in the US compare with that in Carsten’s native Denmark? Mentioned: Info on the online US Amateur team tournaments can be found here 16:30- Check out our new sponsorAimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%. 17:30- Another listener question: What should I do to a make a new high on the chess.com tactics trainer? IM Cyrus Lakdawala, Chess Tactics for Improvers Volume 1 23:30- What were Carsten’s favorite chess books of 2020? Mentioned: Carsten’s Chess.com Article- My Favorite Books of 2020, Match of the Century, Rewire Your Chess Brain, My Chess World, Petrosian Year by Year, The Complete Chess Swindler, Chess for Tigers, Technical Decision Making in Chess, Timman’s Triumphs, Emanuel Lasker Volume 2- Choices and Chances, Bobby Fischer and His World, A Modern Guide to Checkmating Patterns, Logical Chess Move by Move 36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com Check out IM Christof Sielecki and FM Carsten Hansen’s new Lifetime Repertoires course on 1. C4 and 1. Nf3 here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-1-c4-1-nf3-part-1/course/53985/ 36:45- Carsten discusses self publishing and the chess book industry more broadly, including which of his books have resonated with readers the most. Mentioned: Catastrophes and Tactics in the Chess Opening, Chess Book Collectors Group 52:00- What draws Carsten to the English opening? Why would he recommend it? Mentioned: IM Christof Sielecki 1:00:00- Another listener question: Is it challenging to work on a course/book with a co-author, as Carsten has on different projects with IM Christof Sielecki and GM Peter Heine Nielsen? Mentioned: Stockfish 12 1:08:00- Another listener question: What led to the decline in popularity of the once popular chess site, ChessCafe.com? Mentioned: Hanon Russell, GM Karsten Muller, GM Lev Alburt, GM Tony Miles, GM Hans Ree, GM Susan Polgar, FM Chris Despasquale 1:10:00- Thanks as always to Carsten for joining the show! Here is how you can keep up with his many projects: Website- https://www.winningquicklyatchess.com/ Twitter- https://twitter.com/CazHansen?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Facebook- Carsten Hansen | Facebook If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.205 - WGM Katerina Nemcova Dec 08, 2020

WGM Katerina Nemcova is the 2 time Women’s Champion of the Czech Republic and the winner of the 2008 European Youth Chess Championship. She now resides in the U.S. and is a frequent competitor in the US Women’s Championships, and has played for the Olympiad teams of both the U.S. and the Czech Republic. Katerina is also quite busy away from the chessboard, as she has a BA and a Masters, and is currently getting a Ph. D. in Communications at the University of Arizona. Katerina also finds time to teach chess classes, and is a regular and beloved lecturer for US Chess Women’s "Girl's Club" Zoom series of classes. We discussed all aspects of Katerina’s career, and of course we were eager to get the perspective of this top female player on the hit Netflix miniseries Queen’s Gambit. Please read on for more details and timestamps! 0:00- You can subscribe to the new feeds of Cover Stories with Chess Life here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cover-stories-with-chess-life-32-ben-johnson/id1438797301?i=1000501070440 Or on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mNUGWcVB3GADGoy2k5kJ0 2:45- We begin by getting Katerina’s perspective on the Netflix breakout hit, The Queen’s Gambit. Mentioned: Jen Shahade in Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-chess/2020/11/20/529fb63a-2a79-11eb-9b14-ad872157ebc9_story.html Also Mentioned: WGM Marsel Efroimski, GM Susan Polgar, Sign up for Jen Shahade and Adia Oyango’s Mad Woman’s Book Club here: https://new.uschess.org/news/madwomans-book-club-announced-kick-book-queens-gambit And girls can join the mailing list for girls’ classes here (classes are free to US Chess members): https://forms.gle/zZw4sNCjGGCLkws57 For other US Chess Women related inquiries, email Jen Shahade at: jshahade@uschess.org 17:00- What was Katerina’s most difficult loss? What was it like to play GM Anatoly Karpov? Mentioned: GM Valentina Gunina, Nemcova-Gunina 2007-https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=ACtgo9U2xWMaCrAi8ZQY7Opg/p5tXquV8kfmX9pETgFfzhm7p75HWdKc+hWQkrSB Nemcova-Karpov 2008 https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=ACtgo9U2xWMaCrAi8ZQY7ISyLL3tqDGnJQlCXM4B4CnfeuqdGFPE5vHBGaAl0dbd 23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. There is a brand new course out from GM Yasser Seirawan , Winning Chess Brilliancies: https://t.co/AllaghNiBJ?amp=1 24:00- What lessons does Katerina try to impart to the students of various ages in her classes for the US Chess School, US Chess Women, and the St. Louis Chess Club? Mentioned: The Chess Steps Method: https://www.chess-steps.com/home.php, The Mammoth Book of Chess 36:30- Check out our new sponsor Aimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%. 37:30- What is the status of Katerina’s chess playing career? Mentioned: 2019 World Team Championship, WGM Tatev Abrhamyan, WGM Carissa Yip, WIM Rochelle Wu, GM Darius Swiercz, GM Alexander Onishcuk, GM Robert Hess, GM Yasser Seirawan 50:30- Why didn’t Katerina play in the US Women’s chess championship this year? Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Jesse Kraai, The Chess Dojo YouTube Channel 55:30- What does Katerina envision for herself professionally in the coming years? Mentioned: Anna Sharevich, IM Eric Rosen, Perpetual Chess Episode 36 with IM Eric Rosen GM Le Quang Liem, GM Ray Robson, GM Alex Shimanov, GM Ilya Nyznhyk, IM Greg Shahade Jennifer Yu-Nemcova 2015 1:06:00-- Thanks so much to Katerina for joining the show! Here are the ways you can reach/keep up with her. Follow her on Twitter here:https://twitter.com/Kate_Nemcova Chess.com: PragueQueen LiChess: KaterinaNemcova Chessity: PragueQueen ICC: PragueQueen If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #12 : Talking Improve Your Chess Now, with FM Alex Chua Dec 04, 2020

Welcome back to another edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured, a monthly bonus book recap podcast. This week, I am joined by FM Alex Chua, a 32 year old Texas based dad, who works for a green chemical manufacturing startup called Solugen. Alex wanted to discuss the underrated gem, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall, which he and I both love. We think it provides a great blend of instructive games, practical advice, philosophizing, and humor. It presents fairly challenging material, which is probably best suited to intermediate to advanced players, but anyone can pick up at least a few things from this book, as we hope they can from this podcast. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- FM Alex Chua and I begin by discussing why we love this book and wanted to talk about it. 12:45- For what rating level is this book most appropriate? Alex thinks 1400-2000, I think 1800-2300. 17:30- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Two great courses to improve your chess now are: The Checkmate Patterns Manual and the Visualize Series. Links below: https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/ https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/ 18:30- We list the chapters and then discuss our favorite chapters. Mentioned: The Complete Chess Swindler, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins 26:30- Why discuss two of the key concepts investigated in the book, GM Alexander Kotov’s “tree of analysis”, and the idea of using “stepping stone diagrams” to improve blindfold/visualization skills. Mentioned: Book Recap Podcast of Think like a Grandmaster with NM Christopher Chabris, GM Alexander Kotov’s Think Like a Grandmaster, GM Anatoly Lein, GM Jacob Aagaard, Book Recap Podcast of Blindfold Chess with Jerry Wells, Zurich 1953 by GM David Bronstein, GM Lubosh Kavalek, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Ljubomir Ljubovic, GM Efim Geller, GM Vassily Ivanchuk, GM Boris Gelfand 48:00- We share a few of our favorite quotes and aphorisms from the book. Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland’s Small Steps to Giant Improvement 1:00:00- What are favorite games shared in the book? What are the chess improvement takeaways? Ljubobevic-Torre 1975 , Polugaevsky-Petrosian 1983, IM Cyrus Lakdawala’s Rewire Your Chess Brain,GM Baadur Jobava’s Twitch Channel, Chessable’s Checkmate Patterns Manual 1:14:00- In lieu of payment, I am making a donation of Alex’s behalf to Lichess.org. Keep up the great work, Team Lichess! Mentioned: Simple Chess by Michael Stean, coming next month You can message FM Alex Chua on lichess. Here is his account: https://lichess.org/@/highlama See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.204 - FM Nathan Resika (Adult Improver Series) Dec 01, 2020

FM Nathan Resika has accomplished one of the rarest feats in the annals of adult competitive chess, progressing from rank beginner to FIDE Master. Along the way, Nathan has picked up many more titles: USCF Master at age 31, FM Title at age 40, rating high of 2318 and US Senior Open Champion at age the of 53. Despite some breaks along the way, at age 60, Nathan is still going strong, as he recently had a stellar showing at the 2020 Southwest Open, where he defeated a 2550 IM! How does Nathan continue to amass new titles, all while he is working and helping to raise his twin children? What is his top chess advice? In this very inspiring conversation, Nathan shares lots of tips, many book and opening recommendations, and even discusses the story of how he defied the odds in another field and became a professional opera singer in his 40s! As always, please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- Nathan shares the story of his chess beginnings, playing in the park at Harvard Square in Boston at the age of 23, and mentions some books fundamental to his growth as a player. Mentioned: Logical Chess Move by Move, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess , Lasker’s Manual of Chess, GM Eugene Perelshteyn, My 60 Memorable Games . Nathan’s article in US Chess about his career can be found here: https://new.uschess.org/news/fm-resika-us-senior-singing-chess-icing-cake, Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Daniel King’s How Good is Your Chess, NM Bruce Pandolfini 15:30- How much time was Nathan putting into the study of chess in his early competitive days circa 1985? Mentioned: NM Murray Turnbull, GM Alexander Ivanov, NM Christopher Chabris, NM Danny Edelman, NM Girome Bono, IM Joseph Fang, IM David Vigorito, IM William Paschall, Secrets of Grandmaster Play by GM John Nunn Nathan also wanted to mention that Senior Master Jacob Rasin was instrumental to his progress 24:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. A few of the courses in which you might be interested, based on this interview, are: The Modern Defense Against Everything by CM Vjeokslave Nemec, and Lifetime Repertoires, 1.c4/ 1. Nf3 by IM Christof Sielecki and FM Carsten Hansen 25:00- Nathan answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag about whether adult improvers should consider playing less aggressive repertoires as they age, and another about the rating level at which opening knowledge begins to take on an added importance. Mentioned: The Berlin Opening, The Scotch Game, The English/Reti, How to Think Ahead in Chess by Fred Reinfeld , FM William Kelleher, Small Steps to Giant Improvement by GM Sam Shankland, Pawn Power in Chess by Hans Kmoch, GM Richard Reti’s Best Games, Grandmaster Repertoire by GM Mikhail Marin, Starting Out: The Reti by GM Neil McDonald, Howard Staunton, GM Mikhail Botvinnik, GM Tony Miles, NM Harry Lyman 52:00- Nathan tells the story of how he became a professional opera singer past the age of 40. 58:00- Nathan answers another question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast. How does Nathan’s musical knowledge help his chess, if at all? GM Mikhail Tal, GM Mark Taimaino, GM Lajos Portisch, Andre Phillidor, Gregor Piatigorsky 1:03:00- IM Kare Kristensen writes in to ask, “What is the biggest challenge of competing at a high level as an adult?” Mentioned: IM Ilya Figler, Perpetual Chess Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen, GM James Tarjan vs. GM Vladimir Kramnik 2017, GM Boris Gelfand, Nakamura-Resika, GM Alexander Chernin 1:14:00 What went wrong when Nathan had a rating slump of nearly 130 points? How did he seek to correct it? Mentioned: Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos 1:19:30- What was it like to play in a tournament in Texas amidst the pandemic? How did Nathan and his family get comfortable with the decision to play? Mentioned: 2020 Southwest Open, IM Justin Sarkar, IM Zurab Javakhadze, Raghav Kalyanaraman, Check out the Whole Crosstable here: http://www.dallaschess.com/2020SWOpen/OpenWallchart.html 1:30:00- What are Nathan’s current chess goals? Why does he think it's important to play stronger competition? 1:34:00- Question from Neal Bruce! What are the minimum and maximum amount of hours per day/week that an improver should study? Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland’s Method 1 and 2, GM Neil McDonald, GM Daniel King, GM John Nunn, IM Andrew Martin 1:39:00- Closing summary of Nathan’s improvement advice! Don’t get discouraged Study Structures Keep up with Your Tactics, no matter your age Read good chess books and great authors Read biographies of great players 1:41:00- Thanks so much to Nathan for joining the podcast! You can reach him at nateresi@hotmail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.203 - GM Wojciech Moranda Nov 24, 2020

This week we are joined by top chess player, trainer and author GM Wojciech Moranda. GM Moranda is one of the highest ranked and most accomplished players in Poland, with a FIDE rating of 2618 and many tournament victories. Wojciech has also been a frequent competitor in the Pro Chess League, where he has beaten the likes of GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Alexander Grischuk. As a trainer, GM Wojciech has worked with both amateur adults and with top young players in conjunction with the National Youth Chess Academy of the Polish Chess Federation. GM Moranda is a chess bibliophile who has developed a unique chess instruction style, which is on display in his excellent new book,Universal Chess Training, recently published by Thinkers Publishing. We talk about the book as well as chess improvement more generally, including getting Wojciech’s takes on the age old questions of what to study, how to study, and how much to study. If you are looking to improve your own game you are assured to pick up something both from Wojciech’s book, and from our conversation. Please continue reading for timestamps and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We begin by discussing GM Moranda’s new book from Thinker’s Publishing, Universal Chess Training. GM Moranda shares how he decided on the unique presentation style of this book, and what he likes and dislikes about other recent chess books. Mentioned: Reshevsky-Petrosian 1953 (25...Re6), Jon Edwards, My Great Predecessors, Kasparov-Topalov 1999, Episode 199 with Dr. Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. One of their latest offerings is a Lifetime Repertoires course on the Taimanov Sicilian by GM Harikrishna. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-taimanov-sicilian/course/45749/?utm_source=chessable&utm_medium=tw 25:30- GM Moranda answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about whether playing blitz and rapid is bad for one’s chess development. Mentioned: Lichess.org, Episode 200 with GM Boris Gelfand, GM Alireza Firouzja 34:30- We discuss how much one should study, and how one should allocate chess study time. Mentioned: Applying Logic in Chess by IM Erik Kislik 41:00- Are the rumors true that GM Moranda has a law degree? How did Wojciech get into chess? Mentioned: FM Kamil Plichta 48:30- GM Moranda answers another question relating to the state of the chess culture in Poland. Mentioned: GM Jan Krzysztof Duda, Paul Morphy, The Queen’s Gambit Series 56:30- What are GM Wojciech’s favorite chess books? Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation Series, Beyond Material, GameChanger 1:03:00- GM Moranda has some experience teaching blindfold chess and visualization. What advice does he usually give his students? 1:19:00 Thanks so much to GM Moranda for sharing his chess wisdom! You can reach him via email at wojciech.moranda@gmail.com You check out a teaser of Universal Chess Training here: https://thinkerspublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Teaser-PDF-Wojciech-Moranda-Universal-Chess-Training-1.pdf and you can buy it here: https://thinkerspublishing.com/product/wojciech-moranda-universal-chess-training/ Its also available from Forward Chess here: https://forwardchess.com/sample/universal-chess-training See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.202 - Dr. Frank Brady Nov 17, 2020

Dr. Frank Brady has led a long and distinguished career both in and out of the chess world. Before retiring, he was the Chairman of the Department of Mass Communications, Journalism, Television and Film at St. John’s University. Frank is also the Founding Editor of Chess Life Magazine, and is well known for writing multiple books about Bobby Fischer, who Frank knew since Bobby’s teenage years, and about whom he is a leading authority. Dr. Brady is best known for his best-selling and brilliant 2011 biography of Fischer, Endgame: Fischer’s Rise and Fall from Remarkable Prodigy to the Edge of Madness. In our conversation, Frank shares many personal recollections about his interactions with Bobby, including a first-hand account of what it was like to be at the famed Fischer-Spassky Match of the Century in Reykjavik in 1972. Frank contextualizes the brilliance and the faults of Bobby Fischer, and tells some great stories from his personal experiences. You will not want to miss this first hand account of chess history! Please read on for more details, relevant links, and timestamps.

For more detailed show notes, go to:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/11/17/episode-202-dr-frank-brady

02:00- What was it like to attend the “Match of the Century” between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in person in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1972?

10:30- Frank discusses the question of whether Bobby knew who his father was, and whether he was aware of his Jewish heritage.

18:30- How would Frank describe Bobby’s personality?

28:00- What chess improvement advice did Bobby Fischer give to Frank Brady?

32:30- Does Frank think that Bobby Fischer had Asperger’s Syndrome? How did Frank find out Fischer’s IQ?

40:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. If you would like to learn about the chess brilliance of Bobby Fischer utilizing their patented Movetrainer technology, you can check out GM Garry Kasparov’s My Great Predecessor’s Volume 4, among other books and courses:

https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-4/course/29726/

41:00- Frank answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to the history of The Log Cabin Chess Club.

47:00- What were Bobby’s political views before they became more radical? When was Bobby’s chess peak? Does Frank think that Bobby was clinically insane?

52:00- What did Bobby’s Icelandic friends from his later years think of Bobby?

53:30- Douglas Griffin asks Frank whether he is aware of Fischer being particularly influenced by GM Isaac Boleslavsky.

56:00- What were Frank’s interactions with GM Boris Spassy like?

1:00:00- Frank's encounters with famed artist Marcel Duchamp

1:04:00- Frank still plays the occasional tournament chess game, and he is in great health as an 86 year-old. What health advice can he share?

1:05:30- As an expert on film and chess, Frank compares the smash-hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit as it compares to other representations of chess in film/on television.

1:10:00- To what does Frank attribute the success of Endgame outside of the chess world?

1:17:00- Whom does Frank think I should interview?

1:19:30- More discussion of The Queen’s Gambit.

1:25:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Brady for an amazing interview! You can reach him via email at bradyfm at msn.com

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EP.201 - FM Peter Giannatos Nov 10, 2020

FM Peter Giannatos,is the Founder and Executive Director of the Charlotte Chess Club and Scholastic Center (CCCSA), which is an award-winning chess club based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 2007, Peter has taken the club from a small group meeting in a local library to a thriving organization with a large scholastic program, indispensable international tournaments, and a rapidly growing Twitch presence. In our conversation, Peter shares a lot of his hard-won wisdom about how to help build a vibrant local chess community, and he also discusses the difficulty that the club has faced recently due to the pandemic. Given the exploding popularity of chess, Peter is optimistic that any “brick and mortar” chess organization which can survive the lockdown period will come out of the Covid period better than ever. Lastly, Peter is a very accomplished chess player (2390 USCF peak rating) and improver in his own right, so he concludes the interview with some chess improvement tips and a few great book recommendations. Many of the details and timestamps related to the topics we discussed can be found below. 0:00- We begin our conversation by getting into reliving the modest beginnings of the Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy, which has gone from being run at a local library to a beautiful brick and mortar facility, with city-wide outreach and international tournaments. Mentioned: Grant Oen, FM Mike Klein, GM Daniel Naroditsky, Bradley Juopperi, Ursula Smith 28:30- GM Ben Finegold has built a successful chess center in Atlanta and credited Peter with helping him get started. How did Peter help? In this segment Peter also discusses how the pandemic has affected the chess center. Mentioned: CBS Sunday Morning chess story featuring GM Maurice Ashley and WFM Alexandra Botez: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/online-chess-makes-its-biggest-move/, Silver Knights Chess Academy, Kids Chess, Chess Achieves, Raleigh Chess Academy 40:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out one of their latest, Lifetime Repertoires, Sam Shankland’s 1. d4, from former US Champion Sam Shankland. The course is on sale for a limited time, check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-sam-shanklands-1-d4-part-2/course/53465/ 40:30- Peter discusses the rough beginnings and then growth of Charlotte’s International Norm tournaments, which are well-regarded tournaments that enable young talents to earn GM and IM norms. Mentioned: FM Yuriy Krykun, GM Michael Brown, IM Kassa Korley, Grant Oen. DGT Smart Boards, GM Pragganandha, GM Aman Hambleton, IM John Bartholomew, FM Gauri Shankar, IM Brandon Jacobsen 57:30- We discuss the Chess Center’s relationship with GM Daniel Naroditsky, Twitch Streaming, and their popular “Daniel Naroditsky vs. the World” Online events Mentioned: Castle Chess Camp, Episode 191 with GM Daniel Naroditsky- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-191-gm-daniel-naroditsky/id1185023674?i=1000489096841 Charlotte Chess Center Twitch Channel- https://www.twitch.tv/charlottechesscenter, GM Wesley So, GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, GM Jan-Krzysctof Duda, GM Vladimir Fedoseev, GM Rauf Mamedov, GM Salem Saleh, GM David Bronstein 1:10:00- Peter has made huge gains in his rating in his 20s. What advice does he give for improvement? Where did he learn about all of the chess greats that he covers in his Learn from the Legends Twitch Series. Mentioned: chessgames.com, Douglas Griffin’s twitter page, The Art of Sacrifice in Chess, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Magnus Carlsen, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, GM Alexander Shabalov, GM Vassily Smylov, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Mikhail Botvinnik, GM Vladimir Kramnik, Simple Chess, NM Matthew Noble, Perfect Your Chess (Out of Print but Available on Kindle!), 1:22:30- Thanks so much to Peter for sharing so much of his experience and knowledge! Here are all of the ways to keep up with the CCCSA: Email Peter here: peter.giannatos@charlottechesscenter.org Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy- https://www.charlottechesscenter.org/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/charlottechesscenter/ Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/charlottechesscenter YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/user/charlottechesscenter If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP. 200 - GM Boris Gelfand Nov 03, 2020

On episode 200 of Perpetual Chess we are joined by a legend of chess, GM Boris Gelfand! GM Gelfand has been one of the world’s top players since the 1990’s, has amassed countless tournament titles, and played a breathtakingly close World Championship match with GM Viswanthan Anand in 2012. He is also an acclaimed author, and has released recently two new books in cooperation with GM Jacob Aagaard and Quality Chess Books. The books are Decision Making in Major Piece Endings, and Technical Decision Making in Chess. Both are highly instructive reads which lay bare the thought processes of an elite chess player. In our conversation, we discuss his books and their implications for chess improvement. GM Gelfand also shares highlights of and reflections on his own life at and away from the chessboard. As always, read on for timestamps and related links. 0:00- We begin by discussing a few quotes from Gelfand, one of which distills his chess improvement advice to a few sentences. GM Gelfand also gives us his opinion of how to use chess engines, a common topic in his writing. Mentioned: Surya Ganguly interview part 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxjBIWngFqo Surya Ganguly interview part 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFlInDxHMVo 10:00- GM Gelfand tells the story of the formative experience of seeing an elite level tournament up close when he was just an adolescent in Belarus. Mentioned: GM Mikhail Tal, GM Garry Kasparov, Boris Postovsky, GM Alexander Nikitin, GM Salo Flohr 13:30- How can up-and-coming players manage the “curse and the blessing” of great online study tools but also the potential distraction of online bullet chess? Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov 18:45- What does GM Gelfand think of the increased popularity of online chess with faster time control? How did he enjoy the recent Chess24 Legends of Chess Tournament in which he competed? 23:00- GM Gelfand discusses the increased importance of organizing knowledge as compared to the challenge of acquiring knowledge when he was a young player. 25:30- Since GM Gelfand collaborates with GM Jacob Aagaard in his writing, I asked him who wrote a particularly funny quote from Technical Decision Making in Chess. Mentioned: Jumabayev-Gelfand 2016 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1976537 30:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here, including a brand new course from GM Yasser Seirawan: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 30:45- GM Gelfand answers a question from one of the podcast’s Patreon supporters regarding the great documentary Album 61. Album 61 covers his World Championship Match with GM Viswanathan Anand and is available for free with English subtitles on Youtube. Mentioned: Watch Album 61 here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFrevXxAojY 34:00- On the road to qualifying to challenge Anand for the 2012 World Championship, GM Gelfand faced a must-win game with Black against Kamsky. How did he keep his composure in such a moment ? Mentioned: GM Alexander Grischuk 40:00- As a World Championship challenger over the age of 40, did GM Gelfand make adjustments to his approach? Mentioned: GM Surya Ganguly, GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Viswanthan Anand, GM Alexander Grischuk 44:00- GM Gelfand answers another question from the Patreon mailbag relating to his thoughts on the current Candidates cycle, as well as the next one. GM Maxim Vachier-Lagrave, GM Ian Nepomniatchi, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Giri, GM Jeffrey Xiong, GM Danill Dubov 48:45- GM Gelfand answers another question relating to the subject matter of his new book, Decision Making in Major Piece Endings. 53:30- How can we know when to calculate in chess and when to rely on intuition? 57:30- What advice did GM Gelfand give to Magnus Carlsen’s family when they asked him if Magnus should pursue chess professionally? 1:02:00- GM Gelfand discusses a popular chess program in his hometown of Rishon Lezion, Israel, as well as his frustrations with the state of chess in Israel generally. 1:05:00- We discuss some of GM Gelfand’s favorite chess books. Mentioned: Anand Files by FM Michiel Abeln, GM Yury Razuvaev, The Best Move by Hort and Jansa, The Nemesis by Efim Geller, FM Eduard Zelkind, World Chess Championship 1948 by GM Paul Keres 1:10:00- Thanks so much to GM Gelfand for an amazing interview! You can purchase his books from Quality Chess, Forward Chess or other book sellers. https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/sections/2/improvement/ https://forwardchess.com/product/technical-decision-making-in-chess/?sscid=91k3_fazxa If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.199- Dr. Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells Oct 27, 2020

This week I am joined by Dr. Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells, who are the authors of the new book, Chess Improvement: It’s All in the Mindset. Dr. Hymer is a Professor of Psychology in Education, as well as a long time chess enthusiast. GM Peter Wells, in addition to being an active player is a prolific chess author and a trainer for some of Great Britain’s top juniors. As a pair, they are perfectly suited to write a book tackling so many persistent questions related to chess improvement. Our conversation discusses questions such as the following: What is a growth mindset, and how can it apply to chess improvement? What can parents and trainers learn from the approach to nurturing talent taken by the family of GM Magnus Carlsen? How much of chess talent is determined by genetics? What are Peter’s favorite games of his career? How has Barry managed to go from the 1800 level to over 2000 while in his 50s? For the answers to these questions and many more, please enjoy the show. You can find timestamps and show notes below. 0:00- We begin by discussing the source of the authors’ idea for this book, and they explain the research that framed their writing of it. Mentioned: Tim Kett, Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success 7:00- What psychological issues in his own chess game did Carol Dweck’s research help Peter address? 10:30- Barry and Peter answer the first of many Patreon mailbag questions relating to whether their book is more of a “how-to guide” or more of an overview of research chess players should know? Mentioned: GM Boris Gulko, GM Boris Gelfand, Tim Kett, Henrik Carlsen, GM Erwin L.Ami Henrik Carlsen interview with IM Sagar Shah here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAGKisuHUg 20:00- Another Patreon question- what advice do Peter and Barry have for managing chess study while working full time? 25:00- Must “deliberate practice” be inherently unenjoyable? Mentioned: Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers 30:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Chessable is a great way to put in your deliberate practice and learn opening lines, tactical patterns and other aspects of the game. Check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 31:00- Dr. Barry Hymer is an adult improver who has gained over 200 rating points in his 50s. What has been his approach to chess study? Mentioned: GM Luke McShane, The King’s Indian Attack Move by Move, Bill Goichberg 38:30- How will this research affect GM Peter Wells' approach as chess trainer? 42:30- Another Patreon mailbag question: What does Peter think can be done to help improve the British chess scene, especially for talented juniors? Mentioned:GM Alexander Morozevich, GM Gawain Jones, IM Malcolm Pein 48:00- What is the chess scene like in Barry’s native South Africa? 50:00- The authors answer another Patreon mailbag question relating to the always controversial topic of the extent to which chess ability is determined by nature as opposed to nurture. Mentioned: Chessdojo, Robert Plomin, GM Bobby Fischer, IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, GM Luke McShane, 1:02:00- The authors interviewed many of the top players of Great Britain, including IM Harriet Hunt and GM Nigel Short. Were they more struck by the similarity of their approaches or their differences? Mentioned: IM Harriet Hunt, GM Nigel Short 1:04:30- Another Patreon question- How can parents find the right balance between being encouraging their children and being pushy with their encouragemen? Mentioned: IM Merijn Van Delft, Angela Duckworth 1:15:00- Peter answers a listener question relating to what it was like beating GM Alexei Shirov with the Trompowsky Opening in just 13 moves. Mentioned: IM William Hartston, GM Joel Lautier, GM Judit Polgar, GM Patrick Wolff Wells-John Emms 2000 Wells- Zoltan Almasi 2001 Chess24 coverage of Norway Chess Round 6, featuring GM Joel Lautier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8LNhYDyHFo&t=3437s 1:23:30- Another listener question: What type of work will Barry be doing with Chessable.com? GM Alex Colovic 1:26:00- Thanks so much to Peter and Barry for sharing their knowledge and experiences. You can buy the books here: https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Improvement-Its-all-mindset-ebook/dp/B08KHY4S6B/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chess+improvement+mindset&qid=1603735477&s=books&sr=1-1 You can keep up with them in the following ways: Barry Hymer website- https://barryhymer.wordpress.com/ Chessable blog-https://www.chessable.com/blog/page/2/ Peter Wells twitter- https://twitter.com/GMPeteWells Email the authors through Crown house publishing- https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/contact-us You can help support the podcast here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #11 : Talking Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce Oct 24, 2020

This month on “Chess Books Recaptured” we discuss a book that is especially vital for club players, Winning Chess Strategies, by the beloved former top player, turned author and announcer, GM Yasser Seirawan. As the title might suggest, this is a book that focuses on the subtler, non tactical aspects of chess that are not always intuitive for adult improvers. I am joined again by popular guest co-host Neal Bruce. Neal has read many chess books focused on positional chess, and feels that this is the best one. In our recap, we discuss a few of the key concepts, and some of our favorite quotes and games, all of which Yasser explains in his inimitable style. Please read on for more details, timestamps and show notes. 0:00- We begin by discussing why Winning Chess Strategies is a beloved and well-reviewed book, and discussing the various formats in which it’s available. April 2020- Book Recap: Talking Woodpecker Method Recap with Neal Bruce https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-recap-woodpecker-method-rapid-chess-improvement/id1185023674?i=1000471766064 December 2019- Book Recap: Talking Reassess Your Chess with Todd Kennedy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-recap-talking-silmans-reassess-your-chess-by-jeremy/id1185023674?i=1000460297334 Winning Chess Strategies is in print, and is available on Chessable among other formats: https://www.chessable.com/winning-chess-strategies/course/30038/ 8:30- What guests on Perpetual Chess Have recommended this book? Mentioned: GM Robert Hess, GM Lev Alburt, Stjepan Tomic GM Maurice Ashley on the Tim Ferris show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/449-grandmaster-maurice-ashley-on-magic-chess-art-trash/id863897795?i=1000486480639 10:30- Despite the oft repeated dictum that chess is “99% tactics” Neal and I both think books like this are important. Why? Mentioned: GM Avetik Grigoryan on why chess isn’t just tactics: https://chessmood.com/blog/the-myth-about-chess-tactics-and-solving-chess-puzzles 14:00- For what level is this book appropriate? How difficult are the quiz questions? Neal thinks the 1200 to 2000 range. I think more like 1000-1800 would benefit the most from it. Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold 20:45- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com- check out Yasser’s Chessable offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/s/yasser%20seirawan 21:30- We read a few key paragraphs from the book, and then discuss our favorite chapters. Mentioned: Wilhelm Steinitz, Akiba Rubinstein, GM Jose Raul Capablanca, Aron Nimzowitsch, Tigran Petrosian, GM Anatoly Karpov 30:00- We discuss a few of our favorite strategic concepts from the book. Mine include good, bad and active bishops, static vs. dynamic advantage and rules for when to attack. Neal highlighted the importance of a strong center, and “target consciousness” among a few other ideas. 43:00- We discuss a few of our favorite games from the book. They are: Alekhine-Nimzowitsch- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1012683 Steinitz-Blackburne- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1028959 Seirawan-Zarnicki- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1458901 Seirawan-Karpov- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1068297 Karpov-Spassky Game 9- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067812 Also mentioned: GM Maurice Ashley, Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Sherevsky 50:00- Power rankings! Neal ranks his favorite chess strategy books for club players. Books discussed include: Simple Chess, Best Lessons of a Chess Coach, The Amateur’s Mind, How to Reassess Your Chess , Chess Strategy for Club Players, Find the Right Plan, and Modern Chess Strategy, Positional Chess Handbook by Israel Gelfer,Practical Chess Exercises, Blindfold Chess 1:02:00- Thanks again to Neal for coming on and sharing his knowledge. You can keep up with all of his chess reading and puzzle sharing by following him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nealbrucebc?lang=en If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.198 - Ren Escalera (Adult Improver Series) Oct 20, 2020

Ren Escalera is a 37 year-old dad and adult chess improver. As Ren describes, he had a brief, but strong, passion for chess as a scholastic player in the Phillipines and has rekindled his love for the game in order to help his talented young son improve. Ren’s son, Scott, is rated 1248 at the age of 7, which is good for #16 for his age in the country! Meanwhile, Ren has seen some vast improvements of his own. Prior to the pandemic, Ren had taken his rating from 1056 to a peak of 1702 in just 1.5 years! How did Ren do it? How did Scott do it? What is next for this powerful father-son tandem? I think you will enjoy Ren and Scott’s inspiring story, as well as his equally useful chess improvement and parenting reflections. You can find more information and timestamps below. 0:00- We begin by discussing how Ren and his son, Scott, became interested in chess. As Ren describes, he loved chess as a kid in the Phillipines but walked away. He introduced his son to it when he was a young boy, and it was then that Ren found himself coming back to it. 10:40- When did his son start to play tournament chess? How did this affect Scott’s interest in chess? 17:00- How many hours per day are Scott and Ren spending on chess? What is their daily routine? Mentioned: IM Angelo Young, Megan Chen 22:00- What do Scott and Ren study during their 2-3 hours of training per day? Mentioned: Chess 5334 Problems by Laszlo Polgar, The London System with 2. Bf4 by Ginger GM, Pirc video Damian Lemos, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making by GM Ramesh, Chessking App, Perpetual Chess Episode 190 with Adult Improver Andrew Zinn, Perpetual Chess Episode 42 with James Altucher 28:00- With limited finances, how does Ren’s family handle the expense of chess? 32:00- Are there times that Scott does not want to do chess? How does Ren handle it? 34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Winning Chess Tactics by GM Yasser Seirawan is one of their latest offerings. You might find it on sale if you act quickly. 35:00- Ren answers a Patreon mailbag question regarding whether he believes its true that club-level players should focus primarily on tactics. After that he discusses his approach to reviewing games. 41:00- Ren answers a question from another of the podcast’s Patreon supporters relating to the nature of his rating climb, and whether he has had moments of stagnation and frustration in his quest to improve at chess. 47:00- Ren gives a bit of advice about how to allocate chess study time. 50:00- Ren gives some advice to a fellow parent about how to potentially introduce his 4 year old to chess. 58:30 Ren discusses his goals, and how he thinks he will approach chess as both he and his son continue to improve. 1:01:30- Thanks so much to Ren for sharing his inspiring story! You can keep up with him via the Kings Wisdom Chess Club web page, or email him at escalerarv at gmail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.197 - IM Cyrus Lakdawala returns Oct 13, 2020

Since our first interview in June of 2019, IM Cyrus Lakdawala has increased the number of books he has authored to 50! Cyrus’ newest published book is Rewire Your Chess Brain: Endgame Studies and Mating Problems to Enhance Your Tactical Abilities . I have been excited for this book because endgame studies have frequently been mentioned by guests as an effective way to improve one’s visualization abilities and pattern recognition. The book did not disappoint me! It is filled with creative, diabolical and often difficult chess problems that can stump you for hours or days. We also discuss Cyrus’ recent award-winning book In the Zone: The Greatest Winning Streaks in Chess History. In the book, Cyrus deconstructs the magic of chess hot streaks and reveals who he thinks had the most impressive tournament performance of all time. For those interested in chess improvement, this interview is packed with useful advice. Cyrus shares his advice for how to tackle difficult chess problems, and reveals a simple formula for how one should allocate one’s chess study time. Please read on for lots more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing his newest, the excellent book of endgame studies and difficult mate problems, Rewire Your Chess Brain. Mentioned: Episode 129 With Cyrus Lakdawala: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-chess-podcast/id1185023674?i=1000440582141 Chess Endgame Studies and Compositions Facebook Group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/544412592978833 Also Mentioned: GM Max Illingworth, Jonathan Fry, GM Nigel Short, GM Alexei Shirov, Joseph William Abbott “It’s not the solving that matters, it’s the combination of straining to solve… mixed with seeing an original pattern in the solution, and you are adding to your internal database a new pattern.” 13:15- This episode is brought to you in part by Chesskid.com. If you sign your child up for a Gold level Membership, you can use promo code “HOMEFUN” for a 10% discount, and if you are interested in bulk discounts on chess club memberships, you can email sales@chesskid.com 14:15- Cyrus answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to the proper way to tackle chess endgame studies. As Cyrus explains, the key is to strain for the answer. Mentioned: Reti-Alekhine 1925, Satanick Mukhuty, Steven Dowd 25:15- What are some common themes you might come across in chess studies? The Blathy 1962 endgame study we discuss can be found here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=PpLRGEZBY5eLQlzzQQv+/N4VI8U9AXmYqIP6SVLGeTjkwp8mnb+O+65veM1erWS7 28:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Whether you are interested in openings, endgames, or chess history, Chessable has plenty of books and courses to help you learn and retain the information you learn using its MoveTrainer technology. https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 29:30- We talk some chess improvement, as Cyrus answers another question from the Patreon mailbag- What aspects of studying chess are overrated and underrated? 35:30- In the wake of the recent Pro Chess League cheating scandal, we discuss the issue of cheating in chess a bit. Background on the cheating scandal here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/saint-louis-arch-bishops-2020-pro-chess-champions Mentioned: GM Tigran L. Petrosian, GM Wesley So, GM Miguel Quinteros 43:15- Another recent book of Cyrus’ In the Zone: The Greatest Winning Streaks in Chess History, just won an award for Best Instructional Book from the Chess Journalists of America. What can we learn from studying the winning streaks of the greats? Mentioned: Paulsen, Morphy, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Veslin Topalov, GM Levon Aronian, GM Magnus Carlsen. GM Bobby Fischer, GM Bent Larsen, GM Mark Taimanov, GM Alexander Alekhine 58:30- One more supporter question for Cyrus: Who would he pick as the best opening, middlegame, and endgames specialists in chess history? Mentioned: GMs Kasparov, Korchnoi, Karpov, Carlsen, Alekhine 1:00:30- Thanks to Cyrus for rejoining the show! You can buy his books here: https://www.amazon.com/Zone-Greatest-Winning-Streaks-History/dp/905691877X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=K2M59FKPTJUD&dchild=1&keywords=cyrus+lakdawala+chess+books&qid=1602458255&s=books&sprefix=cyrus%2Cstripbooks%2C139&sr=1-1 Join the Facebook Chess Endgame Studies and Compositions Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/544412592978833 And contact Cyrus here: https://www.facebook.com/cyrus.lakdawala See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.196 - GM Jan Timman Oct 06, 2020

This week on Perpetual Chess, it's a privilege to be joined by a chess legend. GM Jan Timman! GM Timman is the 9 time champion of the Netherlands and spent decades as one of the top players in the world. He has had numerous tournament triumphs, and played GM Anatoly Karpov for the FIDE World Championship in 1993. For all of his striking chess successes, GM Timman may be equally skilled as a writer. He is a founding editor of New in Chess Magazine, and penned the outstanding and award-winning book, Timman’s Titans, among many other works. In 2020, GM Timman has released another great book, Timman’s Triumphs: My 100 Best Games. GM Timman has a treasure trove of amazing chess stories, and we are lucky that he touched on many of them in this interview. A few of the topics discussed include: what modern chess engines taught him about his classic games, what it was like to drink with Mikhail Tal, and go to a disco with Bobby Fischer, and what his most cherished and painful memories are from a lifetime’s worth of chess battles. GM Timman is someone I have always hoped to interview, so it was an honor and pleasure to hear his stories and reflections. Please read on for more details, timestamps and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We begin by discussing GM Timman’s latest great book, Timman’s Triumphs. Why does he think that, under today’s circumstances,he would not become a chess professional as an up-and-coming player? Mentioned: GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Chessbase, NICBase, Fritz, GM Garry Kasparov, GM Erwin L’Ami 08:00- After reviewing his games with today’s state of the art engines, how did the quality of play in GM Timman’s games hold up? GM Wolfgang Uhlmann, GM Judit Polgar 10:45- GM Timman tells a story of travelling to a tournament in Stockholm when young, and staying at a hotel where he couldn’t afford lodging unless he won prize money. How did it turn out? Mentioned: Rilton Cup, IM Hans Bohm 14:30- GM Timman answers the first of many questions from the Patreon mailbag relating to his dynamic play as Black. Does GM Timman agree with IM Mark Dvoretsky that this style may have cost him some points? Mentioned: GM Max Euwe, GM Hein Donner 19:00- What was GM Timman’s approach to preparing for games? Timman-Ribli 1978, GM Bobby Fischer, GM Judit Polgar 23:00- Bobby Fischer was a chess hero of GM Timman. What was it like to meet and spend time with him? Mentioned: Bessel Kok 26:30-GM Timman tells another great story from Timman’s Titans, of discovering, as he shopped at a second hand shop in Lisbon, a chess set that once belonged to World Champion Alexander Alekhine. 29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Whether you are interested in openings, endgames, or chess history, Chessable has plenty of books and courses to help you learn and retain the information you learn using its MoveTrainer technology. https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 30:00- GM Timman answers a listener question comparing the feeling of playing Kasparov over the board to that of playing GM Anatoly Karpov. Yasser Chessable interview here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoXeFM3tmZ8 33:30- GM Timman discusses his relationship with GM Viktor Korchnoi and offers his theory of how Korchnoi stayed so strong into his golden years. Biel 2001, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Peter Svidler, GM Lajos Portisch, GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic 38:30- What has changed in Jan’s chess game over the years? Mentioned: The Ragozin Defense 41:00- We discuss modern chess a bit. Who is Jan’s favorite player? What does he think about the soon to be resumed 2020 FIDE Candidates tournament? GM Ding Liren, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Ian Nepomniatchi, German Bundesliga 45:00- Jan answers another question from the Patreon mailbag relating to a memorable result in the Immopar rapid tournament in 1991. Timman-Karpov 1991, Immopar 1991 47:30- What are Jan’s most pleasant and most memorable chess memories? Mentioned: GM Arthur Yusopov 50:00- What was it like to be a celebrity in his native Netherlands in the 1990’s? Why does GM Timman think Magnus Carlsen prefers to defend his World Championship title outside of Norway? Mentioned: Dirk Jan Ten Geuzendam of New in Chess Magazine, Former FIDE President Florencio Campomanes, GM Nigel Short, GM Boris Spassky, GM Bobby Fischer 52:00- How does GM Timman spend his chess-focused time these days? What are his interests outside of chess? Mentioned: New in Chess Magazine, Luis Borges, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa 54:30- What are GM Timman’s favorite cities and tournament venues that he has attended? Mentioned: Paris, London, Madrid, Prague, Reykjavik Open 57:30- What was it like to spend time with legendary World Champion GM Mikhail Tal? If he were to be stranded on a desert island with one GM, who would it be? Mentioned: Boris Spassky, Bobby Fischer 1:00:00- GM Timman answers another listener question: Does he think that much of his success in chess can be attributed to the creative environment that surrounded him in the Netherlands? Mentioned: De Kring, Hein Donner, GM Evgenii Sosonko 1:02:00- How much is Jan keeping up with chess literature? What are his favorite chess books? Mentioned: My 60 Memorable Games, Paul Keres: The Road to the Top, Rapport-Sprenger 2020 1:06:00- GM Jan Timman answers one last Patreon mailbag question: How does GM Timman keep his motivation and focus to play lower rated players in club games? Mentioned: GM Max Euwe 1:08:30- Thanks so much to GM Timman for joining the show! His books are widely available including from New in Chess, as well as Forward Chess. https://www.newinchess.com/en_US/catalogsearch/result/index/q/Jan%20Timman/?authors=66 https://forwardchess.com/product/timman's-triumphs:-my100-best-games?sscid=91k3_fazxa See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.195 - GM Keith Arkell Sep 29, 2020

GM Keith Arkell is a constant presence in chess tournaments ranging from smaller British weekend tournaments, to big-stage open tournaments like the Chess.com Isle of Man International. Over the years, he has amassed dozens of tournament victories, including winning the 2014 European Over 50 Championship, and tying for first in the 2008 British Championships. Of course, Keith is best known for his legendary endgame prowess, and he shows off and explains his approach to endgames in his enjoyable and instructive new book, Arkell’s Endings. In our interview,Keith discusses the book, including his fascinating “hierarchy of pawns.” Keith shares some great chess tips as well as life reflections from a life spent wholly immersed in chess. As always, please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing the genesis of Arkell’s Endings, as well as the origins of Keith’s legendary endgame skills. Mentioned: Chess for Life by GM Mathew Sadler and Natasha Regan, Ginger GM Publishing, GM Simon Williams, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Ulf Andersson, GM Tony Miles, 08:00- Does Keith think he is uniquely feared due to his propensity for grinding down opponents in long games? Mentioned: GM Mark Hebden 12:00- In Arkell’s Endgames, he lays out his “heirarchy of pawns”- how does he value each pawn, and how did he come upon that framework? 18:30- Keith makes no secret that he dislikes opening theory. How does he approach chess to minimize memorization? How does he characterize his chess style generally? Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew, GM Simon Williams 26:30- As a European senior champion what is Keith’s advice for other older players? How does he balance a desire to socialize with his chess colleagues while also trying to perform well in tournaments? 30:30- In addition to an evident endgame prowess, Simon Williams shows some impressive tactical melees that Keith has played in Arkell Endgames. How did Keith learn to calculate? 34:00- Keith has a light touch in Arkell’s Endings, with regard to how much analysis he includes. How did he decide on this approach? Mentioned: Bertrand Russell, GM Peter Svidler, IM Ali Mortazavi 41:50- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out all of their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 42:30- How does Keith stay sharp in blitz? Mentioned: Hodgson, Howell, GM Simon Williams, IM Ameet Ghasi, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Mickey Howell, GM Luke McShane, GM Gawain Jones,GM Ivan Sololov, John Naylor 46:00- Are the rumors true, that Keith’s fun first book, Arkell’s Odyssey, will soon be updated and reissued? Keith expounds on some personal issues touched upon in the book, including a lack of confidence before he discovered chess, and a history of panic attacks. 56:00- Keith made an early decision in life to try to avoid a “real job.” How old was he when he made this decision? How strong was he at chess? Mentioned: IM Susan Lalic, GM Glenn Flear, WIM Christine Flear 1:03:00- What are Keith’s favorite places that he has visited for tournaments? Mentioned: GM Vassily Smyslov, GM Lev Psakhis, Arkell-Psakhis 1983, GM Leonid Yudasin, GM Alexander Khalifman, Marshall Chess Club, 1:08:00- How did Keith find his chess heroes, like Anatoly Karpov and Ulf Andersson? Mentioned: Simple Chess, My System, Think Like a Grandmaster, Chess for Zebras, Fred Reinfeld, Irving Chernev, GM Yuri Averbakh 1:13:00- What is Keith’s approach to analyzing his own games? 1:15:30- What was it like to play Magnus Carlsen when Magnus was 11 years old? What other memorable encounters has Keith had with top players? Mentioned: Arkell-Carlsen 2002, Isle of Man International, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Sergei Karjakin, Arkell-Karjakin 2003, GM Michael Adams, Gm Jonathan Speelman, GM Nigel Short, GM Anish Giri, GM Teimour Radjabov, GM Vidit Gujrathi 1:22:00- Thanks so much to Keith for joining the show! Get Arkell’s Endings here: https://gingergm.com/library/arkells-endings Follow Keith on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/atomrod?lang=en Track him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/Atomrod Check out how he did at Pardubiche here: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/czech-open-pardubice-2020/8/1/1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.194 - FM Yuriy Krykun Sep 22, 2020

FM Yuriy Krykun is a young and accomplished chess player, graduate student, trainer and author. As a player, Yuriy was the 2018 Under 20 Champion, is rated nearly 2500 USCF, and in 2019, he attained 2 IM norms. Since Yuriy’s hopes to earn one more IM Norm have been delayed by coronavirus, he has been focusing on churning out quality opening courses and books. I was particularly eager to discuss Yuriy’s new Chessable course, The Dynamic Italian Game, which focuses on the Evans Gambit. As we discuss, modern chess engines have made lots of new discoveries in the famed Evans, so it was a fun course for him to write, and it’s a fun opening to play if you are a club player looking for dynamic positions. Lastly, since Yuriy is norm chasing himself, and is also an active coach, he had lots of good chess improvement recommendations. As always, you can find lots more details, timestamps and relevant links below. 0:00- We begin by discussing how Yuriy has been impacted by coronavirus. He got stranded when visiting his native Ukraine, but now he has returned to St. Louis, where he can train with the powerhouse Webster University Chess Team. Yuriy also discusses why he decided to study at Webster. Mentioned:Webster University, Yuriy’s Chessable Course page, A Complete Repertoire for Black after 1. e4-e5 , Squeezing the King’s Indian Defense GM Ilya Nyzhnyk, GM Lázaro Bruzón Batista, GM Alexander Lenderman, GM Peter Prohaska, GM Aram Hakobyan, GM John Burke,GM Emilio Cordova, GM Yuniesky Quesada 10:00- Yuriy shares his reasons for designing a Chessable course on the historic Evans Gambit, The Dynamic Italian Game, Mentioned: Stacia Pugh, GM Jan Gustafsson 22:00- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. In addition to Yuriy’s courses, FM Kamil Plichta is out with a new course on the Budapest Gambit (free preview here- https://www.chessable.com/short-and-sweet-budapest-gambit/course/50173/) , and there is lots more to check out on the site. 22:45- We discuss Yuriy’s approach to engine use, as well as his advice for how much improvers should be using them. Mentioned: Stockfish, AlphaZero, LeelaZero, Fat Fritz, GM Patrick Wolff, Stockfish NNUE 29:30- What study tools did Yuriy use during his quick ascent up the chess-rating ladder? What study advice does he have for current adult improvers of different levels? Mentioned: GM Alex Yermolinsky’s The Road to Chess Improvement, Zurich 1953, Endgame Strategy, Yusopov Chess School Series, Logical Chess Move by Move, How to Reassess Your Chess 40:00- What are Yuriy’s current chess goals and plans? Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center 44:30- What is next for Yuriy, chess-content wise? How is life in St. Louis? Mentioned: Check for Yuriy’s YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzbPjAk6T87ZgaIxUX-aEg/about?disable_polymer=1 49:30- Despite coronavirus, FIDE has announced that the 2020 Candidates will resume in November. What does Yuriy think about it? Mentioned: GM Teimour Radjabov 53:00- Thanks to Yuriy for joining the show. He has lots more stuff coming out, so it would be wise to keep up with him the following ways: Twitter-https://twitter.com/KrykunYuriy YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzbPjAk6T87ZgaIxUX-aEg/about?disable_polymer=1 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.193 - Tom Murphy Sep 15, 2020

USCF expert Tom Murphy is undoubtedly one of the most renowned “park speed chess” players to live in the U.S. in the last few decades. He is a local legend in the cities in which he has lived: Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Chicago, and has often been featured in the local media in those cities. It’s hard to miss Tom in popular chess hotspots due to his strong play and his entertaining banter. In our conversation we cover topics ranging from blitz and trash-talking tips, to Tom’s unique improvement advice, to the most money he has made in a day while gambling on chess. Tom shares many great stories and has an evident love of chess, but his life has not always been easy. As we also discuss, Tom has battled addiction at times, and even had a short stint in jail as a result of these issues. As you can tell, Tom has quite a story to tell! More details can be found below, along with time stamps and relevant links. 0:00- Perpetual Chess Happy Hour info here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/happyhour 2:45- Tom tells the origin story of how he discovered chess as a teenager in Philadelphia and began to take it increasingly seriously over time. Mentioned: Central High School, NM Norman “Pete” Rogers, A Contemporary Approach to the Middle Game by GM Alexei Suetin, NM Wilbert Paige 8:30- Tom tells the formative story of a moment when a top player underestimated him, and how this served to motivate him to work to improve. Mentioned: IM Anthony Saidy, GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Robert Byrne 11:30- Does Tom consider himself a chess hustler? Mentioned: Daaim Shabazz of The Chess Drum’s coverage of Tom Murphy: https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2018/10/24/tom-murphy-wins-chicagos-3rd-tate-memorial/ Tim Ferris video in which GM Maurice Ashley plays a park player - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5vnpOp0U_g 14:45- Tom Murphy answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about the art of trash- talking. Sideline: The History of Chess from a Black Point of View preview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVEWz_mzT8Q 16:45- What is the story behind the birth of the Chicago based National Blitz League? Mentioned: Nathan Kelly, https://www.nblchess.com/, Daniel X Jones, George Li 19:45- Tom reveals his “3 Ps” for chess improvement- Patience, Perseverance and a Peaceful Mind Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, WGM Jennifer Shahade 23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out all of their latest offerings here. https://www.chessable.com/courses/ 24:00- Who is Tom’s best “customer” of all time in terms of playing him in blitz for money? Mentioned: FM Sunil Weerumantry 27:15- Who is the strongest player Tom ever faced? What were the reasons for his moving from Philly to DC, and then later to Chicago? GM Roman Dzindzichashvilli, GM Ben Finegold, GM Nikola Mitkov 30:30- Does Tom think that park chess is dying? The National Blitz League Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/NationalBlitzLeague Henry Getz, Steve Jennings 32:00- Tom has battled addiction in the past, has been homeless for periods and even spent six months in jail due to addiction issues, so he reflects on that experience and offers advice to others battling addiction. 37:30- Is Tom stronger online or over the board? 38:00- What are Tom’s favorite chess publications to read? Mentioned: New in Chess Magazine, Endgame Strategy, The Art of The Middle Game in Chess,My System, 500 Master Games of Chess 44:00- How does Tom use computers to work on his chess game? Mentioned: The Perpetual Chess Facebook Group 46:00- What is Tom’s blitz chess advice? Mentioned: GM Pablo Riccardi 48:30- IM Greg Shahade writes in to ask about the state of Tom Murphy’s Ms. Pac Man skills, then Tom discusses his enthusiasm for poker and backgammon. Mentioned: Paul Baraz 55:00- Thanks so much to Tom for sharing his great stories! If you would like to contact him about online lessons, you can text him at 202-279-1442 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bonus Pod- Adult Improvers Andrzej Kryzdwa and Stacia Pugh return! Sep 08, 2020

Embrace the Process of Daily Chess Study

This week on Perpetual Chess, the first two adult improver guests return to the podcast 2+ years after our first interviews. Both Andrzej Kryzdwa and Stacia Pugh exude the same passion for chess today that they did in our prior conversation. They update us on their recent results, share some new study tips, recent chess realizations, and book recommendations

This week we have a special edition of Perpetual Chess, as the two first adult improver guests return to the show to update us on the state of their chess games, their lives, and their improvement regimens. The guests are Andrzej Krzydwa and Stacia Pugh, who both originally appeared on the show 2+ years ago (links to their interviews below.) Andrzej is a Polish small business owner, dad and programmer who manages to devote a ton of time to his chess improvement. At the time of our first interview he had just earned an IM norm by posting a dazzling 2579 performance rating in a tournament called the Katowice Spring 2018 . Stacia is a former professional cornhole player who now devotes all of her time to studying chess and teaching with Ohio’s Progress with Chess. At the time of our first interview she had gained 300 rating points in the prior years, and Stacia exuded an evident passion for chess improvement. Both guests come back with new improvement tips in addition to a continued appreciation of some of their favorite study methods mentioned in their first interviews. Lastly, I wanted to thank another former adult improver guest, Jason Cigan. A follow up with Jason was originally planned to be part 3 of this episode, but through no fault of Jason’s we encountered technical issues that forced me to postpone that interview.

For more detailed show notes with links go here:

Adult Improver follow up - Andrzej Kryzdwa and Stacia Pugh return!

Episode 76 with Andrzej Krzydwa, June 3,2018

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-76-andrzej-krzywda-adult-improver-series/id1185023674?i=1000413058930

Episode 87 with Stacia Pugh, August 14, 2018:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-87-stacia-pugh-adult-improver-series/id1185023674?i=1000417781378

0:00- Here is the info you need for the announcements made at the top of the show.

The annoucements made at the top of the show are no longer applicable as of 12/2021

6:00- Andrzej Krzyydwa rejoins the show, and we dive right into an update of how his chess games have been going.

Mentioned: Kasparov on Kasparov

32:00- Thanks to Andrzej for coming back on the show, you can keep up with him via the following outlets:

Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/From2100ToInternationalMaster

Twitter- https://twitter.com/From2100ToIM

33:00- Perpetual Chess Yasser Seirawan’s classic book Winning Chess Strategies is now available on Chessable.com! Check out a free sample of it here:

https://www.chessable.com/winning-chess-strategies-free-lesson/course/50034/

1:01:00- Thanks to Stacia for stopping by and catching up. Here is how to keep up with her:

Chess.com blog-https://www.chess.com/member/midnaslament

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn2k14U03rNRHApDIloxOkA

Twitter- https://twitter.com/StaciaMelinda

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EP.192 - GM Avetik Grigoryan Sep 01, 2020

Avetik Grigoryan is an Armenian grandmaster and chess trainer, who is also the founder and lead instructor of Chessmood.com. Chessmood is a subscription based educational chess site that offers a large library of instructive videos, covering all phases of a chess game. Avetik has a team of grandmasters working with him on the site, who also answer member questions, stream shows, and write articles. In our conversation, Avetik shares his vision for chessmood, gives some improvement tips and book recommendations, and tells some great stories of a few key moments in his life that changed his perspective about life and about chess. It was a fun and wide ranging conversation. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing a bit about the background of Chessmood, and the day-to-day life of running Chessmood.com and generating tons of videos related to all phases of the chess game. 07:30- What issues does Avetik see in the students he works with through Chessmood.com? 13:00- GM Kevin Goh’s recent Perpetual Chess Interview (Episode 184) really resonated with listeners, and in the interview Kevin gave Avetik a lot of credit for helping him attain the grandmaster title. What is Avetik’s perspective on Kevin’s accomplishments? Mentioned: Kevin Goh on Perpetual Chess- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-184-gm-kevin-goh-adult-improver-series/id1185023674?i=1000483159400 19:00- What type of material is available on Chessmood? Mentioned: GM Ulf Andersson, GM Vassily Smyslov, GM Akiba Rubinstein , The Scotch Game, The Benko Gambit, The Maroczy Bind, The London System, The Open Sicilian, Caro Kann, The Grand Prix Attack, The King’s Gambit 28:30- Avetik answers a Patreon mailbag question about whether Chessmood will be covering 1. d4 in addition to 1. e4, This leads to a general discussion about its philosophy regarding course design. Mentioned: The Benko Gambit, The Scotch Game 34:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be sponsored in part by Chessable.com. They are releasing new courses practically every day, including a new course on the Chebanenko Slav, and GM Anish Giri on the French Defense. Check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 35:00- Avetik tells the story of how a taxi ride as a teenager changed his life, and then discusses the chess culture and general lifestyle in his native Armenia. Mentioned: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, GM Melik Khachiyan, GM Levon Aronian, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Alex Colovic interview with Avetik-https://www.alexcolovic.com/2020/01/interview-with-gm-avetik-grigoryan/ 42:30- Why did GM Grigoryan transition from focusing on OTB competitive chess to training? Mentioned: GM Patrick Wolff, GM Viswanthan Anand, GM Hrant Melkumyan, Anand-Grigoryan 2011 51:00- Avetik answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about what it was like to play at the St. Louis Chess Club, and whether he would do so again despite being partially retired from competitive chess. 56:30- What did Avetik study when he was working to achieve the grandmaster rating? What does he recommend? Mentioned: GM Zaven Andriasian, IM Mark Dvoretsky, Gelfand’s My Most Memorable Games, GM Vladimir Akopian 1:03:00- How should we divide our chess study time? Once your opening repertoire is decent, Avetik recommends dividing study time evenly between openings and tactics. GM Daniel Naroditsky 1:08:00- Is it true that Avetik is a Kung Fu GM? What other interests does he have outside of chess? Way of the Peaceful Warrior, IM Josh Waitzkin’s The Art of Learning, Tools of Titans, Arnold Schwarzenegger, IM Sagar Shah of Chessbase India 1:15:00- Thanks so much to Avetik for coming on the show! Here is how to reach him: Chessmood.com Avetik’s Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=avetik%20gm%20grigoryan If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #10 : Talking Blindfold Chess with guest co-host Jerry Wells Aug 29, 2020

This month on Chess Books Recaptured, guest co-host Jerry Wells and I do a deep dive on the topic of Blindfold Chess. Jerry is an Arkansas-based school teacher, chess coach, and dedicated adult improver who has emphasized blindfold chess in his study regimen. The first half of the show is devoted to discussing the definitive work on blindfold chess, called Blindfold Chess, History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games. The book is by NM Eliot Hearst and John Knott, and it was clearly a labor of love from two passionate chess enthusiasts. Following our conversation about this detailed historical tome, Jerry and I summarize and share many other resources you all can check out if you are interested in improving your own blindfold and visualization skills. We’ve got lots of detailed links and show notes for this one, so please read on to find them along with timestamps. 0:00- We begin by learning a bit about the background of our guest co-host, Jerry Wells, and about why he was interested in the book Blindfold Chess, History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games, by Eliot Hearst and John Knott, and why he has worked on his own blindfold game. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess 191 with GM Daniel Naroditsky, Link for forthcoming blindfold study book by Martin Justesen: https://saychessblog.com/100-blindfold-endgame-studies/ 10:30- As we discuss, Blindfold Chess is primarily available in paperback from Macfarland Publishing. There are no e-books available. Mentioned: GM Richard Reti, GM George Koltanowski 12:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. One way to work on your visualization skills is through Chessable’s excellent, Visualize series by Benedictine. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/ 13:00- We read the opening paragraphs of the book and dive into its contents. Mentioned: GM Alexander Alekhine, Alfred Binet, Harry Pillsbury, GM Timur Garyev, GM Andy Soltis, John Knott’s essay on Timur Garyev’s Blindfold Simul Record: https://www.blindfoldchess.net/blog/2017/07/timur-gareyev-and-blindfold-chess . NM Christopher Chabris, Andre Philidor, Lionel Kieseritzky, Louis Paulson, Paul Morphy, Joseph Blackburne, Johannes Zukertort, GM Patrick Wolff 31:00- A recurring question in the book is whether or not performing many blindfold simuls can drive you insane? What did the authors conclude? Mentioned: Harry Pillsbury George Koltanowski 35:30- We discuss a few of the other notable players mentioned in the book. Mentioned: GM Miguel Najdorf, GM Ken Rogoff, The simul Polgars, GM Robert Hungaski 40:00- We answer a Patreon mailbag question about the ranking of George Koltanowski in the pantheon of blindfold players throughout chess history. Mentioned: GM Hans Ree, GM Erich Eliskases 48:30- We discuss part 2 of the book, which synthesizes a lot of the research available regarding how chess players learn, and whether they have superior memories, etc. Mentioned: NM Christopher Chabris, The Melody Amber Blindfold Tournaments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_chess_tournament, GM Peter Svidler, GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, GM Aman Hambleton 56:30- We share a few of our favorite quotes from the book. Mentioned: GM Richard Reti, GM Reuben Fine. GM Alexander Alekhine 1:03:00- We briefly discuss a few of the highlight games from the book. Mentioned: Alekhine-Schwartz 1926- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1012453 Koltanowski-Burnett 1937- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1080667 The Polgar game Jerry mentions is not available online. :( 1:05:00 What blindfold-playing tips are shared within the book? Mentioned: George Koltanowski, Branco Tchabritch, GM Anthony Miles, IM John Watson 1:11:00- We synthesize a lot of Blindfold Tips from other chess books and other resources. Here are the resources we discuss: Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall Noir Chess- http://www.noirchess.com/ Chessvis- https://www.chessvis.com/ IM Danny Rensch’s- Achieving Full Board Awareness and Nivana videos- https://www.chess.com/video/player/achieving-full-board-awareness https://www.chess.com/video/player/achieving-full-board-nirvana Chess Steps Thinking Ahead Volume 2- https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Chess-Thinking-Chess-Steps-Stappenmethode/dp/9077275991 Visualize 1 on Chessable by Benedictine- https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/ ChessFox Visualwize- https://chessfox.com/discover-visualwize/ NM Elliott Neff’s Step by Step Blindfold Tips- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4U336yifjg NM Elliott Neff on Perpetual Chess- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-94-uscf-master-and-author-elliott-neff/id1185023674?i=1000420893461 Blindfold Chess Podcast- https://open.spotify.com/show/28ktA1QA3CDeVlsmqyBNjU?si=-xR-VwdQSE2p3ostg_B60g 1:28:00- Thanks so much to Jerry Wells for suggesting this great topic and preparing so much. You can follow him twitter here: https://twitter.com/jerrywaynewells And thanks to his suggestion of another donation to Books Through Bars: http://booksthroughbars.org/ 1:31:00- Blindfold Puzzle Time! (from Chess steps thinking ahead)- 1. E4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 Nc6 5. ? Answer in link https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=i/SeZIPEV+zgh1vQyYxcsHPf4zRuWjC/BEK3DPMwAJMLK3ZaqBz4oIh/i6Lj2FcH Mate in 2 from Chess Steps vol. 3) White: pawn on a5, queen on h1, King on c5 Black: King on a7, White to move and mate in 2 Puzzle here- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=i/SeZIPEV+zgh1vQyYxcsPBGfWNYaw1qv8rv75i7wdqAgWRjQ5ZJJsHKak3PbZpn Solution here- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=i/SeZIPEV+zgh1vQyYxcsAPaHMPl3f4XVKuYmauWUmXuob4BDxSjxMtMPOQGmvN7 Pillsbury- BVD Dixon, 1900, Blindfold Simul- what move did Pillsbury “overlook” on move 10 for Black [Event "Pillsbury blindfold sim"] [Site "New Orleans"] [Date "1900.03.08"] [Round "?"] [White "Pillsbury, Harry Nelson"] [Black "Dixon, B."] [Result "0-1"] e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5 5. O-O O-O 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. Nxc6 dxc6 Bd3 Qe5 9. h3 Bxh3 10. gxh3 What move did Pillsbury “overlook” on move 10 for Black? Game link with conclusion here… https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=c57YHXax2Ne7ie/drf4LwuRfIo9w1v+xHVLGC+AXsXkMMdtS+IPivvhL+brTDBwn Thanks for listening everyone! If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.191 - GM Daniel Naroditsky Aug 25, 2020

24 year old GM Daniel “Danya” Naroditsky is one of the top players in the US, and won many scholastic titles in his career, including the 2007 World Under 12 Championship. He also has written two chess books, and graduated last year from Stanford University with a degree in history. Since graduating, Danya has relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina and turned his attention to chess full time. Aside from his classical chess accomplishments, Danya is making a name for himself as an entertaining and insightful Chess.com announcer, Twitch Streamer and Youtube presenter. GM Naroditsky is especially talented at fast chess, and has had many blitz and bullet battles with the likes of GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Alireza Firouzja and GM Andrew Tang. Danya sometimes wins and sometimes loses these matches, but the results are always entertaining. In our interview, we discuss Danya’s many roles in the chess world, and Danya also provides the usual helping of chess improvement talk and entertaining stories. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing GM Daniel Naroditsky’s favorite Perpetual Chess interviews and the recent dramatic conclusion to Chess24's Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 46 with IM John Watson, Perpetual Chess Episode 190 with Andrew Zinn, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Hikaru Nakamura 7:30- I love watching Danya play blitz, so I had to ask him about his rise up the ranks, and his battles with the likes of Magnus Carlsen, Andrew Tang and other great bullet and blitz players. Mentioned: Mechanics Institute Chess Club in San Francisco, IM John Donaldson 14:00- Our conversation segues into Danya’s practical advice for improving at fast chess, expanding on a great series he wrote for Chess.com, starting with The Blitz Chess Manifesto: https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-blitz-chess-manifesto Mentioned: How to be Lucky in Chess: The Swindle, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Alireza Firouzja 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Chessable is constantly releasing new courses utilizing its MoveTrainer technology. It helps players assimilate patterns and learn opening lines efficiently. One of their latest is a brand new course on the French by Super GM Anish Giri. Check out a free mini-course on it here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-french-defense/course/48354/ 24:30- We delve more into Danya’s blitz escapades including some great stories of his first encounters with Magnus Carlsen in online blitz. Mentioned: Limitless, Daniel’s YouTube Video- One of My Best Wins Against the World Champion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9rd97X9Too 34:45- How could Danya get better at fast chess? What could he do to crack 2700 ELO at Classical Chess? Mentioned: GM Lev Psakhis, FIDE World Cup 44:00- Despite Danya’s success with multiple chess platforms, chess teaching remains his #1 passion? Why? And what are the pros and cons of streaming? Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman 55:00- a Patreon supporter of the podcast writes in to ask Danya to discuss a story he had heard about Danya’s taking tons of notes about his games when he was a child. If you are interested in supporting Perpetual Chess and submitting questions for upcoming guests, you can find out more here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate Mentioned: Mastering Positional Chess, Mastering Complex Endgames 1:01:30- Danya tells a great story of a personal encounter, as a promising young chess player, with Garry Kasparov. Then he names a few of his favorite books. Learn from the Legends, Zurich 1953, My 60 Memorable Games, Capablanca’s Chess Primer, IM John Donaldson 1:04:30- We talk chess improvement, as I ask Danya the age old question of how to manage chess study time. Mentioned: The Best Move 1:07:30- GM Naroditsky answers a Patreon mailbag question regarding whether he enjoys announcing scholastic tournaments, and how the presentation of these events could be improved. Mentioned: GM Robert Hess, Chess.com’s “I am Not a GM tournament” 1:11:00- Why are all these Chess Twitch stars so good at chess impersonations? Here is Danya doing GM Yasser Seirawan and GM Garry Kasparov Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, GM Aman Hambleton, GM Alexander Grischuk 1:14:00- Why did Daniel relocate to Charlotte, and how is life there? Mentioned: FM Peter Giannatos, Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy, Charlotte Chess Center Summer 2020 Norm Invitationals 1:19:00- Thanks so much to GM Naroditsky for his insights, impersonations and fun stories. Here is how to keep up with him: His Website- http://danielnaroditskychess.com/Home.html YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHP9CdeguNUI-_nBv_UXBhw Twitch-https://www.twitch.tv/GMNaroditsky Twitter-https://twitter.com/gmnaroditsky?lang=en See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.190 - Andrew Zinn (Adult Improver Series) Aug 18, 2020

Andrew Zinn is a 29 year old Mathematics graduate student who also works in the finance industry . Despite his busy career, Andrew managed to take his USCF rating from 1567 to 2027 in the two years leading up to the coronavirus shutdown. How did he do it? As Andrew tells us, he has an approach based on playing lots of tournament chess, reading classic chess books, and really focusing on improving his visualization skills. Of course, there is more to Andrew’s approach than that, as you will hear in the interview. Andrew has much to say about what contributed to his remarkable rating leap. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- Andrew tells the story of his discovery of chess as a kid, and his rediscovery of the game in recent years. As Andrew explains it, his approach has changed a lot as an adult. Mentioned: GM Alex Shabalov, NM Jerry Meyers, Richard James, GM Magnus Carlsen 09:45- Andrew is also an adult improver as a piano player. How did learning piano as an adult inform his chess learning? Mentioned: Chess by Laszlo Polgar, Blindfold Chess: History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games, Pillsbury, Alekhine, Lasker’s Manual of Chess, The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings by Reuben Fine 22:30- A supporter of the podcast asks Andrew what classical player he most likes to study. Mentioned: Masters of the Chessboard by Richard Reti, GM Alexander Alekhine 25:30- We discuss tournament chess. Andrew discusses how often he played competitively, and answers a Patreon mailbag question about his approach to analyzing those games. Mentioned: Marshall Chess Club Mentioned: GM Jesse Kraai 34:00- How much time per week has Andrew been devoting to chess? 37:30- Chessable is out with another new course by none other than World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Like all of Chessable’s courses, it utilizes spaced repetition to make sure you remember what you learn. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-endgame/course/42361/ 38:00- What has Andrew done to improve his chess visualization abilities? Mentioned: Think Like a Grandmaster by GM Alexander Kotov, IM John Donaldson, GM Jacob Aagaard, Chess Books Recaptured discussing Think Like a Grandmaster with NM Christopher Chabris. https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/2/21/bonus-pod-chess-books-recaptured-discussing-think-like-a-grandmaster-with-nm-christopher-chabris 44:00- Andrew answers one more Patreon question about which training technique he thinks has given him the best return on time invested. Mentioned: Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 52:00- What is Andrew’s approach to studying openings? 54:30- What about endgames? Mentioned: Chess Endgames by Laszlo Polgar 57:00- In closing, Andrew discusses his future plans for chess as his life continues to get busier. You can keep up with Andrew via Lichess: https://lichess.org/@/Andrew_Zinn or you can email him via email at zinn.andrew.m at gmail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.189 - GM Patrick Wolff Aug 11, 2020

Two-time US Chess Champion GM Patrick Wolff retired from competitive chess in 1998 and has led a busy life away from the board. He is married with two kids, and has had a successful career in the hedge fund industry. Nonetheless, Patrick shares, he still thinks about chess “all the time,” and he follows top level chess whenever he can. On the topic of top level chess, in the 1990’s Patrick had a ringside seat to World Championship Level chess, as he was a member of young Viswanthan Anand’s inner circle. Patrick wrote a great book about these experiences, Kasparov vs. Anand, The Inside Story, and shares some vivid recollections from observing the historic 1995 World Championship up close. Patrick is also the author of the popular series, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess (newly updated with the title, Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss.) As his unique background might suggest, Patrick is full of insights and ideas about the past and future of chess, artificial intelligence in chess, and the ways that chess could potentially be promoted differently to increase its popularity even more.I greatly enjoyed our conversation, and I think you will too! More details and timestamps can be found below. 0:00- We begin by talking about GM Wolff’s current relationship with chess. Despite being retired from competitive chess for decades, a day doesn’t go by during which Patrick doesn’t think about chess, and he has had periodic binges of internet blitz addiction, which ultimately leave him unsatisfied. Mentioned: Chess24, Chess.com, GM Viswanathan Anand, Internet Chess Club, Christopher Chabris, GM Viktor Korchnoi. GM Vassily Smyslov, Anand-Wolff 1984 9:00- Patrick dives deeper into his working and professional relationship with GM Viswanathan Anand. He worked on his team for a few key matches, including his world championship match with Kasparov. Mentioned: PDF link for Kasparov vs. Anand, The Inside Story- here: http://chabris.com/pub/Wolff/index.html , GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, GM Boris Gelfand, Tim Henke, American Chess Journal featuring GM Wolff’s article about the 1992 Anand-Ivanchuk match can be read here: http://chabris.com/pub/acj/1/AmericanChessJournalPremiereIssue.pdf, Luis Rentero, Ivanchuk-Anand 1992 21:00- Patrick walks us through his decision to pursue a career outside of chess. Mentioned: IM Stuart Rachels, American Gambit documentary (not “American Grandmaster”, as I called it in the show) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYoEvvYi3YI 27:00- We return to the topic of GM Viswanathan Anand, as Patrick reflects on working on his team for the 1995 World Championship Match against Kasparov. Mentioned: GM Elizbar Ubilava, GM Jonathan Speelman, GM Artur Yusopov, Anand-Kasparov Game 11: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018626, GM Vladimir Kramnik 39:00- Chessable has many great ways to study the World Champions, including a brand new Free Endgame Course from World Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen. You can get it here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-endgame-lesson/course/48079/ 40:00- Patrick has a keen interest in the use of AI in chess and took this opportunity to expand here on a great lecture he gave regarding the topic at the St. Louis Chess Club. (Talk here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc6ePHTsqn0) Mentioned: AlphaZero, Leela, Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, IM David Levy, Deep Thought, GM Walter Browne, GM Alex Fishbein, Deep Blue, Hydra, GM Michael Adams, 47:30- We are all enjoying the recent online chess boom, but Patrick shared some fascinating ideas for ways to promote online chess even more. Mentioned: 2015 Patrick Wolff interview with GM Maurice Ashley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQgJO_bMZcQ, Chess24.com, CHess.com , GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Peter Svidler, IM Greg Shahade Professional Chess Association, 1:02:30- Patrick answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about which skills as a chess player have helped his career in finance, and then tells some stories about how chess has intersected with his professional life. Mentioned: Emanuel Lasker, Peter Thiel, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger 1:09:30- Patrick shares a few tips from his experiences doing blindfold chess exhibitions. Mentioned: GM Michael Wilder, GM Kenneth Rogoff, Peter Thiel 1:12:30- My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer was a formative book for Patrick. He discusses the reasons for its powerful impact and gives a few other book and improvement recommendations. Mentioned: Wolff-Rachels 1992, Fischer-Trifunovich, R. Byrne-Fischer, Pawn Structure Chess, Art of Defense in Chess, The Art of Attack in Chess, which is also available from Chessable, Alexander Alekhine. Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal, Zurich 1953 1:21:00- Patrick answers another listener question relating to whether he will ever write a chess book for intermediate players. 1:25:00- Thanks to Patrick for sharing his experiences! If you would like to reach him his email is: Patrick at grandmastercap.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.188 - GM S.P. Sethuraman Aug 04, 2020

S.P. Sethuraman is a Grandmaster and Author based in Chennai, India. GM Sethuraman is known as a dynamic and well-prepared player, and he has earned lofty titles such as the 2016 Asian Chess Champion and the 2014 National Champion of India among many others. He has now put his formidable opening knowledge to use by publishing a new book with Thinker’s Publishing. Beat the Najdorf and Taimanov Sicilians. It offers sharp lines against two of the more popular Sicilian variations. We discuss this book, as well as topics ranging from the life of a traveling chess pro during quarantine, to the highs and lows of his career, to why chess players should practice yoga and meditation. I also enjoyed our usual discussion of chess books, chess engines, chess improvement and more. As always, please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing how coronavirus is impacting India and GM Sethuraman, and he discusses his new book, Beat the Najdorf and Taimanov Siclians Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand, GM R.B. Ramesh, Geert van der Velde of Chessable, Archangel Variation of the Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Najdorf, Siclian Taimanov, Daniel Vanheirzeele of Thinker’s Publishing, Sethuraman-Giri FIDE World Cup 2017, Anand-Ding Liren 2020 11:30- Chennai is one of the strongest chess cities in the world with both established and up and coming GMs among its residents. GM Sethuraman discusses how chess has grown there and in India generally, and answers a Patreon mailbag question about whether he has picked up any new hobbies during the time he’s been stuck at home. Mentioned: GM Baskaran Adhiban, GM Pragganandha, GM Aravindh Chatrambaram, GM Sasrikan, GM R.B. Ramesh , GM Surya Ganguly’s YouTube Channel, GM Wesley So, GM Vidit Gujrathi’s Twitch Channel, Chessbase India YouTube Channel 21:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. There are great courses for purchase as well as free of charge. One of the latest is GM Pascal Charbonneau’s free, Short and Sweet: Legendary Chess course. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-legendary-tactics/course/47106/ 22:30- What did GM Sethuraman learn from training with GM R.B. Ramesh Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard, GM Sam Shankland, IM Stuart Rachels 29:00- What were GM Sethuraman’s toughest losses and most memorable victories? Mentioned: Le Quang Liem vs. Sethurman 2019, Wei Yi vs. Sethuraman 2016, Le Quang Liem vs. Ganguly 2016 32:00- GM Sethuraman tells a story about how seeing an interesting game, Karjakin-Anand 2006, ignited a fierce interest for him in opening theory and made an impression on his trainer, GM R.B. Ramesh. Mentioned: GM R.B. Ramesh, https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1385670 36:00- What are GM Sethuraman’s recent preferred books and training methods? Mentioned: Python Strategy by Tigran Petrosian, Alekhine’s Greatest Games, Positional Decision Making in Chess by GM Boris Gelfand, Gata Kamsky: Chess Gamer, David Navara: My Chess World 40:45- How widely available and affordable are chess books in India? What is the “chess business” landscape like there? Mentioned: Chess.com India, Chessbase India, Chess24.com, 44:00- How would GM Sethuraman recommend that club players utilize engines? GM Lawrence Kaufman, GM Erwin L’Ami, Stockfish, LeelaChessZero 49:00 GM Sethuraman takes a couple of questions from the chess Twitter community Mentioned: IM Venkat Saravanan, Tal Chess Club in Chennai, Chessable 53:45- Thanks so much to GM Sethuraman for joining us. Keep up with him here: Twitter- https://twitter.com/sethuramanchess?lang=en Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/sethuramanchess/?hl=en Book via Thinker’s Publishing (with a link to a downloadable free preview)- https://thinkerspublishing.com/product/s-p-sethuraman-beat-the-najdorf-taimanov-sicilians/ Book via Forward Chess- https://forwardchess.com/product/beat-the-najdorf-and-taimanov-sicilians If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.187 - USCF Master and Cognitive Scientist Christopher Chabris returns! Jul 28, 2020

Christopher Chabris is a renowned cognitive scientist, and co-author (with Daniel Simons) of the best selling book, The Invisible Gorilla. Long-time Perpetual Chess listeners will know that he is also a USCF Master, an adult-improver, and a chess dad, thus making him a great recurring guest. Since we have been discussing the science of learning a lot in recent conversations, I thought it would be a great time to check back in with someone with specific domain knowledge. Christopher walks us through the latest in scientific research, as it pertains to learning. This includes explanations of spaced repetition and how aging effects chess skill. Christopher also shares some thoughts about ways that chess learning could be properly studied scientifically. Of course, there was a lot more to discuss than just the science of learning, so Christopher and I also talked about the latest, greatest chess books, what he learned from an online camp with GM Jacob Aagaard. He also told a few more fun stories from his many chess adventures. As always, keep reading for more information and timestamps. 0:00- Since Christopher is a frequent Perpetual Chess Listener, we begin by hearing his perspective on the recent chess improvement tips that have been shared on the show, especially as they relate to the science of learning. Mentioned: Listen to Christopher’s prior Perpetual Chess interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/jm/podcast/ep-95-uscf-master-cognitive-scientist-christopher-chabris/id1185023674?i=1000421410393 Also Mentioned: IM Erik Kislik 8:45- What do we really know for sure when it comes to chess learning? Mentioned: Spaced repetition. Some of the information cited comes from a study by Yana Weinstein, Christopher R. Madan, & Megan A. Sumeracki- Teaching the Science of Learning Christopher recommends this book for a general overview of the science of learning: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013 GM Jacob Aagard, Perpetual Chess: Woodpecker Method book recap with Neal Bruce, Perpetual Chess Interview with NM Elijah Logozar, interleaving 20:30- Christopher tackles a couple of good Patreon mailbag questions relating to how one could conduct a study to test best practices in chess learning and how to correct any misconceptions that are cited about brain science in the chess world. Mentioned: GM Jan Gustafsson, Malcolm Gladwell 33:00- What do scientists know about aging as it relates to brain function? 37:45- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. One of the many free courses that I like is GM Alex Colovic’s Short and Sweet: Queen’s Gambit Declined. 38:00- Christopher gives a “trip report” on an online chess camp he did with renowned trainer, GM Jacob Aagaard. Also mentioned: GM Leonid Shamkovich, NM Bruce Pandolfini, IM Erik Kislik 49:00- Christopher’s son is playing chess fairly actively, and gives an update on his progress. Then he discusses the aspect of chess he is finding most challenging in his competitions these days, and how he is spending his study time. Mentioned: IM Jim Rizzitano, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy 57:00- Christopher is an avid chess reader, so he gives a detailed update on some chess books he has recently enjoyed. Mentioned: Gambit App Books here: http://www.gambitbooks.com/webapp/appbooks.html, The Anand Files, The Road to Chess Improvement, Game Changer Improve Your Chess Now, Secrets of Practical Chess, GM Jonathan Rowson We also mentioned, but haven't yet read the following: Think Like a Machine, GM Tukmakov ‘s Modern Chess Formula, The Powerful Impact of Engines 1:02:00- Christopher discusses some of the online leagues in which he has played and gives preparation tips as well as a general comparison of playing online compared to OTB. Mentioned: Lichess4545.com 1:16:30- Christopher was ready this time for the question of brushes with famous chess players! Mentioned: IM Dan Edelman, GM Anatoly Karpov, Deep Thought, GM Walter Browne, GM Patrick Wolff, GM Viswanathan Anand, Murray Campbell, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Fabiano Caruana, Dan Smith, Twitter Chess Tournament 1:25:00- Thanks as always to Christopher for stopping by and sharing his knowledge and stories. Here is his info: Website-http://chabris.com/ Twitter- https://twitter.com/cfchabris If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #9 : My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer with guest co-host FM Donny Ariel Jul 24, 2020

On this month’s edition of Chess Books Recaptured, I am joined by FM Donny Ariel to discuss one of the most acclaimed chess books of all time, Bobby Fischer’s My 60 Memorable Games. This book, of course needs little introduction. It is a game compilation that covers the period 1957-1967, a stretch that saw Fischer ascend from talented teen to the world’s elite. The book has been mentioned as a favorite countless times on Perpetual Chess, and was a formative one for both Donny and me. My co-host, like Fischer, is a New York native, who used to frequent the Manhattan Chess Club, and has heard stories passed down about Fischer throughout his chess-playing life. When Donny is not helping me recap chess books, he is a bankruptcy lawyer with 2 young kids at home, so I greatly appreciate his taking the time to help with this project. As always, you can find lots more details and timestamps below, and embedded hyperlinks are on the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog 0:00- We begin by talking about Donny’s background, and about the long shadow that Fischer casts in New York City, where Donny lives. Mentioned: Profile of a Prodigy by Frank Brady, GM Garry Kasparov on Fischer in the NY Review of the Books, GM Alex Fishbein, Fischer-Geller 1967, Fred Wilson books- https://www.fredwilsonchess.com/, The Art of Chess Analysis by GM Jan Timman, IM Kamran Shirazi, GM Larry Evans, 19:00- We share a few stories from those who had the experience of being alive when Fischer’s book came out in 1969. Mentioned: NM Fred Wilson, Richard Reich, GM William Lombady, Fischer-Gligoric Candidates 1959, Spassky-Fischer Game 1 1972 31:00- We discuss the available formats of the book. It is available on Kindle, but there it is not available on Chessable, Forward Chess or another e-book app that enables you to play through the moves. ,A LiChess study compilation here has all 60 games: https://lichess.org/study/fokh9Tmy,and Chessgames.com lists the games here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1000498, GM Jesse Kraai 34:00- My Great Predecessors Part 4 by Garry Kasparov is largely about GM Bobby Fischer, and it is a great way to study his games. It is available with MoveTrainer technology on Chessable.com: https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-4/course/29726/ 35:00- We read the introduction and then discuss the themes of the book a bit. Mentioned: GM Larry Evans, GM Emanuel Lasker, NM Nick Conticello, Fischer-Lombardy 1960, GM Mark Taimanov, GM Bent Larsen, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Peter Svidler 44:30- We share and discuss some of our favorite quotes from the book and talk about some of the most famous games. Mentioned: Fischer-Larsen 1958, Fischer-Larsen 1963/4, Agadmator’s Fischer-Botvinnik Recap, The Old Riddle of Fischer-Botvinnik by Karsten Muller for Chessbase.com, Botvinnik-Fischer brief YouTube footage, Szabo-Fischer 1960, Fischer-Tal 1961,Endgame by Frank Brady , Fischer-Lombardy 1960, Fischer-Bolbachan 1962, Walther-Fischer 1959, Fischer-Gligoric 1959 1:10:00- Why did he choose the title “My 60 Memorable Games?” Fischer-Celle 1964, IM Anatoly Lein, IM Kostya Kavutskiy 1:17:00- Getting back to our favorite games, Fischer-Geller 1967 is another fascinating game, despite its being one of the 3 in the book that Fischer lost. Mentioned: Fischer-Benko 1963, Pal Benko: My Life, Games and Compositions, GM Jan Gustaffson, Fischer-Najdorf 1962 1:29:00- What chess improvement lessons can we learn from My 60 Memorable Games? For what level student is it appropriate? Mentioned: GM Hikaru Nakamura,GM Jesse Kraai, Logical Chess Move by Move, Zurich 1953 1:48:00- Thanks to FM Donny Ariel for helping out! Next month’s book recap will be Blindfold Chess: History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games By Eliot Hearst and John Knott If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.186 GM Erwin L'Ami Jul 21, 2020

35 year-old Grandmaster Erwin L’Ami has had quite a varied and interesting chess career thus far. He is one of the top players in the Netherlands, and has competed on every Dutch Olympiad team since 2006. He has had many impressive finishes in individal tournaments, including winning the 2015 Reykjavik Open. When not competing himself, Erwin is a highly respected opening theoretician, who has worked with former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov and currently works with perennial top 10 player, GM Anish Giri. All of this makes Erwin the perfect person to publish a Lifetime Repertoires course on the Caro-Kann defense for Chessable. In our conversation, we touch all aspects of his chess career. Topics included how he works with engines, the life of a traveling second, the 2020 FIDE Candidates, Anish Giri and Magnus’ Carlsen’s twitter banter, the latest in Caro-Kann theory, improvement advice,and the identity of his favorite player of all time. As you can imagine, there is lots to dig into! Show notes and timestamps can be found below: 0:00- We begin by chatting a bit about the Caro-Kann and about Erwin’s new course. Why was now a good time to do a course on the Caro-Kann? This also includes talk of what sort of engine use goes into top-level opening preparation generally. Mentioned: Leela Chess Zero, Stockfish Open Source Engine, Setting up Engines in Chessbase Video with John Hartmann of US Chess- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_G-tvePe6Q, Jon Edwards, GM Viswanthan Anand 14:00- Erwin tells some stories about working with GM Veselin Topalov during his 2010 World Championship Match Mind Master by GM Viswanthan Anand, The Anand Files by VIshwanathan Anand, Episode 177 with GM Peter Heine Nielsen 19:00- Should the format of the World Chess Championship be changed? Mentioned: Daryl Morey interview with GM Hikaru Nakamura- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prI_EEq6Xsc IM Greg Shahade, GM Magnus Carlsen, FIDE Candidates Tournament 2011 23:30- We talk about what it was like for GM Erwin L’Ami to travel to the 2020 FIDE Candidates tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia and what he thinks of how the tournament was handled generally. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 174 with GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov , GM Teimour Radjabov, GM Emil Sutovsky 33:00- GM Anish Giri has been showing great results in rapid and blitz chess lately. What is his secret to his improvement? Mentioned: GM Ian Nepomniatchi, Chessable Masters 2020, GM Mikhail Botvinnik 41:00- We finally tackle the Girl-Carlsen “Twitter Beef!” Erwin answers two related questions from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag! Mentioned: IM Anna Rudolf 46:30- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable! Check out GM Erwin L’Ami’s Free Short and Sweet Caro Course here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-the-caro-kann/course/45388/ Check out his comprehensive and impressive, Lifetime Repertoire Caro-course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-caro-kann/course/37366/ 47:30- We talk about some of Erwin’s favorite chess books and a novel he has been enjoying. Mentioned: On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendriks, Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, My Great Predecessors, GM Jacob Aagaard, Game Changer by GM Mathew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan 54:00- What is GM Erwin L’Ami’s Best Chess Improvement Advice? Mentioned: GM Peter Svidler 59:00- Erwin tells the story of being in attendance while Garry Kasparov, his favorite player, played one of his most famous games, vs. GM Veselin Topalov in Wijk an Zee in 1999. Mentioned: Test of Time by GM Garry Kasparov 1:02:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks about the role that body language plays in top level chess. Mentioned: GM Viswanthan Anand, GM Michael Adams, IM Stuart Rachels’ The Best I Saw in Chess, see Chess24’s coverage of Magnus’ 2014 blunder against Anand, here: https://chess24.com/en/read/news/carlsen-blunders-but-wins-game-6-video-recap 1:08:00- Erwin briefly discusses what it was like to be the student of famed trainer GM Vladimir Chuchelov, who has also worked with GMs Caruana and Anand. 1:10:00- What is life on the road like for the second of a top 10 player? Mentioned: GM Max Euwe, GM Jan Timman, IM Alina L’Ami, Jeroen Van Den Berg, organizer of Tata Steel Chess 1:20:00- We bring it back to the Caro-Kann, and Erwin answers some questions, including one from a Patreon supporter, relating to the theoretical state of the Caro Kann defense. Mentioned: Panov-Botvinnik attack, Shirov variation, Short variation of the Advanced Caro Mentioned: GM Danil Dubov, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Vladislav Artemiev, GM Jan Gustafsson 1:28:00- Thanks to GM Erwin L’Ami for an insightful and enjoyable interview. Get his Caro-Kann Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-caro-kann/course/37366/ Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/erwinlami?lang=en If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.185 - IM Stuart Rachels Jul 14, 2020

In 1993 IM Stuart Rachels was one of the top young chess players in the United States. He was the winner of the U.S. Junior Championship in 1988, was United States co-champion in 1989-1990, and had played casual and tournament games with the likes of GM Garry Kasparov, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Boris Spassky, and many others. So why did he decide to hang up the chessboard when he pursued a doctorate in philosophy? Stu answers this question in our interview, as well as discussing a few of the highlights from his great new book The Best I Saw in Chess. In the book, he tells some amazing stories and provides high level analysis of his many memorable chess skirmishes. In our conversation, we talk about how this 8 year project came to be, as well as Stu's future plans related to the chess world. Please keep reading for more details, links and timestamps. IM Stuart Rachels 0:00- Stuart walks us through the eight- year process of writing this book Mentioned: FM Dave Gertler, NM Kyle Therrell, GM Garry Kasparov 8:00- How did IM Rachels, as a young chess prodigy, get to play Garry Kasparov in 2 simuls? Mentioned: American Gambit (Some videos have been removed, so you have to jump around YouTube to different excerpts to watch the whole thing, but here is part 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh3zlmAG8x4 ) GM Alex Fishbein, GM Patick Wolff, Kudrin-Rachels 1989, GM Andy Soltis, GM John Nunn, FM Dave Gertler, My Great Predecessors, GM Yasser Seirawan 17:30- IM Rachels shares one of his many Yasser Seirawan stories, and shares a few more of his favorite memories from his life in chess. Mentioned: IM John Donaldson, GM Samuel Reshevsky, GM Robert Byrne, GM Alexander Kotov, GM Miguel Najdorf, GM Boris Spassky, GM Tony Miles, GM Anatoly Karpov, Karpov-Miles 1980 25:00- GM Ben Finegold told me to ask Stu who he thinks is better, Kasparov or Carlsen? So I did! Mentioned: Howard Stern, NM Dan Heisman, IM Vivek Rao, IM Jim Rizzitano, GM Patrick Wolff 33:00- My Great Predecessors Part 5 is now available on Chessable! Get it here: https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-5/course/34892/ 34:00- We dive into the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag. Why did Stu decide to retire from tournament chess after so much success? Mentioned: IM Vivek Rao, FM Mike Klein, GM Tal Shaked, IM Boris Kogan, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Ben Finegold, GM Larry Christiansen, Alexey Troitsky, Genrikh Kasparyan, Francois Labelle, GM Jonathan Rowson, Andrew Metrick, Joel Friedman, GM Maxim Dlugy 52:00- In 2017 Stu drove to St. Louis to see Kasparov, Anand and other greats at the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz. What was that experience like? Mentioned: Allen Kaufman , GM Vassily Smyslov 57:00- What are some of Stuart’s favorite chess books? Tal, Petrosian, Spassky and Korchnoi by GM Andy Soltis, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Secrets of Practical Chess by GM John Nunn 1:04:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Stu a question related to a story that he heard about Stu’s ability to calculate as a kid and about the abilities of strong players generally to calculate and visualize. 1:10:00- Has Stu kept up with his chess peers from his active days? Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Adam Lief, Andrew Metrick, GM Joel Benjamin 1:14:00- Thanks so much to Stuart for sharing his experiences! You can read an excerpt of his book from New in Chess Publishing: https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9097.pdf You can buy the book from Amazon or New in Chess or Forward Chess: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Saw-Chess-Instruction-Champion/dp/9056918818/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=stuart+rachels&qid=1594673740&s=books&sr=1-1 https://www.newinchess.com/en_US/the-best-i-saw-in-chess-paperback-interactive-ebook https://forwardchess.com/product/the-best-i-saw-in-chess?sscid=91k3_fazxa Lastly, you can email IM Rachels at StuartRachels at hotmail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.184 - GM Kevin Goh (Adult Improver Series) Jul 07, 2020

GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming is the seven- time champion of Singapore, and is a renowned opening theoretician who wrote Chess Developments, Sicilian 6. Bg5 Najdorf, and has published many articles for ChessPublishing.com. This year, Kevin earned the GM title at the relatively late age of 36 while working full time as the CFO of an oncology company! As Kevin tells us, earning the title was the culmination of a 10 year quest, which involved many setbacks, much travel and time off from work and an indispensable support network of friends, family and a few GM mentors. Kevin’s inspiring story is full of good chess improvement advice no matter what title or rating you may be chasing. You can find many more details of our conversation and the related links and timestamps below. 02:00- We begin by discussing the current state of Coronavirus and chess in Kevin’s native Singapore, and the Chess against Covid initiative that Kevin and some friends of his recently started. Mentioned: Chess against Covid initiative, Junior Tay, Olimpiu Urcan (see his great Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/urcan ), GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov 8:30- Kevin walks us through his long journey to the GM title, which has been a nearly a decade-long quest as well as the highlight of his chess career. Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew 14:00- Once Kevin decided to pursue chess full time, what study routine did he implement? Mentioned: Perfect Your Chess, IM Erik Kislik, GM Gyula Sax, see Gyula-Sax-Kevin Goh 2011 here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=N1Q2wYdh/tNWwlrJVxBDAkPiax9hdmoywl1jMwd0KJF0mYtLI6YQ7V3O/cExPR3z Secrets of Spectacular Chess by GM Jonathan Levitt and FM David Friedgood, GM Daniel Fernandez, Chessbase India feature on Kevin Goh by Junior Tay here: https://chessbase.in/news/Dressed_to_Impress_How_IM_Kevin_Goh_prepped_and_persevered_for_his_final_GM_norm, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen 36:00- When Kevin got his 3rd norm in 2018, he needed just 7 more ELO points for the title, little did he know that these last rating points were far from a formality! Mentioned: GM Ashwin Jayaram, IM Elect Donny Ariel!, GM Avetik Grigoryan, GM Boris Avrukh, Chessmood.com 49:00- What did it feel like to finally earn the GM title in 2020 after all of these struggles? 51:00- Chessable.com has many excellent “Lifetime Repertoire” courses including ones by GM Jan Gustafsson, IM Christof Sielecki and a brand new one on the Caro Kann, from GM Erwin L’ami. The place to see the all of Chessable’s Lifetime Repertoire courses is here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-openings/s/lifetime 51:45- What is Kevin Goh’s chess improvement advice for fellow adult improvers? GM Karsten Muller, GM David Smerdon, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Anatoly Karpov, Positional Sacrifices by GM Neil McDonald, Karpov-Gelfand 1993: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1048256 GM Jonathan Rowson , IM Willy Hendriks On the Origin of Good Moves, NM Elijah Logozar, 1:08:00- What is Kevin’s opinion and experience with The Woodpecker Method and spaced repetition generally? Mentioned: GM Hans Tikkanen and GM Alex Smith, Recapping the Woodpecker Method with Neal Bruce , The Road to Chess Improvement. Caruana-Carlsen Game 1 2018 1:14:00- Patreon supporter of the show, FM Andrey Terekhov, writes in to ask his friend Kevin what his next goal is now that he has gotten the GM title. Mentioned: Aeroflot Open, FIDE Online Olympiad 1:20:00- What advice did GM Jacob Aagaard give Kevin when he was stuck at a plateau? 1:23:00- Thanks so much to Kevin for sharing his story and his wisdom. Here is his contact info: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/GMkevingwm?__tn__=%2CdlC-R-R&eid=ARAnkjbSRRYN_2CulGTyid0y7WpIDj2QMkJ-wDYtOOFN7ip64ExECRkK2BWZ-uqeSv4gU3bJXgZ7rSR5&hc_ref=ARQT0DEi2WlenxdbN_3NX6qg3_ffFhCYDVGMLIwg9I3xJoAFO0UpEuGwqcO5wrPM8Iw Twitter- https://twitter.com/kevingohwm Email- kgwm83 at hotmail.com If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.183 - Rochelle Ballantyne Jun 30, 2020

Rochelle Ballantyne is best-known in the chess world as one of the star scholastic chess players featured in the excellent 2012 documentary, Brooklyn Castle, which chronicles the lives of the students and teachers at the scholastic chess powerhouse school, IS 318 in Brooklyn, New York. In the years since that movie, Rochelle has continued to pile up impressive achievements. She earned a BA from Stanford University, a Masters of Education degree from Columbia University, and has been accepted into the New York University Law School for the fall. Rochelle also had many scholastic chess successes, she attained a peak US Chess rating of 2127, and she actively promotes chess as an educational tool. Last, but most importantly, Rochelle has long been a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and the Black Lives Matter movement. She shares her perspective on this movement, both as it pertains to the chess world, and to the world at large. Please enjoy our wide-ranging conversation. Timestamps and relevant links can be found below. We catch up on what Rochelle has been doing since she was featured in Brooklyn Castle. Mentioned: Elizabeth Spiegel on Perpetual Chess December 10, 2019 , Brooklyn Castle’s Website Lists Where You Can Watch The Movie, here: https://brooklyncastle.com/#watch1l’ Read Melinda Mathews’ 2018 Interview with Rochelle here: https://new.uschess.org/news/qa-rochelle-ballantyne-representation-important 7:00- What is the update on Rochelle’s Chess Playing? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, US Chess School 12:00- From her viewpoint as a woman and an African American chess player, what were Rochelle’s interactions like in the chess world? Mentioned: FM Justus Williams, NM James Black, FM Joshua Colas, Stanford University, 23:45- A Patreon supporter of the podcast writes in to ask Rochelle how tournament players can help be supportive African American chess players. Mentioned: Alexandra Botez shares a personal experience about sexual harassment in the chess world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6W8EgX9Uc0 29:00- The latest and greatest from Chessable is an updated and expanded comprehensive checkmate pattern course by CraftyRaf- check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/ 30:00- What is Rochelle’s opinion of how race relations have been handled by the US Chess Federation and other entities? Mentioned: Read the US CHess statement on Black Lives Matter here: https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/ Chess GIrls DC, Chess.com’s Peter Doggers interview series, On Racism, can be read here: https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-nm-daniel-jones https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-gm-pontus-carlsson https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-racism-watu-kobese Bill Goichberg 38:00- Rochelle answers a few more listener-questions relating to education policy, both inside and outside of the chess world. Mentioned: IS 318 Vice Principal John Galvin, GM Maurice Ashley, Queen City Classic Chess Tournament 47:00- Has Rochelle been attending any of the Black Lives Matter protests? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s Twitter and Facebook, 54:00- Does the fact that White moves first in chess have racist undertones in Rochelle’s opinion? Mentioned: Jen Shahade, Alexandra Botez 1:00- Thanks to Rochelle, for sharing her perspective with us. Here is a list from Rochelle of Black Lives Matter causes and organizations that could use some support: https://linktr.ee/cdr3?fbclid=IwAR1URl1PP7wBQNIF2Tt1DvYdSz_XodqZBXqJR0Vle0TGLTzdCO8jY-0n-WQ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #8: The World Champions I Knew by GM Genna Sosonko Jun 23, 2020

Welcome back to another monthly edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured! This month, I am joined by electrical engineer, Chessable author, and chess blogger, Vjekoslav “Vjeko” Nemec. Like me, Vjekoslav is a big fan of GM Genna Sosonko’s writing, so we were eager to discuss one of his books. Vjeko and I agree that The World Champion’s I Knew may not be Sosonko’s best book, but due to its prominent subjects, it might be the most accessible. Like his other books, The World Champions I Knew is marked by vivid first hand accounts and beautiful prose, and its high points make the book well worth reading. In his book, GM Sosonko writes about 7 different world chess champions, so Vjeko and I spent time sharing quotes and reflections about each essay, and ranked our favorite chapters. Please read on for more details and timestamps. If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/6/23/bonus-pod-recapping-the-world-champions-i-knew-by-gm-genna-sosonko 1:00- We begin by discussing why Vjeko Nemec wanted to discuss a book by Grandmaster Genna Sosonko, why we settled on The World Champions I Knew , and we share a few details from GM Sosonko’s fascinating life story. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess interview with GM Genna Sosonko (June 2018), Smart Chip from St. Petersburg, Russian Silhoettes, The Reliable Past, Evil-Doer: Half a Century with Viktor Korchnoi, GM Garry Kasparov 13:45- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. Two of the many courses that you can check out right now are Vjekoslav Nemec’s The Modern Against Everything, and GM Sam Shankland’s new course, Lifetime Repertoires: Black Against the English, The Reti, and sidelines 14:30- We read a bit of the introduction to the book and give an overview of the book before discussing the book chapter by chapter. Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein, John Hartmann, 19:00- The first chapter we discuss is the one about Jose Raoul Capablaca, which focuses on GM Sosonko’s interactions with Capablanca’s then wife, Olga Clark Capablanca. The Genius and The Princess by Edward Winter 26:30- Next up is legendary world champion Alexander Alekhine Mentioned: Chess Historian Edward Winter on Sourcing 32:45- Smyslov Mentioned: Smyslov on the Couch, The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn 45:00- Legendary Dutch Champion Max Euwe Mentioned: Todd Bryant, Mike Zaloznyy 54:00- We discuss the chapter about Sixth World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik Mentioned: Soviet Outcast: The Life and Games of Grigory Levenfish, GM Viktor Korchnoi 1:02- GM Tigran Petrosian Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Efim Geller 1:13- Tal time! We discuss the best part of the book, the chapter GM Mikhail Tal. Tal-Lautier 1992, Timman’s Titans, The Longest Game, Chess Duels by Yasser Seirawan, Tal Keller Zurich 1959, Steve Doyle, GM Alexei Suetin, Lev Tolstoy, Bacchus, Mythos by Stephen Fry 1:35:00- Thanks to Vjeko for helping out and sharing his knowledge! In lieu of payment for his efforts, Vjeko is donating to Tunde Onakoya’sChess in Slums Program. You can donate to support them here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-chess-in-the-slums-in-nigeria 1:39:00- Blindfold puzzles of the month courtesy of SayChess1 Puzzle #1- White to move White Pawn h4 King b1 Queen c2 Black Pawns g7 and h5 King h7 Queen g6 https://lichess.org/study/2Jj2xWA5 Puzzle #2- White to move White Rook a1 King d2 Black Pawns on b2 and c2 King b4 https://lichess.org/study/z7M9gUy5! Follow Vjeko on twitter here: https://twitter.com/chessentials_ Read his Chessentials blog here: https://chessentials.com/ Buy his Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/the-modern-defense-against-everything/course/27749/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP182 - IM Willy Hendriks Jun 16, 2020

IM Willy Hendriks is a Netherlands based chess trainer, and an award winning author of two books: Move First Think Later (2012) and his excellent new book, On the Origin of Good Moves. IM Hendriks is quite an impressive chess player and adult improver. He has two GM norms, and he attained his peak rating at the age of 43. Eleven years later his 2438 FIDE rating is still not far from his personal best. IM Hendriks and I had a fascinating conversation about both of his books ,and about the subject of chess improvement generally. Please read on for more details and time stamps. 2:30- After a brief intro we dig into how IM Hendriks came up with the original presentation style that distinguishes both of his books, as well as the unifying vision of chess that ties his books together. Mentioned: Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker 12:00- Willy’s first book, Move First Think Later was critical of some well-known chess authors. Did the controversy that this book caused in the chess world surprise him? Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman, FM Carsten Hansen, Logical Chess Move by Move, Lasker’s Manual of Chess 18:15- We transition to discussing IM Hendriks new book, On the Origin of Good Moves, Mentioned: Emanuel Lasker, Wilhelm Steinitz, William Purdy, Adolf Anderssen, and Paul Morphy 31:30- What sort of feedback has he gotten for his new book so far? Mentioned: Richard James’ Review of Move First Think Later from British Chess News 34:30- Why does IM Hendriks think that one should, in fact, study openings frequently? Mentioned: IM Kare Kristensen 40:00- Check out Alan B’s Free Chessable series focusing on attacking with each piece type here: https://www.chessable.com/knights-on-the-attack/course/16475/ 45:45- As a strong player near his peak rating in his 50’s, what are Willy’s own chess study methods? What are his general opinions about best adult improvement practices? Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, NM Christopher Chabris, Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations 58:30- OK but really, how is Willy staying so strong at chess? :) 65:30- Thanks to IM Willy Hendriks for joining the show. You can reach him and keep up with him via his website: https://movefirstthinklater.com/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.181 - USCF Master Elijah Logozar (Adult Improver Series) Jun 09, 2020

Tennessee-based teenage improver (19 years old) and prolific Chessable author and superuser NM Elijah Logozar has taken his rating from the 1700s to the USCF Master title (2200) in about 3 years! He has probably improved even more in online blitz and puzzle rush, which he utilizes as serious training tools. As Elijah tells us, his “secret” is that he often spends 10 hours per day on chess, an approach that admittedly is not replicable for most of us. But Elijah also takes the science of chess improvement very seriously, and despite his young age, he is well-versed on the topic of chess improvement and aging. Elijah is also a big advocate of and exemplar of using spaced repetition and The Woodpecker Method, and he answers questions and shares insight on how he thinks to best use these training tools. So all in all, there is a lot to learn about chess improvement in this densely packed conversation. Please sit back and enjoy. As always you can find more information, timestamps and hyperlinks below. 04:00- After a brief intro Elijah dives into his experiences with spaced repetition in his training, and he talks about The Woodpecker Method in particular. Mentioned: Recapping The Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement wiith Neal Bruce, David Milliern, The Mozart Effect 19:30- Elijah Logozar’s Chessable courses are on sale at Chessable.com! Check them out here: https://www.chessable.com/author/logozar/ 20:00- Elijah fields a question related to frustrations with using the Woodpecker Method. For what level chess player is it really appropriate? Is solving for accuracy or speed more important? Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy, Flamingo Chess’s Woodpecker-Related Blog Post , Pokerram’s Chess Diary on ChessTempo, Randy Julian, ChessIMO app 29:00- Elijah answers a question from a Patreon Supporter regarding other recommended methods of tactics training. Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual 40:00- Openings talk! A Patreon supporter asks, “What should you do if you consult two different authors on chess openings and they each recommend a different move?” GameChanger by GM Mathew Sadler and Natasha Regan, Questions of Modern Chess Theory by Isaac Lipnitsky, Crush the Taimanov by Elijah Logozar 52:00- A Patreon mailbag question relates to how Elijah uses Chessable in his study regimen, and another relates to how to incorporate analyzing one’s games. Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 57:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Decode Chess- a company whose software explains the suggestions of chess engines in plain language that you can understand. Go here to try it out for free: https://decodechess.com/ 58:00- One last Patreon mailbag question asks whether Elijah plays with training partners, and then we segue into the topic of Elijah’s favorite chess books. Mentioned: ChessDojo Discord Channel, Aagaard’s Thinking Inside the Box, Secret’s of Modern Chess Strategy by IM John Watson, Move First Think Later, Quality Chess Books, Small Steps to Giant Improvement, Dynamic Chess Strategy, The Road to Chess Improvement 1:13:00- Elijah volunteered to do an impromptu blindfold chess puzzle, so I read him a miniature that ends in a tactic. The game is here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250708 1:17:00- Thanks to Elijah for coming on and sharing his chess improvement experiences. You can reach him on these platforms: Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/author/logozar/ Chess.com- https://www.chess.com/member/logoczar Twitter- https://twitter.com/ElijahLogozar If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.180 - IM Levy Rozman Jun 02, 2020

IM Levy Rozman is a 24 year-old, New York-based chess streamer, Chess.com announcer and instructor. Levy has quickly found an audience online due to his ability to explain chess in a humorous and accessible way. In our conversation, we talk about the origins of Levy’s announcing career, his chess ambitions, and about the fast-changing world of Twitch chess streaming in 2020. Please read on for lots more details, and timestamps. Embedded hyperlinks can be found on the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/6/2/episode-180-im-levy-rozman 0:00- We dive right into a discussion of the ways that chess coverage on Twitch has been making news recently. This includes the continued ascension of GM Hikaru Nakamura’s popular Twitch channel Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Chessbae94, Alexandra Botez, GM Daniel Naroditsky 6:45- Levy traces the origins of his popular Twitch channel, Gotham Chess. Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Alex Ostrovskiy, Alexis Parades, Brooklyn Castle, Baruch College, 15:00- Friend and Patreon supporter of the podcast, Chris Wainscott, asks Levy about whether he plans to pursue the Grandmaster title. Mentioned: Chess.com’s I am not a GM tournament 23:00- What are Levy’s goals for his Twitch channel? What recommendations would he give to others thinking of getting into Twitch streaming? 28:00- The Magnus Touch by Magnus Carlsen is still on sale at Chessable.com. Get it here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-chess-strategy/course/39478/ 29:00- Levy tells the story of how he got his start as an announcer for Chess.com. Mentioned: GM Robert Hess, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Danny Rensch, Levy’s Recap of one of Magnus’ Recent Blitz Games, Mr. Dodgy’s compilation of GM Magnus Carlsen’s recent Twitch stream, GM Peter Leko, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Jan Gustafsson 35:00- Chris Wainscott asks Levy about the status of his amusing chess show, Post Mortem. 39:00- We also dive into a recent controversy involving Chess.com and Chess24.com, and the way that the sites broadcast events that are sponsored by their competitors. 44:30- Levy answers another question from the Patreon mailbag, and gives some advice to a newer player who is having trouble avoiding blunders. Mentioned: You can buy Levy’s opening repertoire course here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-75djkXcEvJns9wvhony5bItA8Bv_f63lLUyXmvMPlCfIRg/viewform 51:00- A related question has to do with how a newer player should be using Chessbase. Mentioned: The London System, The King’s Indian Attack 59:00- Levy fields a few fun questions from Twitter, and tells the story of why he got kicked out of legendary GM Arthur Yusupov’s chess camp as a kid. Mentioned: International Chess Academy, Sam Copeland’s interview with Levy Rozman, Greg Shahade, IM Teddy Coleman, Jen Shahade, IM John Bartholomew, IM Alex Ostrovskiy Thanks to Levy for coming on the show. Here is how you can keep up with him: Twitch:https://www.twitch.tv/gothamchess Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q Twitter: https://twitter.com/GothamChess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.179 John Hartmann Returns Again May 26, 2020

US Chess’s John Hartmann is always a popular guest on Perpetual Chess due to his relatability and his encyclopedic knowledge of chess books. As of June 2020, John will no longer be writing the book reviewer for Chess Life, because he has been promoted to editor of the magazine! Nonetheless, John’s passion for chess books remains strong, and in this visit he gives us a comprehensive rundown on some of the best recent books. John also gives an update on his chess improvement ambitions, and we spend a lot of time talking about how coronavirus is affecting the finances and plans of US Chess, and how it might change tournament chess generally. (If you aren't seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed you can find them on the podcast webpage: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/5/26/episode-179-john-hartmann-returns-again ) 0:00- We begin by discussing how coronavirus is affecting tournament chess and especially the US Chess Federation. They are launching many exciting initiatives, but are also facing some financial headwinds, as the US Chess President Allen Priest recently discussed in a video. . Mentioned: John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #1, John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #2, Chris Bird’s The TD Show, Jen Shahade, IM Carissa Yip, WGM Sabina Foisor, US Chess’ YouTube Channel, Chess.com, IM Eric Rosen, Sunway Sitges Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Steve Doyle, US Chess President Allen Priest, Melinda Mathews, Chess Life and Review Online Archives, Bob Sostack, Chess Life for Kids, Chessable.com, GM Jacob Aagaard on the US Candidates, Brian Karen, Ding Liren-Caruana 2020 You can renew Your US Chess Membership here: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php 35:40- Chessable’s newest release is from GM Simon Williams AKA the Ginger GM. Simon has recorded 30+ hours of video to accompany the classic chess book, The Art of Attack. It’s on sale now. Check it out here: https://t.co/R93A3rez9K?amp=1 36:00- We talk about changes with the book review column for Chess Life Magazine, and about John’s favorite recent chess books. Mentioned: IM John Watson, Beyond Material, Keep it Simple, 1. d4 , GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s The Benoni is Back in Business, Hein Donner: The Biography, GM Max Euwe The Best I Saw in Chess by Stuart Rachels, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendricks The Nemesis: Geller’s Greatest Games, Douglas Griffin, Coaching Kasparov, The Anand Files, Training Program for Chess Players, 1st Category , Bob Long, The Search for Chess Perfection, Dale Brandreth, Bobby Dudley, Fundamental Chess Strategies in 100 Games, 55:00- John talks a bit about what it is like to be a member of 365ChessAcademy, and to learn from GMs Aagaard, Ramesh and others. Mentioned: GM Reinier Castellanos, IM Christopher Yoo, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, GM Karsten Muller, GM Alex Fishbein, Megan Chen’s Perpetual Chess Interview, Harold Stenzel 1:06:00- John answers some Patreon mailbag questions regarding the conditions under which OTB tournaments might eventually return. Mentioned: IM Steffan Löffler’s Chessbase Article on Long-Distance Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Jack Spence, Nassau Chess Club, IM Jay Bonin 1:18:00- Thanks again to John for joining the show once again. You can follow all of US Chess’ Podcasts here: https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/ Follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Sign up for the US Chess Fundraiser, “Blitzing Covid,” here: https://new.uschess.org/news/top-stars-register-blitzing-covid-event-may-30th/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: . . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #7: Judit Polgar's How I Beat Fischer's Record with Jen Shahade May 22, 2020

This month for Chess Books Recaptured, my good friend Jennifer Shahade joins me to talk about a book that we both absolutely love, How I Beat Fischer’s Record by legendary GM Judit Polgar. Of course, Jennifer is a great person to discuss this book, as she herself is quite an ambassador for female chess players, and among other distinctions, Jen is the two-time US Women’s Champion, and the host of 2 award winning podcasts, Ladies Knight, and The Poker Grid. In this podcast, Jen and I share our favorite quotes, stories and games from this 2012 Quality Chess publication, and we also contextualize the life and legacy of GM Judit Polgar. Please read on for lots more details, hyperlinks and timestamps. For embedded hyperlinks, go to the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/5/22/bonus-pod-recapping-judit-polgars-how-i-beat-fischers-record-with-jen-shahade 0:00- We kick off by discussing how we decided to discuss Judit’s book, and to talk generally a bit about how Jen personally, and the chess world generally, are being affected by the coronavirus. Mentioned: Ladies Knight Podcast, The Grid Poker Podcast, Jen Shahade’s Twitch Channel The Polgar Sisters, Training or Genius? by Cathy Forbes, IM Not a GM Speed Chess Championship, IM Greg Shahade, St. Louis Chess Club’s Clutch Chess 10:00- We drill down more specifically into Judit’s book and her story. What is the background of the Polgars? Do Judit’s books get the credit they deserve? For what level is the book most helpful? Mentioned: From GM to Top 10, A Game of Queens, David Llada, IM Eric Rosen, Lennart Ootes, GM Susan Polgar Forward Chess- Use Promo Code “Judit” if you buy one of her e-books from them! 20:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. To check out the exciting new course from World Champion Magnus Carlsen, go here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-strategy-lesson/course/40115/ Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, IM John Bartholomew 23:00- We talk about how Judit changed women’s chess by eschewing Women’s Events in favor of mixed events. Will another woman follow in her footsteps? Mentioned: GM Hou Yifan, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Humpy Koneru on The Ladies Knight Podcast, Free Excerpt of Judit’s Book from Quality Chess here: https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIBeatFischersRecordExcerpt.pdf 31:00- We discuss some of our favorite quotes and stories from the book. Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Susan Polgar, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, My 60 Most Memorable Games, GM Pal Benko, GM Mikhail Marin, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Vasil Ivanchuk Gelfand-Polgar 1989, GM Jonathan Rowson, Magnus Kingdom app 48:00- It was tough to pick only a few favorite games each from the book, but we did! Here they are: Polgar-Chilingrova 1988 Polgar-Lars Bo Hansen 1989 Tisdall-Polgar 1988 Zifroni-Polgar 1990 Polgar-Flear 1989 Tolnai-Polgar 1991 Xie Jun- Polgar 1988 1:05:00- What are the chess improvement takeaways from this book? Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar’s interview on Perpetual Chess, GM Alejandro Ramirez, Polgar at London Chess Conference, Irving Chernev’s Chessboard Magic, GM Garry Kasparov 01:27:00- Thanks so much to Jen for helping out this month. You can follow her on Twitter here. This month’s donation went to the US Chess Women Initiative. 01:28:00- Next month we will be recappingThe World Champion’s I Knew by Gennadi Sosonko, and Vjekoslav Nemec, from Chessentials.com, will be helping me out! Here are the Blindfold puzzles: Puzzle #1 1500 level White to move and win - White- pawns f4 and g5, king on d4, Black- pawn on a4, king on b4 NOTE ON PUZZLE #2 I READ THE PUZZLE WRONG, IN ADDITION TO THE PIECES I NAMED, WHITE ALSO HAS A QUEEN ON A2 Puzzle 2 2100 level?- White to move, mate in 2 White: King on a1, queen on a2, pawns on e3 and e5, Rook on h1, knight on c7 Black- king on g7, pawn on g6, knights on g8 and e7, rook on f8 Puzzle #1 1500, (no answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=p/sxHjHhQ80fM5Wyr61XVDyFOXYjK/iYLp/yrSAVD4QDSejK9esxUSalDqwfPRMa Puzzle #1 (with answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=C5uNj27llXNFWn+fpTM5aJ5KAh6KUuvEy4NUwoMGsQu1GzQDUuWenT4JDbZIYkOT Puzzle 2 (no answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=J7FWNzeNYfxbPbbZ0zvfhLMidbk2WTeOzHsDINW2lzM+ASdC3LiG6ffAHEHt+fYR Puzzle 2 (with answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=52M6/pp9vjMEa4VHOSY8zwERFKd4U2rcHcmxDigzJUCyIZqEBGQD9CCR0+SjpAe2 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.178 - IM Kåre Kristensen (Adult Improver Series) May 19, 2020

What is the likelihood that a fully employed dad in his mid 40s could bring his rating from 2200 FIDE up to 2400 and earn the title of International Master at the age of 54? I didn’t know the answer to this question, but this week’s guest, IM Kåre Kristensen actually did it! Kåre was at such a low point in his chess in 2008 that he considered quitting. But instead he stuck with it and became one of the relatively rare folks to earn the IM title past the age of 50! How did he do it? What did he study? How hard did he work on chess? What does he do away from the chessboard? You can hear Kåre’s inspiring story in this week’s Perpetual Chess. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We discuss the impact of the coronavirus in Denmark, as well as a bit about Kåre’s professional and family background. 8:00- Chess talk time! IM Kristensen shares his “chess origin story,” and traces some of the ups and downs of his career, culminating in his earning the IM title at the age of 54! 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. They have just released what may be their most exciting course to date, The Magnus Touch! Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-chess-strategy/course/39478/?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign= 25:00- Kåre answers a few questions from The Perpetual Chess Patreon Mailbag relating to his experiences with the effects of aging on one’s chess game, and whether he has made any age-related changes to his game. . Mentioned: GM Jens Kristensen, FIDE Title Application Webpage 43:00- Kåre shares the chess improvement methods that have been most effective for him, and gives a few universal tips. Mentioned: Tactics Trainer Endgame App. GM Mikhail Botvinnik 57:00- Now that we know what Kåre studied, it’s time to find out how much he studied to keep improving! Mentioned: The Anand Files by FM Michiel Abeln, The Slav Defense, Grandmaster Chess Move by Move by GM John Nunn 1:05:00- Jaydeep Chakrabarty writes in to ask Kåre for advice about building an opening repertoire. Read more about Jaydeep’s new Digital Chess Board, named Rolling Pawn, here: https://chessbase.in/news/The-Rolling-Pawn-Making-Digital-Chess-board-affordable Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games 1:14:00- Another question from the Patreon mailbag: if Kåre could restart his chess career from scratch, how would he approach his studies? Mentioned: Bent Larsen’s Best Games , IM Christof Sielecki, 1:23:00- Kåre tells a story from a long-ago tournament where he sat near a young Vishy Anand and took notice of his play. Mentioned: Anand-DeFirmian 1986 1:30:00- Thanks so much to IM Kristensen for joining the show and sharing his experiences and advice. You can keep up with him as follows: Email him here: kaarek@me.com Reach on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/karehove.kristensen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.177 - GM Peter Heine Nielsen May 12, 2020

This week on Perpetual Chess, we break from format a bit, as 5 time Danish Champion and world-class chess trainer, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, takes us behind the scenes of the night before a decisive game in a World Championship Match. The Match in question, was the 2010 World Championship between GM Viswanathan Anand and GM Veselin Topalov in Sofia, Bulgaria. The game was game 12, the final game of the “classical portion” of the match, with Peter Heine Nielsen and his fellow “ Team Anand” members, preparing Vishy to take the Black pieces against GM Topalov in a tied match with the World Championship and a $1.2 million Euro prize for the winner. How is it decided which opening will be played? How is work delegated among the team members? Why did 2 former World Champions and other chess heavyweights also pitch in to help with preparation this night? How did it feel when GM Anand won the game? GM Peter Heine Nielsen answers all of these questions and many more in a very fun and detailed conversation about a landmark game in modern chess history. You might want to play through the game in question before you listen, then sit back and enjoy the interview. More notes, timestamps and details can be found below. 0:00- We begin by discussing a bit of background about the match, with discussion of other relevant background information, and of how GM Anand and his team felt as they were going into the deciding game of the match. Mentioned: Team Anand Members: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Radoslav Wojtazek, and GM Surya Ganguly, Mind Master by GM Viswanathan Anand, 2008 FIDE Anand-Kramnik World Chess Championship in Bonn, Germany For more background on this match, you can listen to the following Perpetual Chess Interviews with: FM Michiel Abeln, GM Vishy Anand, GM Ivan Cheparinov, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov 10:00- What factored into GM Anand’s decision to surprise Topalov with the Queen’s Gambit Declined in Game 12? 21:30- Friend and supporter of the podcast, IM Kåre Kristensen, writes in to ask about the role that the “supercomputer” played in the match. It was rumored, though not confirmed, that Team Topalov was accessing a turbo charged chess engine to help with preparation. Mentioned: Rybka Chess Engine 24:30- None other than World Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen has a free lesson available on Chessable.com, called “The Magnus Touch.” To check it out, go here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-strategy-lesson/course/40115/ 25:00- Once the opening for the Game 12 was chosen how was work delegated among the Team Anand members? How did former World Champion Kramnik end up voluntarily helping Team Anand, what about GM Kasparov? Mentioned: Lasker Variation of Queen’s Gambit Declined, The Catalan, 2006 Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match, aka Toilet Gate , GM Gata Kamsky, GM Magnus Carlsen, Topalov’s Manager Silvio Danailov, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Boris Gelfand, “Elista Ending” of the Slav, as seen in Game 3 of the 2012 Match 40:45- Peter delves into the nature of the help given to Team Anand by then 19 year old GM Magnus Carlsen, and the unsung hero for prepping that night, British GM Luke McShane. Mentioned: GM Elizbar Ubilava, The “problem” line that Peter mentions and that Luke McShane solved, can be seen in Peter Heine Nielsen’s tweet here. 58:30- After all of this stressful prep, what did Peter and the other seconds do once Game 12 actually started? Mentioned: GM Anish Giri’s annotations can be seen here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=ZwNTGxiK5g4jm8Ba5hiyjQg4B+imvQdy6OM469Al0wHO6syTLjEAW3HQ0haiyTYd 1:15:30- Thanks so much to GM Peter Heine Nielsen for regaling us with his experiences. You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/PHChess If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.176 - GM David Howell May 05, 2020

GM David Howell is the three-time champion of the United Kingdom and holds the record as the youngest player to earn the GM title in UK history. He has been a top 50 player in the world rankings and has a peak rating of 2712. He has been well-known in British chess circles since the age of 8, when he impressively beat GM John Nunn in a blitz game! As David tells, such accomplishments,have come with amazing opportunities, such as playing against and alongside GM Magnus Carlsen and training with GM Garry Kasparov, but he has also had to reckon with significant external expectations placed on him from a young age. In the past year, David has also been getting more involved in chess media. He is now the chess columnist for The Times of London, was one of the broadcasters of 2019 Gibraltar Chess, and has begun doing entertaining “banter blitz” shows for Chess24.com. David also recently released a great instructional DVD, called “Winning Grandmaster Methods: How I Got to 2700.” We discuss all aspects of David’s chess work, and David candidly relives the ups and downs of his chess career, and shares some of the standout stories and improvement advice from his DVD. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We chat a bit about how the coronavirus is treating David, and what he has been up to lately, including his newly released instructional DVD with GingerGM productions. Mentioned: Seaford UK, Fiona Steil-Antoni vlogs, Tarjei Svenson, GM Glenn Flear, Jonathan Tuck Get David’s DVD here: https://www.gingergm.com/shop/winning-grandmaster-method-how-i-reached-2700 12:00- David reflects on his early successes as a chess player, which included a highly publicized victory in a blitz game over GM John Nunn when David was only 8 years old. Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Maxime Vachier Lagravel, GM Ian Nepomiatchi, GM Sergei Karjakin GM Gukesh, GM Nihail Sarin, GM Praggnanandha 17:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks what a player of David’s caliber sees in his head when he calculates. Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky’s books, WGM Irina Bulmaga, IM Alex Astaneh Lopez The challenging study David mentions is here (courtesy of GM Howell). Study without solution- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=Thm/+4QGsQHfyDb55qwo4REWIVCKvhD977E7/BrRE7MFkgmTATFslXhf5s5JATWH Study with solution and GM Howell's notes- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=Thm/+4QGsQHfyDb55qwo4ZWrCY08yKCmpxLo+sU05WHO9bKH07ZkGszC+OXuIZvb 26:00- What was it like to have high expectations placed on him by chess fans once David was identified as a bright chess talent? Does he think about different paths his career might have taken based on different life choices? Mentioned: GM Nihail Sarin, GM Alireza Firouzja 35:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. If you want to work on knowing the classics and improving your calculation at the same time check out Chess Calculation Training 3: Legendary Games, by GM Romain Edouard https://www.chessable.com/chess-calculation-training-3-legendary-games/course/1587/ 36:45- What was it like to travel to GM Garry Kasparov’s home to play training games with him in 2017? 43:45- GM Howell also helped Peter Svidler prepare for the 2016 Candidates Tournament. What did he learn from that experience? 45:30- What does GM Howell think of this year’s FIDE Candidates so far? 46:30- Out of his recent jobs as banter blitzer, chess writer, chess announcer, and chess competitor, which is David’s favorite? Mentioned: GM Jan Gustafsson 50:00- In the final rounds of the 2019 Chess.com Isle of Man Grand Swiss, GM David Howell came agonizingly close to qualifying for the 2020 FIDE Candidates, but he missed out. How has he processed that experience? Did it affect his mental health? Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Simon Williams, WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni, GM Wang Hao-Howell 2019 57:30- David tells a few more fun stories about encounters with celebrities, both in and out of the chess world. GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, GM Magnus Carlsen, Woody Harrellson, Dave Grohl 1:01:00- We discuss a bit more of what can be learned from David’s instructive and fun DVD, Winning Grandmaster Method, How I Reached 2700. Mentioned: Short-Timman 1991, Fischer-Benko 1963, Howell,D-Bitalzadeh 2009, GM Simon Williams, IM Simon Ansell, 1:05:00- Thanks to David for a fun interview. Help him boost his follower count on Twitter and Instagram. David’s Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DavidHowellGM?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor David’s Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/davidhowellchess/?hl=en If you would like to help support the podcast you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.175 - GM Jesse Kraai returns Apr 28, 2020

This week author, teacher, YouTube presenter and philosophy Ph. D, Grandmaster Jesse Kraai is with me again to share more of his wisdom. Given his academic background, it is always fun to hear Jesse philosophize about chess and life, and this was a good time to catch up with him as we talked about the ways that tournament chess is changing and speculated about how it might continue to change due to shifts in perspective brought on by the coronavirus. Naturally we also talked about lots of chess improvement ideas, as Jesse shared his current chess goals, his approach to chess, and outlined the vision of ChessDojo. ChessDojo is a new online chess learning community that Jesse has launched together with IMs David Pruess and Kostya Kavutskiy. As always, please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- Jesse discusses his personal experiences with the coronavirus, something which fans of his Youtube videos saw him endure. Jesse also discusses the ways that the coronavirus affects his chess teaching, Chessdojo, and how it might affect chess tournaments in coming years. Mentioned: Jesse Kraai’s first appearance on Perpetual Chess in October of 2017: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-chess-podcast/id1185023674?i=1000393634256 GM Jesse Kraai’s Road Back to 2500 series IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai Chess Dojo YouTube channel Chess Dojo discord 22:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable! Check out the excellent book Chess Structures with Chessable's MoveTrainer capability here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-structures-a-grandmaster-guide/course/14540/ 24:00- What are Jesse’s core beliefs about how to improve at chess? Mentioned: Jesse’s video- The True Path to Chess Improvement The Road to Chess Improvement by GM Alex Yermolinksy , Chess24’s Magnus Invitational IM Greg Shahade,GM Garry Kasparov 34:30- We discuss Chess.com’s fun ongoing tournament, The “I’m Not a GM Speed Chess Invitational”. Mentioned: IM Danny Rensch, IM Greg Shahade, IM Christof Sielecki, IM Lawrence Trent, IM David Pruess, IM John Bartholomew, WGM Anna Zatonskih 38:30- How can club players go about learning structures rather than lines in openings? The London System, The Colle, The Zukertort 45:45- A question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Jesse if his background as a student of philosophy shapes his views on chess. Mentioned: GM Emanuel Lasker, Martin aka Saychess on Twitter, GM Capablanca, Chess for Life by Mathew Sadler and Natasha Regan, The Scandanavian expert whose name I was forgetting is GM Sergei Tiviakov 1:00:00- Our conversation transitions to a discussion of whether chess books are decreasing in popularity. Mentioned: GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez, IM Cyrus Lakdawala 1:06:15- A Patreon supporter writes to ask Jesse’s opinion of the TV show Stranger Things. 1:11:00- Thanks to Jesse for re-joining us! Keep up with GM Jesse Kraai here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/JesseKraai Website: http://jessekraai.org/ Follow ChessDojo here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4liTXRJ-XknH6OtKz-tOuw Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojolive Discord: https://discord.gg/sUUh8HD Twitter: https://twitter.com/chess_dojo If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.174 - GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov Apr 21, 2020

This week it’s my great honor to host former World Champion of chess, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov. In addition to winning the 2004 FIDE World Chess Championship title, Kasimdzhanov was the 1998 Asian Champion of Chess and finished 2nd overall at the 1999 World Junior Championship and the 2002 FIDE World Chess Cup. These days, of course, he is best known as a world-class chess trainer, as for many years he assisted former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, and today he works with the world’s 2nd highest ranked player, GM Fabiano Caruana. GM Kasimdzhanov is a renowned opening theoretician, and he has produced many video courses for Chessbase, including the recently released The Benoni is Back in Business. Given such a varied and accomplished career, obviously there was a lot to discuss, including the controversial 2020 FIDE Candidates Tournament, which he recently attended with GM Caruana. Please read on for more details and timestamps. (If you aren't seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/4/21/episode-174-gm-rustam-kasimdzhanov) 0:00- GM Kasimdzhanov begins by discussing the Chess24 Magnus24 Cup and shares how Fabiano will prepare and adjust for the format of this tournament. Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Ian Nepomniatchi, CNN article about Firouzja-Carlsen match, GQ-England chess article 8:00- GM Kasimdzhanov attended the now-postponed 2020 FIDE Candidates in Yekaterinaburg, Russia with GM Fabiano Caruana. He shares his frustrations about the circumstances under which the event took place and discusses what might be done to complete the tournament. Mentioned: GM Teimour Radjabov, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkavich, GM Magnus Carlsen, Lev Tolstoy, GM Ding Liren 29:30-Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out Chessable’s course about the Petroff defense, Fight 1.e4 like Caruana by IM Chrisof Sielecki here: https://www.chessable.com/fight-1e4-like-caruana/course/15717/ 30:00- Rustam answers a couple of questions from the podcasts’s Patreon supporters: What are the best and the worst aspects of being a second to a top player? What was it like to play Magnus Carlsen at Chess.com’s Isle of Man Tournament in 2019, given how much time GM Kasimdzhanov has spent helping Fabiano prepare for him? Mentioned: GM Kasimdzhanov-Korchnoi 2002, GM Alireza Firouzja 42:30- What does GM Kasimdzhanov notice about the play of some of the top teenagers in the chess world, including GMs Nodirbek Abdussatorov, Alireza Firouzja, Nihal Sarin, D Gukesh? Mentioned: GM Nakamura 46:00- What improvement advice could Rustam give for working chess enthusiasts? Mentioned: The Anand Files by Michiel Abeln, Mind Master by GM Viswanathan Anand 49:00- Rustam shares what he discovered in making his fun and informative new Chessbase course, The Benoni is Back in Business, and he delves into ways that he researches openings more generally. 55:00- GM Kasimdzhanov discusses a couple of the books he has read recently, chess and otherwise. Mentioned: Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane, Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess by GM Ivan Sokolov If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #6 : Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce Apr 17, 2020

This month on Chess Books Recaptured, I am joined by Neal Bruce. Neal is the head of product management for a software startup, a dad, and a dedicated adult improver who has built a following on Twitter by sharing a lot of the chess puzzles on which he is always working. For this month’s book review podcast, Neal suggested that we discuss two groundbreaking chess tactics books, Rapid Chess Improvement (2002) by Michael de la Maza and The Woodpecker Method (2018) by GM Axel Smith and GM Hans Tikkanen. As we explain, these chess books have significant differences between them, but they share a common thread in that they both strongly emphasize the efficacy of using spaced repetition to better assimilate tactical patterns and to improve chess visualization skills. Whether you are a chess player, chess teacher or both, it is important to be aware of the benefits of spaced repetition and to give some thought to how best to incorporate it into a chess training routine. In our conversation, we summarize and offer our opinions of each book, and discuss the experiences that other chess players have had using the training methods that these books advocate. As always, please read on for lots more details, links and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by introducing this month’s guest co-host, Neal Bruce. Guest co-host application form here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/co-host Chris Chabris Perpetual Chess interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/jm/podcast/ep-95-uscf-master-cognitive-scientist-christopher-chabris/id1185023674?i=1000421410393 7:40- First up is a discussion of the controversial tactics manifesto, Rapid Chess Improvement by Michael de la Maza. Mentioned: USCF Master Dan Heisman, Dan Heisman’s Chess.com article, The Michael de la Maza story, de la Maza’s Chess Cafe article here, GM Ben Finegold, IM Jeremy Silman, Silman review of Rapid Chess Improvement here: https://www.jeremysilman.com/book-review/rapid-chess-improvement/ IM Christopher Yoo, Young-Kyu Yoo, Chess.com thread discussing Rapid Chess Improvement, Polgar’s Chess Tactics for Champions, CT-Art 30:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable. It provides a great way to train with and learn the Woodpecker Method. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-woodpecker-method/course/10582/ 31:00- We introduce and discuss the excellent 2018 book, The Woodpecker Method by GMs Axel Smith and Hans Tikkanen from Quality Chess. Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating by GM Axel Smith,, IM Andreas Skytte Hagen, and Talent is Overrated by Geoffrey Colvin, A free excerpt of the Woodpecker Method is available from this link: https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/327/the_woodpecker_method_by_axel_smith_and_hans_tikkanen/, IM Kostya Kavutskiy’s Steam of the Woodpecker Method can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVp5Aaip2NECv2nW2GhWPqOjWqZW2h1xP 51:00- We discuss the experiences that some other chess players have had using the Woodpecker Method. Mentioned: NM Elijah Logozar, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM Andrew Greet’s blog regarding The Woodpecker Method is here: http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/blog/category/woodpecker-method, FM Gabriel Petesch, 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations by Fred Reinfeld 58:30- We discuss some other tactics books that could be effective with the Woodpecker Method. Bain- Chess Tactics for Students: Simple Checkmates by Gillem Polgars Chess Tactics for Champions Tactics Time 1 and 2 Practical Chess Exercises 1:04:00- I almost forgot to discuss Chess Twitter Superstar Mr. Dodgy’s success with De La Maza’s recommendations. Mentioned: CT-Art 3.0 Chess Reddit Thread about Rapid Chess Improvement here: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/osyqa/the_problem_with_michael_de_la_mazas_rapid_chess/ Jenn Shahade, How I Beat FIscher’s Record by GM Judit Polgar, The Metrowest Chess Club in Massachusets 1:09- Thanks to Neal Bruce for joining me, you can often find him at The Metrowest Chess Club in Massachusetts, and you can follow him on twitter here: https://twitter.com/nealbrucebc?lang=en 1:10- Blindfold Puzzle Time Puzzle #1- White: Qa8, Ne2, Kb1 Black: Pawn h3, g2, King h2 Diagram without solution here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=CtHlIdi7v5KwhYZKLeX8KdwATJb4Z+RYNB4gL3s0KIl/bXhLJciNi3uIyyyTvFVK Puzzle #2- King on e6, Pawn on f5, Pawn on h2 Black- Pawn on g7, King on e4 Diagram without Solution here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=rXk3i7RQycyvOctzSUHBDFSJro9imf2wP2eVil+22YlpuPK+wk5sBX+H3SSccNUL Diagram with Solution here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=azBNpAgXY9oGDztWmyP+q2v3Mt0fa94dgPdcUtHMz2erkqRWd4lmlQlsJtwSnpUw If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.173 - USCF Master Philemon Thomas (Adult Improver series) Apr 14, 2020

Philemon Thomas is an Albany, NY native who has been playing competitive chess for 14 years. During this period, Philemon has endured ups and downs, but his evident passion for the game has always kept him coming back to the board. In March of 2020, all of his hard work culminated with Philemon earning the title of USCF Master! This places him in the 98.8 percentile of US Chess’ tournament players, and he also is the first African-American chess master who is based in the Albany area. To hear the study tips and advice that Philemon has picked along this journey, please tune in to the interview. More details and timestamps can be found below. 2:30- We begin by learning a bit more about how Philemon got hooked on chess and what he has done to improve over the years. Mentioned: Townsend Park in Albany NY, Franklin-Mercantile Chess Club in Philadelphia, Washington Square Park in New York City, Union Square in NYC 7:50- What books helped Philemon along the way? Mentioned: My System by Nimzowitch, The Art of Attack , IM Jeremy Silman, IM Mark Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual , Darryl Perkins, Bobby Rotter, Aanarian Stevens, Smyslov Endgame Virtuoso, Dave Finneman 14:50- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. The Art of Attack in Chess is one of the many books you can read and train with on Chessable utilizing its MoveTrainer technology. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-art-of-attack-in-chess/course/24575/ 15:50- Patreon supporter of the podcast, Firas Siraf of the Apprenchess Twitch channel writes in to ask what lessons Philemon has learned from his chess learning experiences. Another listener asks about how he fights through plateaus. Mentioned: The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, 23:30- How does Philemon divide his chess study time? What his approach to chess openings? Mentioned: CT-Art, The Magic of Chess Tactics by GM Karsten Muller 30:30- We walk through Philemon’s rating graph and he discusses the obstacles he encountered at various rating levels. Here is his rating graph: http://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=13312957 36:00- We discuss Philemon’s different approaches to different time controls. 43:00- When did Philemon set the goal of earning the USCF Master title? What are his current goals? 45:00- Does Philemon think that chess is less popular amongst African-Americans than people of other backgrounds? 47:00- Philemon gives a few more chess recommendations based on his experiences. Mentioned: Think Like a Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov, Chess Books Recaptured: Podcast talking Think Like a Grandmaster with NM Christopher Chabris 50:00- Thanks so much to Philemon for joining the show. You can contact him or track his progress via his Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/philemon.thomas.94 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.172 - GM Andy Soltis Returns Apr 07, 2020

Despite having retired from his day job at the NY Post, noted chess author and historian GM Andy Soltis remains quite busy writing chess books. This week he returns to Perpetual Chess to tell some great stories and discuss the books that he has been working on since our last conversation, in September of 2018. In particular, we discussed GM Soltis’ new book, How to Swindle in Chess, and his recently updated classic, Bobby Fischer Rediscovered. Andy was able to also provide some great historical perspective on topics ranging from chess in New York City in past decades, to the 2020 FIDE Candidates, to the coronavirus. Please read on for further details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by catching up a bit on the impact that the coronavirus had on GM Soltis’ travel plans, and Andy shares some great historical perspective on some New York City chess characters. Mentioned: Marshall Chess Club, GM Robert Byrne and IM Donald Byrne, GM Arthur Bisguier, IM James Sherwin, GM William Lombardy, Caroline Marshall, Manhattan Chess Club, Bobby Fischer, IM Ray Weinstein, Bruce Pandolfini, GM Nicolas Rossolimo 13:15- When I spoke with Andy, the 2020 FIDE Candidates Tournament was ongoing despite the coronavirus, and he was able to provide some historical perspective on other historical tournaments that took place under unusual circumstances. Mentioned: Mannheim 1914 Chess Tournament, Alexander Alekhine, Frank Marshall, Efim Bogoljubov, Ian Nepomniatchi, Alexander Grischuk, Ding Liren-Caruana 2020, Capablanca-Marshall 1918, GM Mikhail Tal, Carlsen-So 2020, Fischer-Taimanov 1971 match, game 4,Bobby Fischer: The Greatest? By Max Euwe, Frank Brady, FM Asa Hoffman, My Great Predecessors: Volume 4 29:00- Andy expounds on an interesting column he recently wrote for Chess Life magazine, called The Half Life of Truth: How long is it relevant what the result would have been in a famous chess game with best play? Mentioned: Bobby Fischer Rediscovered, Fischer-Celle 1964, Fischer-Blackstone 1964, Fischer-Spassky 1972 Game 1, The Complete Chess Swindler by GM David Smerdon 37:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out Garry Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, using Chessable’s MoveTrainer here: https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-1/course/22994/ 38:00- What did GM Soltis discover in researching his new book, How to Swindle in Chess Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand, Keres-Geller 1962, Carlsen-Van Wely, Viktor Korchnoi, GM Emanuel Lasker 48:00- How should chess improvers stuck at home with extra study time spend that time? Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Mikhail Tal, Ruth Haring, GM Peter Biyiasis, Eliot Hearst 55:00- In closing, Andy tells a story in which he compares his experiences after September 11 in NYC to the current tense moments we are now living through. Thanks, as always, to GM Soltis for sharing his chess knowledge with us. You can buy all of his books here: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B000APTX5I?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.171 - Chess Twitch Streamer GoldDustTori (adult improver series) Mar 31, 2020

In the 16 months since she got into chess, 23 year old Chess Streamer GoldDustTori has seen both her online following and her Chess.com rating grow quickly. As her chess.com rating graph shows, she has gone from not knowing what en passant is, to a blitz rating which recently topped 1600. In our conversation, Tori retells how she got into chess and chess streaming, and shares how her consistent focus on a few key aspects of chess improvement have helped her boost her rating. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- FIDE Candidates Coverage Resources: Chess.com Youtube, Chess24YouTube, US Chess YouTube, Powerplaychess 3:00- Tori introduces herself and explains how she got into chess and chess streaming. Mentioned: TwitchCon, GM Eric Hansen of the Chessbrahs, WIM Alexandra Botez, IM Danny Rensch, John Urschel, World of Warcraft, GM Aman Hambleton, IM Eric Rosen 11:30- As Tori explains, when she started streaming chess, she barely knew the rules of the game. How has she gone from 0 to 1600 in less than 1.5 years? Mentioned: Tori’s YouTube Channel, Her Twitch Channel, including archive 17:30- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their many tactics resources here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-tactics/ 19:00- Tori answers a few questions from our Patreon supporters relating to what time control she thinks one should play at in order to improve, and what she has learned from streaming with super strong players like GM Daniel Naroditsky and GM Jon Ludvig Hammer? 27:00- Tori reflects on her first live tournament, which took place at the North American Open in Las Vegas in December of 2019. Mentioned: IM Hans Niemann, GM Daniel Naroditsky, NM John Williams, chess.com drills/lessons 38:00- Tori discusses a recent special event in which participated: The Isolated Queens tournament, organized by Alexandra Botez and Jenn Shahade. Mentioned: GM Irina Krush, WGM Katerina Nemcova 41:00- Tori fields a couple of questions and comments relating to how she deals with haters and trolls. Mentioned: Taylor Swift’s Miss Americana, Scene from From Dusk til Dawn mentioned by IM Christof Sielecki (starting at 1:50 mark) 54:00- GM Denes Boros writes in to ask how her perception of the chess world has changed as she has gotten to know it better. Mentioned: National Open 57:40- What would Tori’s “bullet point” advice be for how to improve at chess? 1:01:00-- What are Tori’s current chess and Twitch goals? Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen 1:07:00- Thanks so much to Tori for joining the podcast. Here is how you can keep up with her: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/golddusttori YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi3rJHTCrXPLn4tfWQLTELA Twitter: https://twitter.com/golddusttori?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/golddusttori/?hl=en See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.170 GM Daniel King Returns Mar 24, 2020

Two weeks after Part 1 of our interview GM Daniel King returns. We catch up on the all of the drama surrounding the first 6 rounds of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, both over the board, and away from the board, as the spread of the Covid-19 virus continues to be an unwelcome, but serious disruption to some wonderful chess games. Following the Candidates discussion, GM King updates us on the many other projects that have been keeping him busy, including a discussion of his forthcoming book, Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire. Please read for many more details and timestamps relating to this fun and wide-ranging conversation. If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/3/24/episode-170-gm-daniel-king-returns 0:00- We begin by discussing the FIDE Candidates. Why did Daniel cancel his plans to announce at the tournament, why didn’t FIDE call it off? Should/will they call it off now? And last but not least, what does GM King think of the chess so far? Mentioned: GM Teimour Radjabov, Powerplay Chess, GM Jesse Kraii for Chess Dojo, GM Jacob Aagaard for US Chess, Giri-Nepomniatchi 2020 20:00- We discuss GM King’s forthcoming book, Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire. Daniel gives a bit of background about how he became enthralled by this story, and a taste of what we can read about in this book. Free excerpts of the book are available via New in Chess Magazine, and New in Chess Publishing. Mentioned: Sultan Khan-Capablanca 1930, Sultan Khan-Tartakower Match, GM Daniel King’s Patreon page, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Maia Chiburdanidze 40:55- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable. Links for GM Harikrishna’s Game of the Day Analysis and Candidates Course and the Candidates sale are below: Candidates Course- https://www.chessable.com/candidates-2020/course/34649/ Candidates Sale- https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ 41:30- Daniel tackles a couple questions from a Patreon supporter of the podcast, relating to how he learned to speak German, and to the philosophy behind Powerplay Chess, Daniel’s excellent YouTube channel. Mentioned: Daniel King’s Powerplay DVD’s from Chessbase, GM Alexander Morezevich, GM Nigel Short, GM Ruslan Ponamariov, GM Jan Gustafsson, GM Baskiran Adhiban 54:30- GM King discusses another project he has been busy assisting, a forthcoming Chessable course called Tournament Ready, by Alex and Sarah Longson. Mentioned: IM Mike Basman, FM Alex Longson, WFM Sarah Longson 58:00- GM King shares some chess study advice for those who are stuck at home with extra time on their hands. 1:02- Daniel shares some stories about one of his other passions- playing music. Mentioned: Geert van der Velde of Chessable, Juga on Jenn Shahade’s Ladies Knight Podcast 1:10- Thanks to GM King for coming back on the show! All the links you need to keep up with him are below Youtube channel, Powerplay Chess: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBATpFb--uLNAODOVWvCTA GM King’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanielKingChess If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #5 : Alex Yermolinksy's The Road to Chess Improvement with Bryan Castro Mar 20, 2020

Welcome to another edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured! My guest co-host this month is Bryan Castro. Bryan is a dad, businessman, chess teacher and adult improver from Buffalo, NY. Bryan and I are both fans of GM Alex Yermolinksy, and we share a strong affinity for his instructive and readable 1999 chess-improvement memoir, The Road to Chess Improvement. We like this book so much that we were not going to let a global pandemic stop us from getting together and sharing our favorite quotes, games and chess-improvement takeaways from this somewhat underappreciated gem. Please read on for more details, timestamps and relevant links. 4:00- After a few programming notes, Bryan Castro joins the show and shares a bit about his personal background. 7:00- What does Bryan like about The Road to Chess Improvement? Mentioned: Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, GM Jon Ludvig Hammer, IM John Watson’s Review of Road to Chess Improvement, Hear GM Yermolinksy’s interview on Perpetual Chess here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-chess-podcast/id1185023674?i=1000382608741 10:00- Both of us used the original Gambit version of Road to Chess Improvement 11:00- What was happening in the chess world when this book was released in 1999? Mentioned: GM Kasparov, GM Alexander Khalifman, GM Alexei Shirov, GM Viswanthan Anand 13:00- Bryan shares a bit more about Yermolinksky’s background. Mentioned: GM Gregory Serper, GM Alexander Shabalov 15:00- For what level player is this book most helpful? 16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. Check out GM Pentala Harikrishna’s 2020 FIDE Candidates “Game of the Day” analysis and accompanying course here: https://www.chessable.com/candidates-2020/course/34649/ 17:30- We dive into the book, as Bryan reads some inspiring opening paragraphs from The Road to Chess Improvement Mentioned: GM Alekhine, GM Botvinnik, 20:00- We discuss the structure of the book and our favorite chapters. Mentioned: Vladimir Zak 29:30- We share a few of our favorite quotes from the book. Mentioned: GM Evgeny Bareev, GM Vassilly Ivanchuk, GM Peter Svidler, GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Sam Shankland, GM Viktor Korchnoi, GM Jan Timman, GM Alexander Beliavsky, GM Mikhail Tal, GM Mikhail Botvinnik 40:00- We each pick a favorite game from the book. Mentioned: GM Arthur Yusopov, Yermolinsky-Khmelnitsky 1995, Hjartarson-Yermolinsky 1996 45:00- What are the chess improvement takeaways from The Road to Chess Improvement? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade 48:00- How useful is the book for improvement? 49:00 What, if any, are our quibbles with the book? Deep Blue vs. Garry Kasparov 52:00- Closing remarks and good bye to Bryan Castro. In lieu of paying Bryan for his efforts I will be making a small donation to the East Aurora Chess Club. You can keep up with Bryan the following ways: Bryan’s Youtube Channel here: https://youtube.com/betterchesstraining Bryan’s website, Better Chess Training here: http://www.betterchesstraining.com/ Follow him on twitter here: https://twitter.com/YourBryanCastro 56:00- Blindfold puzzles of the month: Puzzle #1- White to move, find the best move https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=xyVYfoozbF6iR+wCrD8E3LVWoPU8wRa2aKCSWt9SSPcJjEME8Mrb+Gps4wVo0mBi Solution #1- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=BTkwJm0GgCBPOr6bmORI2c020+oxdq6CvPpZFqSIU5JeJajZLmJQ+1Dar2t6cnXF Puzzle #2- Black to move and win material e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qf6 5. Nxc6 Qxc6 6. Qe2 Bc5 7. Nc3 Ne7 Qf3 Ng6 9. Bc4 Ne5 10. Qe2 {Black to move and win material} 0-1 https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=PORw9ncvRoVlZBKq9xADW1F9Baqw/xYlJ4PcRqNZuq6OstdGFms4ToOP81KIlbJi Solution #2- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=oTOKuSqLokqFRarUHxOWMZ4rMpkpXZC0Sg8zv++1qev07Vg9PA0sgLjIvYHJXcdE If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.169 - FM Terry Chapman (adult improver series) Mar 17, 2020

FM Terry Chapman is a 63-year old retired businessman, having floated his company on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in 1999, with a day one capitalization of over £100 million. The Terence Chapman Group Plc was a major sponsor of chess activities in Britain, but Terry is probably best known in the English chess community for his charity match against Garry Kasparov in 2001 (at two pawns odds), which he only narrowly lost, 1 1/2 - 2 1/2! As he discussed in the great book, Chess for Life by GM Mathew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan, Terry retired in 2007 and started devoting a lot of energy to competitive chess. In the next handful of years, he took his rating from 2156 to a peak of 2331! Last summer, Terry came equal first in the British over 50's Championship, a title he was proud to add to his British junior championship title won 49 years previously. In our conversation, Terry catches us up on what has occurred since the 2016 publication of Chess for Life. He shares the chess improvement lessons he has learned over the ups and downs of the last 12 years. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by delving a bit into Terry’s chess and personal background. What life circumstances motivated him to ramp up his competitive chess in the year 2007? Mentioned: GM Jonathan Rowson 7:00 How had the chess world changed in the years that Terry was busy building a career and raising a family? Did he feel rusty upon returning to the board? Mentioned: Chessbase 13:00- A Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess asks FM Chapman if he thinks one should change their opening repertoire as they get older? Mentioned: NM Fred Wilson, GM Ben Finegold 17:00- What coaches has Terry worked with? Mentioned: GM Jonathan Speelman 21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Here are a few of the tactics resources Chessable offers: Mastering Mates: https://www.chessable.com/mastering-mates-1-1111-one-move-mates/course/11134/ Tactics Time: https://www.chessable.com/tactics-time-1/course/21108/ Woodpecker Method: https://www.chessable.com/the-woodpecker-method/course/10582/ 22:00- Patreon supporter, and adult improver NM Han Schut writes in to ask Terry to ask for an update about time trouble issues that Terry mentioned in Chess for Life. Mentioned: GM Natalia Zhukova 32:00- What is a typical day of chess study like for Terry Chapman? Mentioned: Chess Calculation Training Volume 2: Endgame by GM Romain Edouard, New in Chess Yearbooks, New in Chess Magazine 43:00- Terry has described himself as a bit of an opening specialist, but also says his memory is nothing special. How does he pull that off? Mentioned: Kotrianas on the King’s Indian 49:00 What other books does Terry recommend for Club players? Mentioned: Aagaard Manual Volume 1, From Amateur to IM, Winning Chess Strategies, Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Pump Up Your Rating, Yusopov books, Everyman Chess Move by Move series 56:00- What is the latest on Terry’s chess progress? 1:00- Terry tells a few stories about brushes with chess legends, including playing a charity game with Garry Kasparov. Mentioned: GM Tony Miles, GM Ding Liren, GM Vishy Anand, GM Vladimir Kramnik , Garry Kasparov on Desert Island Discs, Understanding Maroczy Structures by GM Adrian Mikhalchishin 1:15- Thanks so much to Terry Chapman for sharing his tips and some great stories. You can reach him via email here: tpdchapman@gmail.com. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.168 - FIDE Candidates Preview with GM Daniel King Mar 12, 2020

With the highly anticipated FIDE Candidates tournament starting in a matter of days, I am honored to be joined by Grandmaster Daniel King to preview the tournament. GM King is well known for his accomplishments as a chess player, journalist and announcer. The videos on his YouTube channel, Powerplay Chess, are always a must-watch for me. GM King will be part of FIDE’s announcing team for this event, and we talked to him just days before he planned to leave for Yekaterinaburg, Russia for the tournament. We recorded this interview on Tuesday, March 10. Please read on for details and timestamps. 0:00- Intro. We set the scene for the FIDE Candidates Tournament and discuss the dramatic late entry of GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who is replacing GM Teimour Radjabov who withdrew from the tournament due to concerns about the Corona/Covid-19 virus. Mentioned: FIDE World Senior Team Championship: https://www.europechess.org/fide-world-senior-team-chess-championship-2020-starts-today/ 10:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable! Check out GM Simon Williams brand new course “The Black Lion” here: https://www.chessable.com/the-black-lion/course/34040/ 12:00- The odds I listed for the Candidates come from Unibet UK, you can find them here (They have changed a bit since we recorded): https://www.unibet.co.uk/betting/sports/filter/chess/world_championship/candidates/all/competitions/1005917216 We discuss the individual Candidates in the following order: 13:00- GM Kirill Alekseenko Mentioned: GM Ali Firouzja 16:23- GM Fabiano Caruana 19:00- GM Anish Giri 23:20- GM Alexander Grischuk Mentioned: Chess24’s Candidates 2020 A Preview: https://chess24.com/en/learn/advanced/video/candidates-2020-a-preview/candidates-2020-intro GM Peter Svidler 26:15- GM Wang Hao Mentioned: Chessbase India’s IM Sagar Shah interviews Wang Hao: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_elqkx-IgI 30:30 GM Ding Liren 34:30- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi 39:00- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Mentioned: UEFA Euro 1992 Final: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_1992_Final, GM Etienne Bacrot 45:00- Thanks so much to Daniel King for joining the show. You can watch the FIDE Broadcast with GMs King, Judit Polgar and Evgeni Miroschenko beginning on March 15 here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9B47GnzCRFHTT1BIBWvStQ Subscribe to GM King’s PowerPlayChess here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBATpFb--uLNAODOVWvCTA Support GM King via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/powerplaychess/posts If you would like to support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchessual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.167 - IM Jop Delemarre Mar 03, 2020

IM Jop Delemarre is a former Dutch Youth Champion who has been a full-time chess trainer since 2004. Over the years, he has worked with many strong young players who went on to earn IM and GM titles. Jop is an expert in the Chess Steps curriculum, and was a student of one of its founders, Rob Brunia. Due to his expertise in the Steps Method, Jop recently offered a Chess Steps Certification Workshop, that I and a few other U.S. based chess teachers completed and greatly enjoyed. Jop joined me to discuss this workshop, share plans for potential future workshops, and to reflect on his career in general. Jop shared plenty of great advice for chess improvers and teachers alike. Please read on for more details and show notes. 0:00- Jop shares some details about his life background, and the background of the Chess Steps Method. Mentioned: GM Robin Van Kampen, Chess Steps Method, Rob Brunia, IM Cor van Wijgerdan, NM Matan Prilleltensky, Paul Swaney, NM Shawn Hoshall, NM Han Schut, US Chess Digital Editor John Hartmann 11:50- A Patreon supporter of the pod writes in to ask if the Chess Steps Method can be used as a “stand alone” improvement method. Mentioned: Chess Steps Manuals, Chess Steps Workbook, Chess Tutor CDs 21:30- IM Jop Delemarre gives more details about how an opportunity for a Chess Steps Teacher Training Workshop came about, and discusses what the future plans are for more teacher certification workshops. Mentioned: Paul Swaney, Geert van der Velde 26:40- Question from friend and former guest of the podcast, NM Han Schut, about whether the Steps Teacher Trainer program is sanctioned by the founder of the Steps Method, IM Cor van Wijgerdan Mentioned: Han Schut on Perpetual Chess 31:00- For the teachers listening, and for those interested in learning more about this generally, I share a few of the lessons that I learned from completing Chess Steps Teacher Certification Training. Mentioned: Email Jop here: jdelemarre@hotmail.com, 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. You can check out FM Kamil Plichta’s new course, Four Horsemen: The Sicilian Four Knights here: https://www.chessable.com/four-horsemen-the-sicilian-4-knights-defense/course/33443/ 39:30- Jop discusses the reasons why practicing things repeatedly is important to acquire chess skills. Mentioned: Peter Newhall, Susan Polgar series, Yusopov series 47:00- Jop shares a few of his favorite chess books. Mentioned: Techniques of Positional Play, Chess Lessons by Popov, Tatiana and Nadhezda Kosintseva, Greatest 525 Puzzles by GM Csaba Balogh, IM Mark Dvoretsky’s books, Aagaard’s books, GM Boris Gelfand’s books, My Great Predecessors by GM Garry Kasparov , Tactics Time, Elizabeth Spiegel, IM Jeremy Silman, Mastering Opening Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten, IM Herman Grooten 1:01:00- Jop shares a few highlights from his career as a chess competitor, including a mini match with Dutch chess legend GM Jan Timman. Mentioned: GM Alexey Dreev, GM Evgeni Bareev. GM Anatoly Karpov, Delemarre-Brodsky 1994, Delemarre-Timman 1995, Sokolov-Delemarre 1997, GM Loek Van Wely 1:06:00- As a polyglot, what language-learning practices is Jop able to apply to chess improvement? 1:14:00- Thanks to Jop for joining the show! You can reach him via email here: jdelemarre@hotmail.com Visit his website here: https://schaaktrainer.nl/online-chess-lesson/ You can learn more about the Steps method on the official website here: https://www.stappenmethode.nl/en/index.php And you can order the Steps books in the U.S.here: https://www.chess-steps.com/home.php If you would like to help support the podcast you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.166 - GM Jacob Aagard and GM R.B. Ramesh Return Feb 25, 2020

This week we feature a double attack from two of the premier chess trainers in the world! GM Jacob Aagaard is the co-founder of Quality Chess Publishing, is an award winning author, and has worked with many elite grandmasters including GM Boris Gelfand and GM Sam Shankland. GM R.B. Ramesh, is an award-winning trainer and author, who has coached the India National Team many times, and has worked with many young talents including GM Pragganandha. GMs Aagaard and Ramesh are both return guests to Perpetual Chess, as they visit to discuss their new project, 365ChessAcademy.com. This new site offers dedicated chess students worldwide the ability to access daily lectures from a cadre of high level trainers, including themselves. In addition to explaining the vision behind this new project, they fielded many chess-improvement questions from Perpetual Chess listeners and provided many insights about common issues faced over the board. As always, you can find more details and timestamps below. (If embedded hyperlinks aren't visible in your podcast feed you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/2/25/episode-166-gm-jacob-aagaard-and-gm-rb-ramesh) 0:00- We kick off by discussing the vision behind GM Aagaard and GM Ramesh’s new initiative, an online chess academy, called 365ChessAcademy. Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland, GM Ivan Salgado-Lopez, GM Julen Arizmendi Martinez, IM Renier Castellanos Rodriguez, GM Sabino Brunello 16:00- What have been the unexpected challenges of launching this website? 19:30- This episode is brought to you part by Chessable.com. You can check out the first two volumes of GM Arthur Yusopov’s acclaimed Fundamental chess series on Chessable, here: https://www.chessable.com/the-fundamentals-1-build-up-your-chess/course/19145/ https://www.chessable.com/the-fundamentals-2-boost-your-chess/course/14534/ 20:30- We dive into some questions from the Patreon mailbag, beginning with Jacob and Ramesh tackling the age-old question of how to allocate one’s chess study time. Is it better to focus on improving your weaknesses or building your strengths in your game? As a baseline for club players, GM Ramesh recommends spending 60% of study time on middlegame, 20% on endgame, and 20% on opening. Mentioned: GM Elizbar Ubilava 35:30- The next Patreon question relates to chess study. How does one know when to switch areas of focus in study, and how to draw up chess training plans. Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Viswanathan Anand, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 45:00- Another Patreon supporter writes to ask how he can work to limit tactical oversights in his games. Mentioned: Quality Chess’s Yusopov Build up Your Chess Series, 365 Chess Academy’s Youtube Channel 54:30- Another Patreon question: How can one structure studies such that they acquire actual chess skills instead of just chess knowledge? Mentioned: Quality Chess Academy Camps: https://qualitychessacademy.com/june2020/ 1:00:00- One more question: Should we change our study approach as we get closer to a tournament? Mentioned: John Hartmann, GM Jan Gustafsson 1:02:00- Why is it that GM Aagaard has said that he doesn’t believe in goals? Mentioned: TheBestChessBooks.com, S.M.A.R.T. goals, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big 1:06:00- Would GM Ramesh or GM Aagaard be interested in working on a World Championship prep team if an opportunity presented itself? Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, The Anand Files, IM Christopher Yoo Thanks again to Jacob and Ramesh to share so much of their wisdom about chess improvement. To find out more about their academy head on over to https://365chessacademy.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #4 : Alexander Kotov's Think Like a Grandmaster with NM Christopher Chabris Feb 21, 2020

We are back with another edition of Chess Books Recaptured, a monthly bonus pod where we break down the highlights, best quotes and chess tips to be derived from a classic chess book. This month, I am lucky that a friend of the podcast, USCF Master, author, and renowned Cognitive Scientist Christopher Chabris, has agreed to join me to discuss the classic Soviet era book, Think Like a Grandmaster, by GM Alexander Kotov. Lots and lots more details and timestamps below. Enjoy! 😀 0:00- Chris provides a background details and shares why he wanted to discuss this book. Mentioned: Christopher Chabris’ Perpetual Chess Interview, October 9, 2018, Recommended by Perpetual Chess guests, GM Rafeal Leitao, GM R.B. Ramesh, and Adult Improver Stepian Tomic (aka Hanging Pawns), Book versions- Batsford paperback, Kindle version, GM John Nunn, FM Graham Burgess 9:00- What was happening in the chess world when this classic was first published, in 1971? Mentioned: 1971 in Chess (link includes top 10), Zurich 1953, GM Bobby Fischer, The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein by GM Genna Sosonko, 16:00- We segue into some biographical details about GM Kotov. Play Like a Grandmaster, GM Mikhail Botvinnik, GM Vassily Smyslov, GM Grigory Levenfish, The Soviet School of Chess, The Soviet Chess School, Averbakh-Kotov 1953, Averbakh-Kotov Kingscrusher Video, LiChess Analysis Board, GM Viswanathan Anand 22:00- For what level of chess player is this book best suited? 24:30- Perpetual Chess Recaptured is brought to you in part by Chessable. If you are looking for a great improvement manual for club-level players, check out Chess Strategy for Club Players by IM Herman Grooten here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-strategy-for-club-players/course/27755/ 25:00- We dive into the opening paragraph of the book and discuss the structure of Think Like a Grandmaster. Mentioned: My System, Chess Fundamentals, Lasker’s Manual of Chess, Tree of Analysis, Candidate Moves 33:00- What have other authors written about the idea of “candidate moves”? Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky’s Attack and Defense, Move First,Think Later, by IM Wlly Hendricks, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall, Secrets of Practical Chess by GM John Nunn, GM Jacob Aagaard, GM Eugene Perelshteyn on Perpetual Chess, GM Arthur Yuspov 45:00- We exchange some of our favorite quotes from the book. There are some fun ones. :) Mentioned: GM Mikahil Botvinnik, GM Miguel Najdorf, Mr. Mike Shahade, Sitsfleisch, Spassky-Korchnoi 1968, Game 7, Hot-Cold Empathy Gap, IM Kostya Kavutskiy’s Blueprint: Time Management, GM Alexander Grischuk 1:03:00- We highlight a few of our favorite games that are mentioned in Think Like a Grandmaster Mentioned:Rossolimo-Nestler 1950, Chessgames.com Membership, Plater-Botvinnik 1947 Im Peter Romanovsky, GM Mark Taimanov 1:10:00- What are the chess improvement takeaways from this book? Mentioned: Sergey Belavenets, GM Salo Flohr, Gm Vassily Smyslov, GM Jonathan Rowson, GM Jacob Aagaard, IM Erik Kislik, Blumenfeld’s Rule 1:21:00- How useful for your chess improvement is this book? 1:23:00- What would we change about this book if we could? Mentioned: Quality Chess Books 1:25:00- We share our closing thoughts on the book, including the reading of a quote from IM Kostya Kavutskiy about why he included it in this fun and popular YouTube Video Top 4 Overrated Chess Books. Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating, Improve Your Chess Now 1:28:00- Thanks to Chris Chabris for sharing so much great insight. You can keep up with him on Twitter or reach him via his website. Mentioned: Maryland Chess Association, Donate to support the Washington International here: Tournament Director Michael Regan’s Perpetual Chess Appearance 1:31:00- In keeping with our tradition, I leave with 2 blindfold chess puzzles. Here is the piece placement and the diagram links. Puzzle #1- White- Pawns on c5, d5 and f4, king on b2 Black- Pawns on d7, e7 and h7, King on b5 Puzzle- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=RHhuFi0hv1fonVvn7AHKZPBb3dE65H4q4k9H27j+iKB/hlMfqSErCmr2NcYnwHmJ Solution https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=PyQ8CWaYgNLRBSbjvHE34rLBbU3Gt9h8bfgm1g/pKsKRGnSA46tFfsapiV3sUxPt Puzzle #2- White- Pawns on f2 and g4, Bishop on f5, Queen on h8, King on d8 Black- King on g5 Puzzle- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=MGHFVw9/+CFYT8LQnSRn80+L5fcqpbxWlMLIBI2RP8uTrfCE3KgfhsKbj/pwrIw2 Solution- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=Hq/Y1By5LdPw3sRhFRdNF7dtVRn9oT8SgVFc92ZAWSkTS+BhVMmpF3OOdhSq3tIZ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.165 - GM Viswanathan Anand Feb 18, 2020

This week my esteemed guest is none other than five-time World Champion and living chess legend, GM Viswanathan Anand!! Vishy has been busy as usual with high-level chess, as Tata Steel 2020 recently completed, and the Greinke Chess Classic is coming up for him in April. GM Anand also has recently released (with co-author Susan Ninan) the inspiring and illuminating book, Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life. This brilliant book provides a springboard for us to discuss various topics about which Vishy has unique insights. They include the effects of aging on his chess game,chess in the era of super engines, reflections on World Championship matches, life as a dad, and the side effects of fame. Please continue reading for more details and timestamps. (If embedded hyperlinks are not visible in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/2/18/episode-165-gm-viswanathan-anand) 1:00- Vishy reflects on the highs and lows of his recently completed tournament,Tata Steel 2020. Topics discussed include how he copes with tough losses as compared to how he coped earlier in life. Mentioned: Caruana-Anand 2020, Firouzja-Anand 2020, Anand-Vituigov 2020, Chessbase India- Anand gives an endgame lesson to Firouzja, IM Sagar Shah, GM Ivan Sokolov 9:00- The conversation segues to a discussion of the lost art of post-mortem analysis, and the broader topic of how computers have changed chess. Mentioned: GM Elizbar Ubilava, GM Gukesh D, GM Alireza Firouzja 16:00- A Patreon/Paypal supporter of the podcast wrote in to ask Vishy how he manages to appear so composed over the board. His answer surprised me! Mentioned: Chessbase India video: Vishy Anand on the 9 Best Games of his Career, Kramnik-Anand 2008 22:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Among many other great offerings, you can check out their free course, Tournament Tactics: Tata Steel Chess 2020, featuring game analysis from GM Harikrishna 22:30- Vishy fields another Patreon mailbag question relating to how he maintains elite status into his 50th birthday. Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Ian Nepomniatchi, GM Nikita Vitiugov, GM Ali Firouzja, GM Jordan van Foreest, Jeroen van den Berg (Tata Steel Organizer), GM Vladimir Kramnik, October 2001 FIDE Top 100 list, 2013 FIDE World Chess Championship, 2014 FIDE Candidates Tournament , GM Judit Polgar, GM Alexander Morezevich,GM Vassily Ivanchuk, GM Boris Gelfand, 2017 FIDE World Rapid Championships 35:15- Is Vishy’s son enjoying chess? What are his other interests? Mentioned: Chesskid.com 38:00- Vishy reflects a bit more on prior world championship matches, and he expounds on a few memories and stories shared in Mind Master. Mentioned: The Anand Files by Michiel Abeln, GM Ivan Cheparinov, Silvio Danilov, Susan Ninan 44:30- Another Patreon supporter writes to ask about the standards Vishy uses in selecting a World Championship preparation team. Mentioned: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Radoslaw Wotjaszek, GM Surya Ganguly, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Grzegorz Gajewski, GM Sandipan Chanda 49:00- Is there a scenario in which Vishy would help out on a World Championship team in the 2020 match? How does he handicap the upcoming Candidates tournament? Mentioned: GM Ding Liren, GM Fabiano Caruana 54:30- Another listener writes to ask, “Are there downsides to being as famous as Vishy is, especially in chess circles?” This question led to Vishy’s sharing a couple of funny stories relating to being recognized or unrecognized in public. 1:02:00- GM Anand’s next tournament is the Grienke Open in April of 2020. Thanks so much to GM Anand for joining me. You can follow him on twitter, and can buy his book from Amazon and many other chess book retailers. If you would like to help support the Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.164 IM John Bartholomew returns Feb 11, 2020

I had a lot to catch up on with IM John Bartholomew 2.5 years after his first visit to Perpetual Chess. Then, as now, John is best known for his very popular Chess YouTube channel, and for being the co-founder of Chessable.com. John has seen the company and his following continue to grow rapidly in the past few years, and as you may have heard, Chessable merged with GM Magnus Carlsen’s Play Magnus company in September of 2019. John also has recently released a large-scale project, a Chessable video course , explaining the endgame classic, 100 Endgames You Must Know, and he even got to film a video testing the World Champion on the material from this vital chess book. In our conversation, John gave some behind-the-scenes details on all of these exciting events. He also threw in lots of good chess improvement advice in reply to some good questions from listeners. Please read on for more details and timestamps. If you aren’t seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them on the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/2/11/episode-164-im-john-bartholomew 0:00- Ways to interact with the Perpetual Chess Community include: Twitter, Perpetual Chess Facebook Group, and now, Perpetual Chess is sharing podcast clips on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/perpetualchess/ 2:00- We begin by discussing John’s recent trip to Wijk an Zee in order to film a YouTube video with World Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 26 with IM John Bartholomew, Chessable CEO David Kramaley, John’s YouTube video testing Magnus on 100 Endgames You Must Know , Geert Van der Velde of Chessable, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Nikita Vitiugov, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Jesus de la VIlla 10:50- The first Patreon mailbag question of the week has to do with how the Chessable interface responds when someone (such as Magnus) inputs a solution to a puzzle that is not the primary solution. 16:00- John digs behind the scenes of how he made his 19+ hour video course, and discusses how this project affected his work as a chess teacher. Mentioned: Philidor position, Lucena Position, Vancura Position, John’s free Endgame Bootcamp Video, Floating Square, Bird’s Color Rule, IM Greg Shahade’s last Perpetual Chess Appearance 24:30- We discuss some of the points discussed in the Chess Reddit thread, Are Chessable video courses worth the money? 33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. As John mentioned, in addition to his video course, one can check out AlanB’s courses here: https://www.chessable.com/author/AlanB/ Chessable’s sale on the 100 Endgames You Must Know ends on February 16: https://www.chessable.com/100-endgames-you-must-know/course/5193/ 34:00- We switch to the topic of chess improvement and dig into the Patreon mailbag. John answers questions relating to his recent tweet regarding planning chess study time, as well as one’s relating to the difference between IMs and FMs in chess skills, and what he notices in his most accomplished students. Mentioned: IM Kassa Korley, The Woodpecker Method on Chessable, Checkmate Patterns by CraftyRaf, LiChess, Internet Chess Club 52:00- The last Patreon question requests some additional resources to drill endgames: Mentioned: Mastering Endgames Strategy, Chesstempo Endgame Drills, From Amateur to IM, Lifetime Repertoires: 1. E4 e5 with GM Jan Gustafsson 56:30- On John’s last visit to Perpetual Chess, he shared some good chess business ideas. Does he have more ideas? Mentioned: GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Wesley So, Chessbrah’s YouTube, Fiona Steil-Antoni’s YouTube Vlogs , Chess.com, IM Danny Rensch, Chess24.com, Play Magnus, IM Dmitri Schneider 1:05- What was it like for John to teach Bullet chess phenom, GM Andrew Tang, aka Penguin GM, as a scholastic player? The puzzle John gave GM Andrew Tang can be seen here- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=8x0P2obR3gRql0KNZaMJR9QVt5zI/QtoD/aUWVDnrOkEIL4R6/E/1C1f0qlezi/O (to see the solution turn on the Engine icon just below the chessboard): Mentioned: Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna, GM Robert Hess 1:10- Thanks to John for coming back on the show! John’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA John’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/fins0905?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor John’s 100 Endgames Video Course: https://www.chessable.com/100-endgames-you-must-know/course/5193/ Perpetual Chess Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Ep, 163- USCF Tournament Director Michael Regan Feb 04, 2020

By day, USCF Tournament Director Michael Regan is an Observatory Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute. By night and weekend, he runs some of the most player-friendly chess tournaments in the United States, primarily in the Maryland/Washington DC area. Michael joins me this week, to share all of his insights and secrets, gained from many years of figuring out to how to improve the player experience at weekend chess tournaments. We talked about everything from hotel booking, to fair play to punctuality to hygiene. This is an important conversation for any active tournament player, so please take a listen. Timestamps and more details can be found below. 0:00- Perpetual Chess is now on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/perpetualchess/ You can also interact with me and the Perpetual Chess community via Twitter and the Perpetual Chess Facebook Group . 3:00- Michael goes a bit into his chess background, and shares what frustrated him about the other tournaments in which he and his son often played when he first got into chess. Michael’s primary frustration was with tournaments that often started late. Mentioned: DGT Chess Boards and Clocks 11:30- Michael shared a lot of insight into the mechanics of booking hotels for chess tournaments. Mentioned: The Baltimore Open (coming this weekend) 19:00- Why does Michael prefer to run tournaments with time increments rather than delay? 24:30- What does Michael think of the arguments that there needs to be shorter time control as well as more break times during chess tournaments? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s most recent Perpetual Chess Interview 30:00 This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out John Bartholomew’s video course explaining the endgame classic 100 Endgames You Must Know: https://www.chessable.com/100-endgames-you-must-know/course/5193/ 31:00- Michael answers a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast regarding how to handle a small tournament field with large rating gaps among the players. 33:30- We discuss the dreaded issue of fair play. How can we prevent people from cheating using engines? 39:00- How can we promote better hygiene among chess players and thus limit the risk of illnesses and viruses being spread? 43:00- What is going on with Michael’s chess game? 45:00- Michael’s closing advice for those looking to make chess tournaments better are: Start on time Provide equipment (helps start on time) 49:50- Why does Michael often use a prize payment structure of paying a fixed amount based on players’ scores, rather than paying “1st place, 2nd place, etc.:? 52:00- Thanks so much to Michael for sharing his ideas and for coming on the show. If you would like to try one of his tournaments and find out what it’s like to be treated like a professional, you can see his upcoming schedule on the Maryland Chess Association website. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.162 - GM Ivan Cheparinov Jan 28, 2020

GM Ivan Cheparinov is a very active player whose name can regularly be found amongst the top 50 players in the world,. He attained a peak rating of 2718, and has won or tied for first place in many tournaments, including the 2007 European Individual Championships, the 2014 Gibraltar Chess Festival, and the 2009 and 2010 Ruy Lopez Masters. He has just released his first book, with Thinker's Publishing, called Cheparinov's 1. d4. As we discuss, this is to be the first of a multi-volume project, and offers some fighting lines to play against the Grunfeld and King’s Indian defenses. Last but not least, Ivan was former FIDE World Champion, GM Veselin Topalov's second for 7 years, and had some great stories to tell from those times. He also dispensed a few important recommendations about the importance of visualization training and fitness for chess players. Please read on for more info and timestamps. If you aren't seeing embedded hyperlinks on your podcast feed,you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/1/28/episode-162-gm-ivan-cheparinov 2:30- Ivan joined me days before jetting off to the Gibraltor Chess Festival. At the beginning we discussed how he prepares before a big event such as this. Mentioned: WGM Antoaneta Stefanova (his wife) 4:15- We dive into his book, Cheparinov’s d4, which is available from Thinker’s Publishing (Thinker’s website includes a free preview), and is also now available on Forward Chess. Mentioned: Grandmaster Repertoire 1.d4 by GM Boris Avrukh, GM Veselin Topalov, GM Jan Gustafsson’s Lifetime Repertoire, GM Ding Liren, GM Vishy Anand, GM Wesley So, GM Gawain Jones, GM Bassem Amin 18:50-A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks for a less common opening recommendation to use in play against 1. D4 for club players. Mentioned: The Benoni, The Benko, The King’s Indian, The Grunfeld Opening, Nimzo-Indian, The Slav 21:30 Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. If you are a club-level player who would like to improve her visualization skills, check out this cool course called Visualize: https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/ 22:30- GM Cheparinov worked with GM Veselin Topalov for 7 years. He shares some stories and reflections from that period. Mentioned: Topalov-Kasparov 2005 (Kasparov’s last game) , Topalov-Kramnik 2008, GM Jan Smeets 31:00- With the recent publication of the books The Anand Files and Mind Master, a lot of information has been shared about the 2010 Anand-Topalov World Championship match in Sofia, Bulgaria, so I was excited to ask GM Cheparinov (a team Topalov member) about some of the details. Mentioned: GM Erwin L’Ami , Topalov-Anand World Championship Game 12, GM Vladimir Kramnik 42:00- Both GM Viswanathan Anand and Anand Files author, Michiel Abeln, wrote about Anand’s team’s fears that team Topalov had a “super computer” at their disposal in 2010 to help with World Championship preparation- Was this true? Mentioned: Silvio Danailov, Rybka Chess Engine, GM Romain Eduoard, Thinker’s Publishing 47:00- What are GM Chepariniv’s current study methods? What did he do as a rising scholastic player? Mentioned: GM Vassily Ivanchuk, GM Boris Gelfand, Csaba Balogh’s Chess Books, Perfect Your Chess 59:00- Thanks to GM Cheparinov for joining the show. You can keep up with him via Facebook. Watch his last few rounds of the Gibraltor Chess Festival here. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.161 - Geert van der Velde (Chief Content Officer of Chessable.com) Jan 21, 2020

This week’s guest, Geert van der Velde, is a semi-retired rock star who has recently managed to turn his passion for all things chess into the role of Chief Content Officer for Chessable.com. Geert is quite knowledgeable about chess books, chess history, and chess teaching, and we hit all of these topics in our conversation. Geert was also able to share lots of information about some exciting projects in the works at Chessable, as well as trends of which we should be aware in the chess education space generally. More details and timestamps can be found below. If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/1/21/episode-161-geert-van-der-velde-chief-content-officer-of-chessablecom 0:00- Geert delves into his chess background and talks about how his passion for chess was born and how it was revived in the past decade. Mentioned: BIll Wall’s Chess Website, My Great Predecessors, My Best Games of Chess by Alexander Alekhine, Alekhine BBC Interview YouTube clip, GM Neil McDonald, Chess Books Recaptured: Bobby Fischer goes to War 9:00- Geert shares how he ended up in his current role as Chief Content Officer at Chessable.com. 12:30- We take a detour into Geert’s background as a successful touring rock musician, most prominently for a band called The Black Atlantic. Check out their music here: https://blackatlantic.bandcamp.com/ 14:45- We return to Geert’s chess background. Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman , Grenke Chess Open, Chessable’s 100 Endgames You Must Know, IM John Bartholomew, GM Jorden Van Foreest, GM Jan Gustafsson, 22:00- What does Geert’s work for Chessable entail? Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland’s Small Steps 2 Success on Chessable, GM Wesley So, Chessable’s “Lifetime Pro” Membership deal will only be available for a few more weeks, Chessable CEO David Kramaley on Perpetual Chess, GM Alex Colovic, GM Pentala Harikrishna, Memory Champ Simon Reinhard, Memory Games on Netflix, Moonwalking with Einstein 35:50- This show is brought to you in part by Chessable- As we discussed, one of the many great books you can learn online is 100 Endgames You Must Know: https://www.chessable.com/100-endgames-you-must-know/course/5193/ 36:50- A supporter of the podcast sent in some great Chessable-related questions pertaining to when Chessable’s IOS app will be coming and other Chessable business-related questions. Mentioned: NM Mike Zaloznyy, IM Dmitri Schneider 44:00- What books would Geert most love to bring to Chessable? As a chess dad and part time chess teacher, what are Geert’s favorite apps for kids who are learning chess? ERROR ALERT- Contra what I said, Magnus Trainer is available on Ipad. I apologize for the mistake! Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman , The Chess Steps Method, Magnus Trainer, Chesskid.com, Chess Steps: Chess Tutor Program , Cor van Wijgerden 53:00- We discuss Geert’s plans for attending the ongoing Tata Steel Chess Tournament. Can spaced repetition be used to learn music? Mentioned: Black Atlantic’s Most Popular Song,I Shall Cross this River, has been streamed 31,000,000. Thanks to Geert for being on the show, you can keep up with him via Chessable and Twitter. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #3 : Bobby Fischer Goes to War with guest co-host Chris Wainscott [Chess Books Recaptured Series] Jan 17, 2020

Welcome to another edition of Chess Books Recaptured, a monthly Bonus Pod. This month, we tried something different and are recapping an enjoyable and informative chess history book, Bobby Fischer goes to War by David Edmonds and John Eidenow. This book gives a deep and broad history of the “Match of the Century” between challenger Bobby Fischer, and World Chess champion, GM Boris Spassky, in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972. To help me discuss the book, I enlisted the help of long time friend of the podcast, Chris Wainscott. Chris is a part time chess journalist, and a full time chess junkie and adult improver. For lots more details of what we discussed, please keep reading. If you aren’t seeing hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/1/17/bonus-pod-recapping-the-book-bobby-fischer-goes-to-war-with-chris-wainscott-chess-books-recaptured-series 2:00- We being by introducing guest co-host Chris Wainscott, and discussing why we picked Bobby Fischer goes to War for this month's book recap. Mentioned: Recap of Life and Games of Mikhail Tal here, and Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman, here. One Move at a Time podcast with Chris Wainscott 8:00- I read the Kindle Version of Bobby Fischer goes to War, Chris read the Paperback version. Audiobook link here. 9:00- What was going on in the chess world in 2005 when Bobby Goes to War was published. Mentioned: GM Garry Kasparov, FIDE World Champion GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Vladimir Kramnik 14:00- What other writing should we be aware of regarding the Fischer Spassky match? Mentioned: Edward Winter post on Fischer-Spassky, Fischer gegn Spassky by Freysteinn Jóhannsson and Friðrik Ólafsson (Reykjavik, 1973), and Fischer World Champion! by Max Euwe and Jan Timman 15:30- We give a few biographical details about the writers, David Winter and John Eidenow 16:30- For what level chess player is this book suited? 18:30- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable, check out My Great Predecessors, Volume 4, on Chessable to see GM Garry Kasparov’s reflections and annotations on Bobby Fischer (among others). 19:30- We dive into the book, Chris reads the opening paragraphs and we discuss some key events surrounding the match and the structure of the book. 28:30- What were the major themes of the match/book? Fischer-Spassky Game 1, Game 5, The Anand Files by Michiel Abeln 31:30- We read a few of our favorite quotes from the book. Fischer-Spassky Game 13, GM Awonder Liang, Bobby Fischer Against the World, IM Anthony Saidy, Paul Marshall, GM Nikolai Krogius, Psychology in Chess by Nikolai Krogius, GM Larry Evans, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Mark Taimanov 41:00- What were our favorite games that were mentioned in the match? Spassky - Petrosian Game 5 1969 , Spassky-Fischer Game 3, GM Evgeny Bareev, IM John Watson’s The Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy 44:50- What were our favorite anecdotes from the book? GM Lothar Schmid, Chester Fox, Saemi Palsson, Jim Slater, Reykjavik Open 2020 , Victor Jackovich 53:20- Are there chess improvement lessons to be derived from this book? 57:00- What are our quibbles with this book? Mentioned: George Steiner’s Field of Force, Paul Morphy, NY Times Review of Bobby Fischer Goes to War 1:02:00- Coming next month, recapturing Think Like a Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov, with Christopher Chabris. 1:02:00- Thanks to Chris Wainscott for helping out this month! He will be generously donating his compensation for this project to US Chess Women. Keep up with Chris via twitter, Facebook and his blog 1:04:00- Blindfold chess puzzles of the month, here they are: Puzzle #1- Black to move and win White- Pawns on h2, g2, d5, a2, Rook on f1, King on h1, Queen on d7, Bishop on a3 Black- Pawns on h7, g7, f7, d6. King on g8, Bishop on f8, Rook on e8, Queen on d4 Puzzle- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=uRdvz3KWpscHk859Tf87okC5Ilmx1QQ7Pn/QduKIb67T7QTMUs43v9M5sPtBM1pH Solution- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=uzikPPig87+Zc0vNm2QP8BZf19uVsqrRv1PmSOFg83BKFkyixUDgfiD4Vu5cuhDB Puzzle #2- Black to move and mate in 4, only the checkmating solution counts! White- pawns on h2, g3, f2, e3, king on e2, queen on f3 Black- pawns on g7, f7, king on g8, Queen on c3,Bishop on b3 Puzzle- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=HJ2B61vb+nCxTLUIfIk3rHGsBFlRB0wJEdRdU2OP85FFWlvargvwm7soeflbP5LM Solution- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=U31R2/dyPiHjEUMyeksXuxy1+aQGm4eS9LN2NAWxrnsjibxsTDWK/nEMItY67c6R Thanks for listening. if you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.160 - Antonio Radić (aka Agadmator) Jan 14, 2020

This week it is my honor to be joined by Antonio Radić, the creator of the most popular Youtube Chess Channel in the world, Agadmator’s Chess Channel! In about 3 years, Agadmator has taken his channel from 0 to an astounding 539,000 subscribers! In our conversation, Agadmator takes us from the channel’s modest beginnings to its current status. We spent a lot of time talking about his “secret sauce,” and discussing the past and future of Antonio’s content creation. Antonio is also a strong chess player, with a peak ELO at over 2000, so we also discused his chess playing goals, chess improvement and chess books as well. Timestamps and links can be found below. If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks on your podcast feed you can find here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/1/14/episode-160-antonio-radi-aka-agadmator 0:00- To check out the World Championship chess mugs, go toChessmugs.com. If you decide to buy a set of mugs, use the code “perpetualchess” at checkout to save 15%. 2:00- We begin by discussing the origins of Antonio’s chess channel. What were his goals and visions? Mentioned: IM Sagar Shah of Chessbase India’s Interview with Agadmator, Bobby Fischer Beats a Chess Grandmaster in 10 moves, Mikhail Tal vs. Alexei Suetin: Not Bad for a Dead Man Video, Chess Network’s Chess Channel, Here are Agadmator’s Videos sorted from oldest to newest, Ivanchuk vs. Shankland video, GM Eric Hansen 11:00- Did Antonio’s enthusiasm for video games inform the way he presents his chess videos? 14:30- When did Antonio first think of quitting his job to focus on his Youtube channel? 17:00- What is the origin of his deep love for chess history? Mentioned: GM Mikhail Tal, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Garry Kasparov, GM Judit Polgar, Paul Morphy, Blue Yeti microphone 20:00- Antonio gives some details on the podcast that he has hinted at starting. Mentioned: Jose Raoul Capablanca 23:00- Antonio reflects on his trip to London for the last World Chess Championship match in London, and we discuss the 2020 World Chess Championship match a bit. Mentioned: GM Ivan Saric 26:00- Antonio fields a couple of questions from Patreon supporters of the show on the subjects of how he learned English, and why he thinks his chess channel is so popular. 33:45- When the Agadmator channel began, what were the most popular chess channels? How does he build a community via his YouTube channel? Mato Jelic, KingsCrusher, The Chess Channel, John Bartholomew, A Song for Bobby Fischer, by GM Eugene Torre, Rashid Nezhmetdinov Chess Biography This episodes is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out GM Alex Colovic's latest Chessable offering, Break-down Anti-Sicilian's here: https://www.chessable.com/break-down-anti-sicilians/course/31178/ 39:30- Does Antonio have a rooting interest in the Candidates Tournament that will determine who will face Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship? Mentioned: GM Vassily Ivanchuk, GM Ding Liren, Fabiano Caruana, 41:00- What are a few of his favorite chess books? Dimitrije Bjelica- My Friend Bobby Fischer (not available in English?) , Spassky Move by Move, Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca , Strategy and Tactics books by Georgy Lisitsyn, Olympiu Urcan, Video: Imagine if he Were a Najdorf Specialist 44:30- Antonio breaks down a recent tournament in which he played, how it went for him, and shares his plans (or lack thereof) for future tournaments. 48:00- Another Patreon question- Can Antonio tell whether a GM game is a fast or slow game based on the quality of the moves? Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Andrew Tang 49:30- We talk about Agadmator’s beloved dog Medo, who can often be seen in the background of his video. 52:30- What other projects is Antonio working on? In closing we discuss his channel a bit more, specifically how Antonio deals with haters and negative feedback. 58:30- Thanks to Antonio for coming on the show! Here is his info: YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5YbN5WLFD8dLIegT5QAbA Twitter-https://twitter.com/agadmator?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/agadmator/?hl=en If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.159 - IM Greg Shahade Returns Again Jan 05, 2020

With the Pro Chess League (of which he is the commissioner) set to resume on Monday, January 6, it was a great time for my old friend, IM Greg Shahade to make another visit to Perpetual Chess. Greg broke down all of the changes that have taken place with the league’s format, and previewed some some of the interesting matches and players that we will see this season. We also had a lot of chess news to talk about, ranging from the World Championship Candidates selection process to some recent speed chess controversies involving prominent chess professionals. Greg also dispensed some great advice on chess improvement in our wide ranging conversation. Please read on for more details and timestamps! If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/1/5/episode-159-im-greg-shahade-is-back-again 0:00- We start off by getting Greg’s perspective on some recent chess controversies, both “online” and offline. These include a controversial blitz game between Magnus Carlsen, and strong young GM Alireza Firouzja, and a not safe for work, viral clip of a blitz game by super GM Gata Kamsky. Mentioned: IM Lawrence Trent, Video of IM Shahade vs. IM Trent Grudge Match, FIDE World Rapid and Blitz, Zhigalko-Nakamura controversy, Chess24 “Famous Effing Legend”, 16:00- We follow up on another controversy, GM Kirill Alekseenko’s selection for the wildcard spot in the upcoming Candidates’ Tournament. CORRECTION- I mentioned the wrong tournament in which Alekseenko excelled, he came in 3rd place in the FIDE Grande Swiss, not the FIDE World Cup. Mentioned: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s Open Letter regarding qualification process, MVL interview with Chess.com’s Peter Doggers, GM Anish Giri 26:00- The Pro Chess League is coming back, with major changes to the format! Greg tells us the reasons for the changes and discusses some of the teams to watch out for. The first match takes place on Monday, January 6 at 2pm EST. Mentioned: St. Louis Arch Bishops, Fabiano Caruana, GM Leinier Dominguez, GM Wesley So,GM Le Quang Liem, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Ivan Saric, GM Anish Giri, New York Marshalls, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Sam Sevian, Turkey Knights, Armenia Eagles,GM Gabriel Sargissian, Poland Hussars 36:30- We discuss the exciting changes that are taking place with faster time controls and Chess960 becoming more popular at the Elite level. Mentioned: Puzzle Rush World Championship, Chess.com Speed Chess Championship, New in Chess Magazine 44:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks, “How would Greg change tournament formats for the casual chess players?” Mentioned: Bill Goichberg of the Continental Chess Association 53:30- Chess improvement talk! A couple of Patreon supporters submitted questions to Greg regarding improvement. Questions include: 1) Is there is a chess book that hasn’t been written, but should be? Mentioned: GM Jan Gustafsson, A Grandmaster, actually tried the novelty Greg mentioned. 1:04- Greg submits his resume to join #TeamScandi! Mentioned: IM Lawrence Trent, GM Bryan Smith 1:08- A couple more Patreon mailbag questions- Who was the youngest IM Greg lost to in a serious game? And a listener asks for practical advice about how to think about the imbalances from Jeremy Silman’s Reassess Your Chess. Mentioned: GM Alex Lenderman, Perpetual Chess Recaptured: Reassess Your Chess 1:17- Is chess a sport? Does it really burn one zillion calories? 🤔 Mentioned: The Grandmaster Diet: How to Lose Weight While Barely Moving 1:19- A Patreon supporter asks: “What does Greg do for a living anyway?” Mentioned: The 5 Best Chess Books I Read in 2019, IM Lawrence Trent, GM Simon Williams 1:26- Greg tells the story of a long-ago blitz match he played with a young GM Hikaru Nakamura 1:29- We discuss some nonsense relating to Greg’s television viewing habits. Mentioned: Humans, Brooklyn Nine Nine 1:31- Has Greg read any chess books lately? Mentioned: Tal-Botvinnik 1960, FM Mike Shahade, Inside Chess Magazine, IM John Donaldson, GM Yasser Seirawan, IM Vivek Rao 1:36- Thanks to Greg for coming back on. Be sure to tune in to the Pro Chess League starting Monday, January 6 at 2pm EST. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.158 - GM Jan Gustafsson returns again! Dec 31, 2019

It’s an annual tradition! Popular Chess24 personality, noted opening theoretician and friend of Perpetual Chess, GM Jan Gustafsson returns to the show! Jan has just released his first Chessable course, Lifetime Repertoires: Jan Gustafsson’s 1. e4 e5 , so it was a great time to catch up with him. In addition to discussing the details of his course, and a bit about the theoretical trends of double king pawn openings, we also discussed Jan’s near term plans with Chess24, past and future World Championship matches, plus much more. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We kick off by discussing a few recent Bundesliga games of Jan, and Jan’s impressive new Chessable course, Lifetime repertoires: 1. e4 e5 Mentioned: German Chess Bundesliga (aka Schachbundesliga), Fatih Baltic-Jan Gustafsson 2019, Gustafsson-Naumann 2019, LeelaZero, Rybka, Stockfish, IM Christof Sielecki, GM Larry Kaufman, IM David Vigorito 15:00- We transition to discussing a popular Chess Reddit thread, in which Jan dared to criticize the theoretical status of the King’s Gambit opening. Mentioned: The End of the King’s Gambit by GM Ivan Salgado. The Petroff defense 21:00 - A couple of our Patreon supporters ask some questions relating to Jan’s current work plans and the business of Chess24.com Mentioned: Essential Pawn Structures by GMs Jan Gustafsson and Laurent Fressinet, GM Magnus Carlsen 28:00- How much credit does Jan deserve for GM Magnus Carlsen’s Fantasy Football (soccer) League dominance? What are the latest trends in coffee consumption? . Mentioned: flat white coffee, cold brew coffee, Bulletproof coffee, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 31:30- We revisit a topic we discussed in our very first Perpetual Chess interview. How important is talent in chess? Mentioned: Magnus documentary 34:30- Jan recently read The Anand Files by recent guest of Perpetual Chess, FM Michiel Abeln, so I was very excited to pick his brain about it, based on his experiences on World Championship prep teams. Mentioned: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Radoslaw Wotjasek, GM Surya Ganguly, The Exchange Slav, IM Gary Lane, Facebook Chess Book Collectors Group, GM Cristian Chirilia, GM Alejandro Ramirez, GM Leineir Dominguez 47:00- What are Jan’s early thoughts on who will win the 2020 World Championship Candidates Tournament (for the right to face Magnus Carlsen in the next World Championship Match)? Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Ding Liren, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Peter Svidler, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Anish Giri, Wijk an Zee chess (aka Tata Steel Chess) 54:30- We discuss a few movies, TV shows and podcasts, with a tinge of chess improvement philosophizing at the end. Mentioned: Barry, Succession, Bill Burr, Jeselnik and Rosenthal Vanity Project, How Neal Feel, Two Bears One Cave, Frozen 2, Parasite, FM Fatih Baltic , IM Yochanan Afek, The Lowe Post, The Bill Simmons Podcast, Hollinger and Duncan NBA Podcast, and US Chess Podcasts Thanks to Jan for coming on the show! The best place to keep up with him is on Chess24.com Catch Jan Gustaffson’s prior Perpetual Chess visits here: Episode 2- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-02-grandmaster-jan-gustafsson/id1185023674?i=1000378779364 Episode 62- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-62-grandmaster-jan-gustafsson-returns/id1185023674?i=1000405079252 Episode 115- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-115-gm-jan-gustafsson-returns-again/id1185023674?i=1000430646087 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate If you would like to help support the podcast via Patreon, you can do so here. https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Episode 157- IM David Vigorito Dec 24, 2019

IM David Vigorito is a Massachusetts-based chess player, author and trainer. As a player, David been the state champion of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Nevada. He has also competed in the U.S. Championship and has been among the top 50 player in the US. David and his publisher, Quality Chess, have just released his 9th book, Playing the Najdorf. David also has been a tremendously accomplished adult improver. As his USCF rating graph shows, he took his rating from the 2200s in his early 20s to a peak of 2565 in his 40s in 2013! In our conversation, we dug into how David was able to improve so much at a phase when many others stall. Naturally, we also spent some time discussing the state of the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian. Please read on for timestamps and more details! 0:00- We begin by discussing David’s chess background, with an emphasis on how he gained so many rating points in his 20s. Mentioned: FM Dennis Monokroussos, Pawn Structure Chess by Soltis, Art of Defense, IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Ulf Andersson, Inside Chess Magazine, New in Chess Magazine, Chess Informants 16:00- David answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag about what advice he would give to other working parents who want to improve at chess. 20:30- One of David’s old schoolmates writes in to ask for David’s thoughts about the nature of chess talent. 30:00- David traces the arc of his career as a chess writer, beginning with his decision to write his first Quality Chess book, Challenging the Nimzo-Indian. Mentioned: Gambit Chess Books, IM James Rizzitano, Everyman Chess, The Sicilian Dragon, GM Daniel King’s Winning with the Najdorf, GM Larry Kaufman, IM Christof Sielecki, Sozin, Nikolaos Ntirlis, The Sicilian Sozin by Golubev 46:00- Chess opening talk! How can a non-professional player handle the complexity of the Najdorf? What can attacking players play against 1.d4? Mentioned: The King’s Indian Defense, The Grunfeld Defense 55:00- Another supporter of the show writes in to ask David to assess the past and present of the Boston, Massachusetts chess scene. Mentioned: GM Alex Ivanov, 2020 Charlotte Open, North American Open, 2020 Foxwoods Open 1:02- Does David worry about giving away too many opening secrets? GM Alex Khalifman, GM Hikaru Nakamura Thanks to David for a fun conversation! You can keep up with him via his website here: https://www.vigoritochess.com/ His book is available through Quality Chess and Forward Chess. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #2 : Talking Silman's Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman with Todd Kennedy [Chess Books Recaptured Series] Dec 20, 2019

We are back with another Chess Books Recaptured Bonus Pod. This month, we recap the classic chess improvement manual, Reassess Your Chess (4th Edition), by Jeremy Silman. To help me discuss the book, I enlisted the help of Todd Kennedy. Todd is an adult improver, as well as being a dad, husband, actuary, chess player and chess fan. For lots more details of what we discussed, please keep reading. If you aren’t seeing hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/12/20/bonus-pod-discussing-reassess-your-chess-with-todd-kennedy-chess-books-recaptured-series 0:00- My guest go-host, Todd Kennedy, shares a bit about his life and his chess background, and discusses why Reassess Your Chess is a favorite book of his. Mentioned:Robert Katende initiative , Chess Books Recapured Episode #1- Recapping The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal with NM Sam Copeland 12:00- I share a couple reflections and observations about the impact of Reassess Your Chess, from prior guests of the show, IM Sagar Shah , and IM Cyrus Lakdawala, and we discuss some biographical details about IM Silman. Mentioned: Chess Historian Edward Winter’s post on Chess book sales, Amazon’s Best Selling Chess Books 22:50- To order or find out more about the Chess World Championship Mugs go to Chessmugs.com, if you decide to purchase them, you can save 15% if you use the discount code “perpetualchess” 23:40- We dive into the book, beginning with Todd’s reading the first sentence, and a discussion of the structure of the book and our favorite chapters. Here are the imbalances Silman covers in the book: Superior minor piece, pawn structure, space, material, control of a key file, control of a weak square, lead in development, initiative, king safety, and statics vs. dynamics. 30:45- We take turns reading and discussing our 3 favorite quotes from the book. 40:00- We each pick some favorite games from the book. Mentioned: Volokitin-Delchev 2004 (p. 292), Catig-Mills (p.266), Karpov-Yusopov 1993 (p.304) Read Silman’s chess.com follow up post about the Micky Mills game here: https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-greatest-amateur-game-of-all-time 45:00- We discuss our primary takeaways for chess improvement from the book. Mentioned: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Chesssentials.com, Adrien Demuth’s Chess24 London Course 53:00- How useful is this book for chess improvement? 56:00- Do we have any quibbles with the book? Mentioned: Forward Chess, The Anand Files, E-plus Chessbooks App, Chessify 1:02- Thanks to Todd for his great work recapping Reassess Your Chess. Keep up with Todd on chess.com here. Puzzle #1- from Reassess Your Chess, page 45, 4th edition, guessing 1400 level White: King on h1, Pawn on a4, Bishop on a2 Black: King on g7, knight on d8 White to move and win Puzzle #2- guessing 2200 level? From Pocket Training Chess Book #2 by GM Lev Alburt and Al Lawrence White- King on c1, Pawn on h6, Bishop on B8 Black- King on h4, Pawn on e5, Bishop on d4 White to move and win Puzzle 1 diagram- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=DWzguclcWL54tXH/y4uoLZSjPnXil4VrnRc9nw6Pwx236uPtOR9MB2rkUtOgTFx0 Puzzle #1 solution- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=vtSdUaXGfpaq288H+oQuaqvfRskiXpy6usEDJSql9756jJOQ3m42yfi3CQzsPNX0 Puzzle #2- diagram https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=BcSBW9vQ+bcalu1mUPqQn2PyRbyr6tB0bCy0NNlS+lYHdnwittsLQiizALPVuLZU Puzzle 2 Solution- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=LzHwAYecjcalMYqO3gXPmG7P4jGgTuwNoRPpfVJx3yxmgHL29PQar08eHyb6Eu9w If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.156 - FM Michiel Abeln Dec 16, 2019

In addition to his day job, in which he maintains a senior leadership role at Shell Oil, FM Michiel Abeln is a chess trainer and a chess journalist. Late this year, he and Quality Chess Publishing released his book, The Anand Files: The World Championship Story 2008-2012. It is an incredible book, which goes deep into the ups and downs, games, opening theory, and most of all, the emotions of GM Viswanathan Anand’s team during the 2008, 2010 and 2012 world championship matches. In our conversation, Michiel takes us from the nervous beginnings of this project, through to many of the interesting details he learned and decisions he made in terms of how to structure the book. Please read on for more details and timestamps. If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks on your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/12/16/episode-156-fm-michiel-abeln 0:00- We dive right into the Anand files, as Michiel discusses why he decided to donate the proceeds of The Anand Files to charity. Michiel also tells the fascinating story of how this project came into existence. Mentioned: Eric Van Reem, Cathy Rogers, GM Vladimir Kramik, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Radoslaw Wojtasek 18:30- Why did Michiel decide to delve so deeply into opening analysis in his book? Mentioned: IM Sagar Shah’s interview with Michiel Abeln, GM Veselin Topalov 23:00- For more info on the strong chess robot Square Off! Order now atsquareoffnow.com and enter online coupon code SCHACH for 20 percent reduction! If you are in Cologne, you can visit the intercultural chess club: Satranç Club 2000 in Cologne (satranc2000.de , Mail: satrancclub2000@gmx.de ) 24:00- How did Michiel keep up with all of the opening theory shared in the book? Mentioned: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, The Meran 29:30- Friend and Patreon supporter of the podcast John Hartmann wonders what sort of preparation work was done, aside from opening work, if any? Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, The Sicilian Dragon, To see IM Sagar Shah’s excellent “Anand quizzes” with various elite players, go here, The Slav, 2012 World Championship between Gm Boris Gelfand and Anand 44:00- I ask Michiel a question posed by IM Gary Lane in the Facebook Chess Book Collectors Group, “Do World Championship teams try to find out which GMs are helping the opposing teams?” Mentioned: GM Wojtasek, GM Ganguly, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Sergei Rublevsky, GM Danil Dubov 53:00- Will there be a Forward Chess or Chessable version of The Anand Files? Mentioned: Hugh Jordan, Michiel Abeln’s Philidor article in the 2006 New in Chess Yearbook 58:00- A Patreon supporter asks what lessons from Anand’s team can be applied away from the chessboard? 1:08- Nicolas Noel asks, what can club players learn from this book? Anand-Kramnik Game 6, 2008, Bonn 1:11- Where will Michiel donate the proceeds of the book sales? Mentioned: Mark Crowther of The Week in Chess 1:15- In closing, we discuss the state of Michiel’s own chess game and have a brief discussion of chess books. Mentioned: Mig Greengard’s chess blog, Brian Karen, Mark Dvoretsky’s books, Bent Larsen’s Best Games, My Great Predecessors, Max Euwe’s books, From London to Elista 1:26- Thanks again to Michiel Abeln for the fantastic book and interview. You can email him here, or keep him with him via his Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.155 - Elizabeth Spiegel Dec 10, 2019

Elizabeth Spiegel is a USCF expert who played in the US Championship in 2006 and the US Women’s Championship in 2007. Of course, her greatest accomplishments have come in the realm of coaching, as she is an award winning and renowned scholastic coach, as well as a New York Public City School teacher. Elizabeth has been a guiding force for the incredibly successful Junior High School chess program at IS-318 in Brooklyn. The students at IS 318 have amassed 57 National Championship Titles (!!), and the program was featured in the award-winning, outstanding 2012 documentary, Brooklyn Castle. Elizabeth was honored as the 2019 Chess Educator of the Year by University of Texas at Dallas, and her teaching was also memorably featured in the excellent book, How Children Succeed. In our conversation, Elizabeth shared tons of insights from her experiences as a chess teacher, and parent. We also talked about ways to further popularize chess, and a bit of US Chess politics, as Elizabeth voiced her frustration about some recent rule changes relating to age groupings at US Chess Scholastic Nationals. Please read on, as always for more details. If you are not seeing any embedded hyperlinks in the episode description, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/12/10/episode-155-elizabeth-spiegel 0:00- We begin by talking about the chess activity in Elizabeth’s own household. Wiith chess-obsessed 12 and 6 yr old’s living under her roof, she sees a lot of chess learning first hand. Mentioned: FM Mike Klein of Chesskid (aka FunMasterMike), Chessable, The Steps Method 13:50- How much is it appropriate for typical scholastic players and club level players and study openings? Mentioned: Elizabeth’s 2019 Chess Educator of the Year Acceptance Speech, FM Justus Williams, NM James Black, FM Donny Ariel 19:30- 2 Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess submit questions for Elizabeth asking for some teach tips.1) How to motivate students to do chess puzzles? 2) How to manage classes with disparate skill levels? Mentioned: The great chess Books for kids by Jeff Coakley 25:00- How has Elizabeth’s teaching changed since Brooklyn Castle was released in 2012?IS 318 Web Site Mentioned: IS 318 Vice-Principal John Galvin, Facebook Chess Teacher’s Forum, Katie Dellamaggiore (Director of Brooklyn Castle), John Hamm of Mad Men 32:00- To check out the World Championship chess mugs, go toChessmugs.com. If you decide to buy a set of mugs, use the code “perpetualchess” at checkout to save 15%. 33:00- Elizabeth shares a few more book recommendations. Mentioned: Mastering Chess Strategy, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Chess School: The Manual of Chess Combinations. More of Elizabeth’s favorite books for teaching can be found here and here. 37:00- How could chess be better marketed? Elizabeth thinks there should be more titles in scholastic chess, and that chess could be better marketed to autistic students. Mentioned: IM Cyrus Lakdawala 45:00- As Elizabeth details on her blog, in 2019 the US Chess Scholastic Committee changed the rules regarding which grade levels are eligible for Junior High Nationals prizes. Despite the fact that most schools labeled “Junior High” in the U.S. go up to 8th grade, the US scholastic Nationals allows 9th graders to compete for Junior High prizes as well. As Elizabeth explains, this primarily benefits private schools and magnet schools, at the expense of more traditional junior highs, such as, IS 318. A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks for Elizabeth’s thoughts on this issue, as well as whether it may have effected her winning the 2019 Chess Educator of the Year prize from University of Texas at Dallas. Mentioned: Elizabeth’s blog, FM Sunil Weerumantry, WIM Beatriz Marinello, J.J Lang’s Perpetual Chess Interview 1:03- We discuss Elizabeth’s developing thoughts on chess parenting. Mentioned: GM Jonathan Rowson’s All the Moves that Matter , Elizabeth’s beginner curriculum is available for download here, Elizabeth’s “pin and skewer puzzle” here- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=Ohq5ew6aMX8jfa/9PpWEh02Z/+kYuDvPO6m93orqYYhrxTLkgkYoQifCP5/kltL7 Solution here- https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=9X/QHzGoTQrE3QVL9browbeYG4G76LfpL8sT73650khNCeYFbxN1wTRYJhcptlP0 1:09- Thanks to Elizabeth for joining us! You can keep up with her via Facebook and her blog. If you would like to help support the kids at IS 318, you can do so here: https://t.co/YUUvGHIl1L?amp=1 If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.154 - GM Larry Kaufman Dec 03, 2019

Among his many chess distinctions, GM Larry Kaufman was the 2008 World Senior Chess Champion. He is also quite accomplished as a chess author, and a developer of chess engines. He helped to develop many renowned chess engines over the years, and currently works on Komodo with its co-creator Mark Lefler. When he sits down to write a chess book, GM Kaufman puts his vast knowledge of chess engines to good use. His new work, Kaufman’s New Repertoire for Black and White is filled with fresh opening ideas and its moves have been vetted by multiple 3500+ elo engines. In addition to discussing chess engines generally, and GM Kaufman’s new book in particular, we had some other fascinating topics to discuss. For one thing, GM Kaufman was the best non-Japanese born Shogi player in the world for many years. For another, his son, Raymond Kaufman has also ascended to the level of International Master. Please sit back and enjoy GM Kaufman talk about his illustrious career and share some great stories. As always, more details and timestamps can be found below. (If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks on your podcast app, you can find them at the podcast website here:) https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/12/3/episode-154-gm-larry-kaufman 0:00- We begin by discussing GM Larry Kaufman’s new/forthcoming book, New Repertoire for Black and White. Our conversation starts with GM Kaufman’s providing some details about which engines and computers he used for his research of openings for this book. Mentioned: LcZero, Komodo MCTS, NM Jeremy Kane, FM Larry Gilden, Chessbase’s Fat Fritz, GM Fabiano Caruana, Keep it Simple 1. e4 16:30- We transition to discussing some of the broader conclusions from GM Kaufman’s engine work. Is White getting an advantage? If so, with which openings, and how big is the edge? Mentioned: The Grunfeld, The Nimzo-Indian, The Spanish, The Ruy Lopez, The Tarrasch French 27:30- Larry fields a few questions from a Patreon supporter of the podcast, Han Schut, relating to which modern engine is the strongest, and whether his new book will be published on Chessable? Mentioned: Stockfish, New in Chess Publishing, Sabotage the Grunfeld by GM Larry Kaufman 33:30- Larry explains the nature of the partnership between Komodo and Chess.com 36:00- To check out the World Championship chess mugs, go to Chessmugs.com. If you decide to buy a set of mugs, use the code “perpetualchess” at checkout to save 15%. 37:30- As a 72 year old chess player who has remained active for decades, what advice does Larry have for other adult chess players? How should we be utilizing chess engines? How is Larry’s chess game aging? 47:30- Larry tells some fun stories about some well-known chess players of the past and present. . Mentioned: Harold Phillips, Wilhelm Steinitz, GM John Fedorwicz, GM Bobby Fischer 57:30- We discuss GM Kaufman’s groundbreaking research on how to assign point values to chess pieces. Mentioned: IM Erik Kislik, NM Dan Heisman, The Evolution of Material Imbalances (by GM Larry Kaufman). Here are Larry’s more accurate point values for chess pieces: Pawn= 1, Bishop = 3.5 Knight = 3.5, Bishop pair = 7.5, Rook = 5.25, Queen = 10 1:05- Supporter of the podcast Peter Newhall writes in to ask GM Kaufman some salient questions about the differences between shogi and chess. Mentioned: Toshiyuki Moriuchi, IM Jack Peters, GM Jonathan Rowson’s The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, The Art of Shogi by Tony Hosking 1:19- Larry shares his experiences as a chess parent. His son is IM Raymond Kaufman. Mentioned: GM Arthur Bisguier 1:24- Thanks to Larry for sharing his wisdom and stories. Keep up with him via the Facebook Komodo group or his Chess.com account. Pre-order his book from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Kaufmans-Repertoire-Black-White-User-Friendly-ebook/dp/B07ZQT4NVH/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kaufman+chess&qid=1575310518&s=books&sr=1-1 or get it from Forward Chess (available now) here: https://forwardchess.com/product/kaufman's-new-repertoire-for-black-and-white?sscid=91k3_fazxa If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: ttps://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.153 - IM Christof Sielecki returns Nov 26, 2019

IM Christof Sielecki is a popular YouTube presenter and an award-winning chess author. He has published 9 courses for Chessable, and his book, Keep it Simple, 1. e4 won the 2018 Chesspub Book of the Year. Christof talked with me a few days after releasing his latest Chessable course, Fight like Magnus: The Sicilian and a few years after his first visit to to Perpetual Chess. We talked in detail about Christof’s newest course, but also caught up on chess books, chess improvement and lots of other stuff. Please keep reading for timestamps, more details and hyperlinks. (If you are not seeing hyperlinks on your podcast app, you can find them at the Perpetual Chess webpage here :https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/11/26/episode-153-im-christof-sielecki-returns 0:00- The next Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured will actually be released on December 20. Keep up with the project here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/recaptured 3:00- We dive right into Christof’s great new Chessable course, Fight Like Magnus. Topics include Christof’s research methods, and how he went about sharing it with GM Magnus Carlsen and his trainer, GM Peter Heine Nielsen. Mentioned: Christof’s Chessable Course Keep it Simple 1.d4, The Wing Gambit, Leela Zero, Stockfish, The Najdorf Sicilian , IM Greg Shahade, The Sicilian Rossolimo Variation , Svidler-Carlsen Greinke 2019, AlphaZero 23:30- Fellow Chessable author (and recent guest on Perpetual Chess), Han Schut, writes in to ask Christof some questions relating to the Quickstarter Guide in his course, Short and Sweet: The Magnus Sicilian. 34:00- What kind of feedback did Christof get from GM Magnus Carlsen and his second, GM Peter Heine Nielsen on his Sicilian course? Check out Chessable’s free short and sweet Magnus course by clicking here: https://www.chessable.com/sicilian/?utm_expid=.Z4IcSo2-T1qBINX0FGr-jA.0&utm_referrer= Check out Chessable’s ongoing Black Friday sale, here. https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ 38:00- Another Patreon supporter of the podcast, writes in to ask what IM Sielecki thinks of the future role of paper chess books, as opposed to digital chess books? In this segment, Christof also shares a few chess book recommendations. Mentioned: Positional Decision Making in Chess, Grandmaster Repertoire 1. e4 , Playing 1.e4: French Defense and Sicilian Sidelines , Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Shereshevsky, Game Changer 59:45- What Perpetual Chess episodes has IM Sielecki most enjoyed? Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Interviews:GM Vladimir Tukmakov, GM Gata Kamsky, Megan Chen 1:04- In what way does Christof think chess books have improved in recent years? Mentioned: Ulf Andersson-Huebner 1981, From Amateur to IM, Botvinnik-Capablanca Avro 1938, Small Steps to Giant Improvement, Small Steps to Success (on Chessable) , Endgame Virtuoso: Magnus Carlsen, Karpov’s Strategic Wins 1:15- If you are focused on studying endgames, is it better to study the endgame greats, or to learn specific endgames like the Lucena position, etc.? 1:18- What was it like to announce a chess event with the legendary GM, Artur Yusopov? Mentioned: Tarjei Svensen, 1:30- Goodbye! You can keep up with IM Sielecki via his webpage here: http://www.chessexplained.com/ If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.152 - GM Adrien Demuth Nov 19, 2019

GM Adrien Demuth is a 28 year old chess trainer, author and competitor. Adrien has worked as a trainer for the French National Team at Olympiads, and due to his own performance over the board, he recently qualified to play in next year’s French Closed Championship. He has published two opening books with Thinkers Publishing, The Modernized Reti, and The Modernized Dutch and also created a course on the London System for Chess24. In our conversation, we discussed all of these openings, and also touched on Adrien’s career highlights and interests away from the board. Please read on for more details, timestamps and links. (If hyperlinks aren’t showing up in your podcast feed, go to the podcast webpage to see them: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/11/19/episode-152-gm-adrien-demuth ) 0:00- We begin by discussing a recent tournament in which Adrien played. He tied for first in the “Accession” section of the French championship, which qualifies him to play in next year’s closed French Championship. Mentioned: 2019 French Chess Championship 9:30- Adrien discusses the current state of chess in France, as well as giving some historical perspective. Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Anatoly Vaisser, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, 13:00- We dive into Adrien’s recent publications on openings, these include The Modernized Reti, The Modernized Dutch and a Chess24 course on the London System. 16:00- We discuss one of Adrien’s career highlights, a victory over former World Champion Viswanathan Anand in 2016. Mentioned: Anand-Demuth 2016, GM Richard Rapport, Rapport-Demuth 2016, Grande-Zuniga-Demuth 2014 26:00- We return to the topic of Adrien’s opening publications. Which is a better choice for club players- the Reti or the London? Mentioned: GM Josif Dorfman, Gledura-Demuth 2019, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Fabiano Caruana, The Stonewall Dutch, The Leningrad Dutch, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Hikaru Nakamura 40:00 GM Demuth shares improvement advice that he often gives to his students. Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, Silman’s Endgame Course, Practical Endgame Play by Glenn Flear, Chess Calculation Training , Lichess Tactics Trainer , Greatest 460 Puzzles by Csaba Balogh 48:30- Adrien grew up partially in Tahiti, a tropical paradise. What’s it like to play chess there? Where else has he enjoyed playing chess? Mentioned: Fahim: The Little Chess Prince Thanks to GM Adrien DeMuth for coming on the show- you can keep up with him on Facebook. Find his books here: Modernized Dutch from Thinker’s Publishing Modernized Reti from Thinker’s Publishing Modernized Dutch on Amazon Modernized Dutch on Forward Chess Modernized Reti on Amazon Modernized Reti on Forward Chess Chess 24 Course on the London System If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Book Recap #1: The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal with NM Sam Copeland [Chess Books Recaptured Series] Nov 15, 2019

It is my great pleasure to announce a new monthly podcast project, called Perpetual Chess: Chess Books Recaptured. This series will be on the same podcast feed as “regular” Perpetual Chess, and on the show, we will reflect upon and synthesize classic chess books! We will try to place the book in historical context, give a few favorite quotes from the book and and offer some chess improvement takeaways. We will even drop a couple of chess blindfold puzzles at the end! This series will feature a rotating cast of guest co-hosts, and this month I am happy that USCF Master Sam Copeland of Chess.com is hosting with me to discuss one of everyone’s favorite chess books, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal. Please check it out and then let me know what you think, whether via email, The Perpetual Chess Facebook Group or Twitter. Show notes, timestamps and links below, as always. I hope you like it! Note- if you are not seeing hyperlinks, you can find them at the podcast website: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/11/15/bonus-pod-bonus-pod-discussing-the-life-and-games-of-mikhail-tal-with-nm-sam-copeland-chess-books-recaptured-series 0:00- My somewhat rambling introduction of the vision for Perpetual Chess: Chess Books Recaptured. Mentioned: The Overdue Podcast, Animal Spirits: Re-Kindled, The Ringer: Rewatchables, Affiliate links: If you buy a Forward Chess book using this link, or an amazon product using this link, it helps support the podcast without costing you any additional money. The same is true if you sign up for a chess.com premium account (as you should) using this link. 4:15- This month’s guest co-host, Sam Copeland joins the conversation Mentioned: GM Murray Chandler, IM Jeremy Silman’s Review of The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal 7:30- About the authors, Mikhail Tal, Iakov Damsky Mentioned: Kramnik: My Life and Games, The Art of Defense in Chess, Chess Brilliancy, Ken Neat (translator), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Fire on Board 13:30- We jump into the meat of The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, commencing with Sam's reading the opening quote of the book and recalling a few other favorite quotes and games. Mentioned: Alexander Koblencs 28:00- We add in a bit more color of lessons drawn from GM Genna Sosonko’s The World Champions I Knew and Tal-Botvinnik 1960. 32:30- We select a few favorite games from the book. Mentioned: Botvinnik Tal 1960, Game 6 , Tal’s Most Famous Quote, Donner-Tal 1961, Capablanca, Alekhine, Smyslov-Tal 1964, John Nunn, Chess.com’s CAPS System, Dr. Kenneth Regan 41:30- Chess improvement takeaways: This book can increase your love of chess, which is ultimately indispensable if you want to improve. Chess is a game between humans- initiative in a game can be more important than objective truth Play openings that suit your style and get you excited to play. Mentioned: The Benoni Defense 51:00- Quibbles. I mentioned the lack of quality e-book for this book- I am happy to report that Everyman Chess has now informed that The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal is coming soon to Chessable and Forward Chess! Mentioned: Sam’s excellent video recap of Tal vs. Flesch 1981, The Magic of Mikhail Tal, Checkmate: The Love Story of Mikhail Tal and Sally Landau 57:00- Thanks so much to Sam Copeland for all of his work on this project! Keep up with him via-Chess.com blog, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch. Here is the home page for Perpetual Chess Chess Books Recaptured. To apply to be a co-host fill out this form. If you would like to help support this project, and Perpetual Chess generally, go here. Email Ben here. 1:01- Blindfold puzzles! To see the puzzles and answers click here (answers may be visible upon clicking): Puzzle #1: White K on f4, White R on c5, White pawn on b6. Black pawn on b2 Black K on a6. White to move and win. Puzzle 1 diagram (adapted from IM Kostya Kavutskiy's twitter feed) Puzzle #2: White to move and mate in two: White Q on b5, White N on f5, White K on c1. Black K on c3. Puzzle 2 diagram (adapted from Step Workbook 4 of the Steps Series) Last chance to find out more and/or support the “Square Off Chess robot” Kickstarter project , check it out here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.151 - JJ Lang (Adult Improver Series) Nov 12, 2019

Jonathan “JJ” Lang is a Chicago-based 28 year old Philosophy grad student, chess player and chess teacher. In July 2018, JJ returned to tournament chess after a 7 year hiatus. In the following 17 months, he has taken his rating from 1798 to a high of 2106!! How has he done it? Can it be easily replicated? Tune in to hear all of JJ’s reflections on the keys to his rapid improvement. Timestamps, links and more details can be found below (or if the links aren't showing up, check for them at PerpetualChessPod.com) Enjoy! 0:00- We dive right into JJ’s chess background. What brought him back from a 10 year hiatus from tournament chess? To which factors does he attribute his impressive success? Mentioned: Marshall Chess Club, JJ’s coach, WGM Adriana Nikolova, Charlotte Chess Center, FM Peter Giannatos 14:00- A few of the secrets of JJ’s success include: 1) Play in tournaments as frequently as possible 2) Address your biggest weaknesses (openings in his case). In this segment JJ expounds on these lessons. 19:00- JJ reveals a good rule of thumb for when to calculate in faster time control games, and we discuss JJ’s approach to different time controls generally. Mentioned: Nathan Kelly, Chicago Chess Blitzers, National Blitz League, Stephen Jennings, Tom Murphy 33:45- Back to openings! How did JJ fix his opening repertoire? Mentioned: Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios, Listen to GM Flores' Perpetual Chess Interview here 40:00- How did JJ allocate his chess study time, and what would he recommend for others? JJ has a unique approach to studying openings that could be helpful for many. Mentioned: GM Ding Liren, FM Kamil Plichta, Jay Bonin, Rubinstein-Janowski 1907 (30… Qb8!) 47:30- How does JJ recommend tweaking his approach to study for lower rated players? This includes some tactics books recommendations for the 1500-1800 level. Magnus Carlsen’s explanation for the move he missed vs. GM Matlakov can be found within this recap by Peter Doggers of Chess.com Mentioned: ChessTempo, Chess.com tactics trainer, Chess Tactics for Champions by Susan Polgar, Chess by Laszlo Polgar, LiChess, Chess Calculation Training by GM Romain Edouard, Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation by Jacob Aagard, Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, Carlsen-Matlakov 2019, Tactics Time by Tim Brennan, Winning Chess Exercise for Kids by Jeff Coakley, The Steps Series, Can You be a Positional Chess Genius by Angus Dunnington, Practical Chess Exercises by Ray Zheng 1:05- We talk a bit how JJ’s approach to playing has changed since he moved to Chicago, and what tournaments he is planning. Mentioned: Chicago Class Tournament, Amateur Team Midwest, Adia Onyango 1:10- We go back to discussing JJ’s opinion on how to allocate one’s study time. Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, NM William Aramil of Dynamic Chess, 100 Endgames You Must Know on Chessable, GM Jan Gustafsson, Christopher Chabris, Prior Adult Improver Interview with Jason Cigan, My Great Predecessors on Chessable 1:23- JJ gets philosophical (as is his wont) about why he quit chess and why he came back. 1:34- We wrap up with JJ’s contact info. Find him on Facebook, chess.com or contact him via email If you would like to find out more and/or support the “Square Off Chess robot” Kickstarter project that I mentioned at the top of the show, check it out here. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.150 - GM Jonathan Rowson Nov 05, 2019

GM Jonathan Rowson is a philosopher, a researcher, the 3-time British Chess Champion, and an acclaimed chess author. Many chess fans will be familiar with his classic books, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, and Chess for Zebras. Today GM Rowson joins me to discuss his eagerly anticipated new book, The Moves that Matter: A Chess Grandmaster on the Game of Life . In our conversation, GM Rowson shares some of the memories and life lessons that chess has provided him, and he helps us contextualize the contributions that chess can make to society at large. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- GM Rowson discusses the genesis of and themes of his new book, which has been 13 years in the making! As Jonathan tells us, his new book is primarily about what chess has taught him about life. 9:30- One of my favorite themes of Jonathan’s new book, is that chess is a pretext for concentration, which is a “precious experience.” In this segment Jonathan expounds on this idea. 15:30- Jonathan’s 10 year-old son has recently become interested in competitive chess. How does he approach chess parenting? Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand 20:00- GM Rowson reflects on his experiences working on GM Anand’s team during the 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship match. Mentioned: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, Bobby Knight 27:30- Now that he has stepped away from competitive chess, what is GM Rowson’s current relationship with the chess world? Mentioned: McShane-Caruana 2019, Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Alex Baburin, GM Lev Psakhis, GM Alexander Grischuk 34:00- Jonathan discusses his day to day work at the research institute that he co-founded, called Perspectiva. One of the primary issues that his institute tackles is the challenge posed by climate change. Mentioned: Royal Society of the Arts, Tomas Björkman 43:00- What is GM Rowson’s view of the proper role of chess in schools and in education? 49:00- Good news, audio chess content fans! There will be an audiobook forthcoming for The Moves that Matter. GM Rowson talks about the experience of doing the voice work for his own book. The audiobook will be available on November 14. 55:00- A supporter of the podcast asks GM Rowson about whether or not there will ever be an update or electronic version of his classic opening book, Understanding the Grunfeld. Mentioned: Han Schut 57:00- In closing, GM Rowson tells a story of a crucial realization that he had during a memorable game with GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov. Mentioned: Kasimdzhanov-Rowson 2000, GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Vishy Anand, GM Luke McShane, GM Levon Aronian, GM Nigel Short, GM Matthew Sadler, GM Mickey Adams, GM Magnus Carlsen Thanks to GM Rowson for coming on the show, you can order his book here, and keep up with him on twitter here. To hear more from GM Rowson, check out his interview with "On Being with Krista Tippett" podcast here. If you would like to find out more and/or support the “Square Off Chess robot” Kickstarter project that I mentioned at the top of the show, check it out here. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.149 - GM Robert Hungaski Oct 29, 2019

GM Robert Hungaski is an Argentina-based, American chess player who has been making a name for himself as a trainer and presenter. In his work as a coach, he is a certified FIDE Senior trainer who often works with US Chess World Youth teams. Robert has been a resident GM at the Saint Louis Chess Club several times, and most importantly for our purposes, he is a down to earth and funny guy with lots of good chess advice and stories! Please read on for timestamps, details and relevant links. 0:00- Intro- We discuss what Robert’s day to day life is like. Robert also goes into some detail about he earned the FIDE Senior Trainer and FIDE arbiter titles. Mentioned: St. Louis Chess Club, FIDE Arbiter Title 9:00- What does Robert notice amongst the top World Youth players he works with? Mentioned: Aren Emrikian, GM Mesgen Amanov , Zurich 1953, My System, Small Steps to Giant Chess Improvement, The Woodpecker Method 18:00- We discuss the tendencies of the modern chess elite to violate what were once considered sturdy chess principles. This is illustrated in two recent Magnus Carlsen games. Mentioned: Carlsen-Caruana 2019, Carlsen-So 2019, Botvinnik’s 100 Selected Games 22:30- With limited time to compete these days, how does Robert choose his chess tournaments? Does he play for both the US and Argentina? Mentioned: American Continental Chess Championship, US Open Chess Tournament , FIDE World Cup 30:00- Why are a lot of primarily online American Chess Trainers relocating outside of the US? Mentioned: GM Gata Kamsky, IM Bill Paschall 31:45- Mar del Plata, Argentina is a famous chess location due to a historic tournament and epononymous chess opening. What can Robert tell us from having played there? Mentioned: King’s Indian Defense Mar del Plata Variation, Mar del Plata Chess Tournament 36:00 When and how did Robert meet legendary Danish GM Bent Larsen? Mentioned: GM Miguel Najdorf, GM Bent Larsen 37:30- Robert says he was a terrible scholastic player and many people urged him to quit. Is this true? What motivated him to work to become stronger? 41:30- When he lived in New York, Robert worked with legendary GM William Lombardy. What helpful advice did GM Lombardy give when Robert hit a lengthy rating plateau? In this segment Robert gives some great insight on how to take a big picture approach to analyzing one’s chess games. Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Rafael Leitao, Chess Steps Method 51:30- Book recommendations!The Books of IM Jeremy Silman, Chess Middlegames by Laszlo Polgar, The Anthology of Chess Combinations, Chess Strategy for Club Players, Dvoretsky Books, Positional Play, Winning Pawn Structures, The Middlegame- Book 1,GM Jonathan Rowson’s Books 57:00- Was Robert a good student in High School? What did he learn from chess? Mentioned: The Moves that Matter by GM Jonathan Rowson 1:05- In the 2000’s Robert played some blitz matches with IM Greg Shahade, some of which can still be found on Youtube.. How did those go? Mentioned: Jenn Shahade , IM Lawrence Trent vs. IM Greg Shahade grudge match, GM Hikaru Nakamura 1:11- Robert tells some stories about meeting former World Champion, GM Anatoly Karpov and playing him in a simul. Here are a few of Robert’s favorite Karpov games:Karpov-Yusopov 1988, Karpov-Lautier 1992, Korchnoi-Karpov 1981 Game 9 1:15- One more hilarious GM Lombardy story that has nothing to with chess. :) 1:18- Goodbye! Contact Robert via his website. Follow him on Twitter. You can also purchase some lessons of his on ChessLecture.com. Here a couple of my favorite of his YouTube lectures: The Resurgence of Romantic Chess, My Greatest Losses If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.148 - FM Kamil Plichta Oct 22, 2019

FM Kamil Plichta is a popular Chessable author, a chess trainer, and something of a rapid and blitz specialist. His strength at fast time controls is borne out by the the fact that he recently finished 3rd at the Polish Rapid Championship, and that he has won online blitz games against the likes of Nakamura and Artemiev. In our wide ranging chess talk, we hit topics ranging from how to tailor your game for a specific opponent, to blitz and time trouble tips, to how much time one should spend studying openings. As always, please read on for more details, hyperlinks and timestamps. 0:00- Intro. We begin by discussing Kamil’s recent success at the Polish Rapid Championship, where he finished 3rd overall, ahead of notable Grandmasters like GM Michail Krasenkow and GM Kacper Piorun. Mentioned: GM Bassem Amin 13:10- We transition to discussing how Kamil chooses his opening repertoire and designs his Chessable courses. Kamil also dispenses advice about how much time chess players should devote to studying openings at different ratings levels. Mentioned: GM Simon Williams, Break the Rules, Play the Trompowsky, Erwin’s Opening Lab, the Dubov Tarrasch, GM Danil Dubov 19:00- What makes Kamil so strong at blitz, and what blitz advice can he give to listeners? Mentioned: Hikaru Nakamura 27:00- We discuss some of Kamil’s other chess related work, including a business he is starting in Poland, and some other business plans of his. 32:00- Kamil delves into the background of how he was able to successfully pitch a course to Chessable Mentioned: Video intro’s by Kamil for his courses on the King’s Indian Attack, and The Trompowsky 43:00- I ask Kamil some follow up questions based on his excellent interview with Vjekoslav Nemec of Chessentials. I was particularly interested in hearing Kamil’s thoughts about his psychological approach to each chess game. Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Cyrus Lakdawala 59:00- How does Kamil approach coaching individual students? What mistakes does he often see? Mentioned: Kamil’s LiChess Coaching Page 1:05- Is it better to work on improving your strengths or your weaknesses? How should you play against a time trouble addict? 1:12- We get another fresh book recommendation! Why does Kamil love the book, Your Opponent is Overrated by FM James Schuyler? 1:14- A question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Kamil why chess players are often drawn to poker and vice versa? Kamil answers the question, and also delves into his years as a poker pro. 1:21- Switching back to chess, Kamil dispenses some important advice for those looking to improve at chess. 1:26- Uh oh, more poker talk.😉 What variant of poker did Kamil play? Mentioned: Sit and Go Poker Tournaments, IM Greg Shahade 1:30- Kamil turns the tables and asks me about the origins of Perpetual Chess and who my dream guests would be. Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Jan Timman, GM Genna Sosonko, Lessons of a Grandmaster with GM Boris Gulko 1:35- Goodbye and contact info! You can contact Kamil via LiChess or follow him on twitter here. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.147 - GM Rafael Leitão Oct 15, 2019

GM Rafael Leitão is the highest rated Brazilian chess player and its 7 time National Champion. As a Scholastic Player, he won World Junior titles at two different ages, and he is also a Correspondence Chess GM! In addition, GM Leitão runs a successful online chess academy. As you may gather, we had much to talk about.😀 Our topics of conversation ranged across continents and generations of chess, with many great stories and recommendations for chess improvement. Please read on for more details, hyperlinks and timestamps. Enjoy! 0:00- We begin by discussing Rafael’s background a bit, how he got into chess and what the chess culture in Brazil is like. Mentioned: Fischer-Spassky 1972 , GM Peter Leko 10:30- We dive in to the first question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast. John Hartmann writes in to ask GM Rafael Leitão to share some memories of his interactions with the legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky. Mentioned: The Legacy of Mark Dvoretsky, GM Gilberto Milos, GM Jaime Sunye Neto, GM Peter Heine Neilsen 23:00- GM Leitão discusses the impact that legendary Brazilian GM Henrique Mecking has had in Brazil. Mentioned: GM Lev Polugaevsky, GM Viktor Korchnoi 28:30- Several supporters of the podcast write to ask GM Leitão about his popular article in which he discusses his choices for the Top 10 Chess Players of all time, and particularly about his choice of Bobby Fischer as the best ever. Mentioned: Magnus Carlsen’s comment on Kasparov vs. Fischer as the best ever, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Anish Giri, Paul Morphy, Russians vs. Fischer, GM Kasparov, GM Petrosian, GM Karpov, GM Mikail Tal, GM Vladimir Kramnik 44:30- We talk a bit of openings! A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks GM Leitão to compare the relative merits of the Sicilian Najdorf and the Sicilian Taimanov defenses. Mentioned: Ziska- Leitão 2018, Kulaots-Leitão 2018GM Evgeny Bareev on Perpetual Chess, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Samuel Reshevsky 52:00- What have been some of Rafael’s most memorable encounters with chess greats? Mentioned: Karpov, Anand, Kasparov, GM Gionvanni Vescovi 57:30- GM Leitão answers another listener question about his experiences with playing Correspondence Chess, and what he thinks about the future prospects for this version of the game. Mentioned: World Champion at the Third Attempt 1:02- GM Leitão discusses his chess academy, at https://rafaelleitao.com/ ,and shares some chess improvement advice. Mentioned: The Best Chess Books Ever Written, The 20 Chess Books That Helped Me Become a Grandmaster, Think Like a Grandmaster,Secrets of Grandmaster Chess, Lessons from a Grandmaster by Boris Gulko and Joel Sneed, Positional Decision Making in Chess , Capablaca-Yates, Capablanca-Janowski 1:15- Thanks to Rafael for joining the show! You can keep up with him and reach him via https://rafaelleitao.com/ If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.146 - GM Bassem Amin Oct 08, 2019

GM Bassem Amin is a 31 year old Super GM, who was the first Egyptian, Arab and African chess player to reach the rating of the 2700. Among many other titles, he has been the champion of Africa 5 times. As if that weren’t enough, GM Amin is also a medical doctor, but as the #38 ranked player in the world he his professional focus has been on playing chess in recent years. In our interview we discuss topics ranging from the FIDE World Cup, to the chess scene in Egypt and Africa to his chess study habits and advice. Please read on for timestamps, details and relevant links. Intro: A world cup trip report from GM Bassem Amin. He details the events that led to his unfortunate early exit, and discusses his opinions of the format and the nerves one may feel at such an important tournament. Mentioned: GM Amin Tabatabaei, GM Mikhailo Oleksienko, GM Nikita Vituigov Chess.com Isle of Man International, Chess24 Interview with GM Vituigov, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Vishy Anand, GM Ivanchuk, 21:00- Why did GM Amin choose to focus on chess as a profession? How popular is chess in Egypt? GM Vidit Gujrathi, 23:30- GM Amin discusses what it was like to experience and compete in the Grand Chess Tour in Africa at the 2019 Cote D’Ivoire Rapid and Blitz Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen , GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Ding Liren, GM Wei Yi, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, GM Vesilin Topalov 30:00- What is GM Amin’s study routine like? What were his study methods like as a top scholastic player in Egypt? Mentioned: Karpov Cup in France , GM Edvins Kengis, GM Ahmed Adly, GM Sergey Grigoriants, GM Mikhailo Oleksienko 38:00- What does Bassem consider to be his biggest career milestone? 41:30- What advice does Bassem have for adult improvers? 44:30- Goodbye! You can follow GM Bassem Amin’s progress via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.145 - WIM Beatriz Marinello Oct 01, 2019

WIM Beatriz Marinello is a Chilean-American chess player, educator and organizer. Beatriz was recently named the Director of the Chess Program at the Dalton School in New York City, and in the past few decades, she has also worked and volunteered in countless other capacities in the chess world. Beatriz was the first woman to be elected as President of the US Chess Federation and was also the first woman to be elected Vice President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). She is also one of the founders of and the President of Checkmating Dementia. Beatriz was very forthright about the good and bad that she has seen during her years in the chess world. Her experiences highlight the growth that the chess world has seen in recent years, but also show that there is still much more that can be done to promote and grow chess. Please read on for timestamps, links and a few more details. 0:00- We begin by discussing Beatriz’s roles on the FIDE Social Action Committee and as the Director of the Chess Program at The Dalton School Mentioned: David MacEnulty retires from his role as Director of the Dalton School, IM Josh Waitzkin,IM Kassa Korley, Charu Robinson, GM Maxim Dlugy, USCF Master Gus Huston 6:45- What was it like to grow up playing chess during the Pinochet regime in Chile? 11:00- Beatriz transitions to discussing her chess work in the US, including living in Miami, Las Vegas, and ultimately New York. Mentioned: Svetozar Jovanovic, PS 9, The Anderson School, Carmen Farina, Dr. Robert Ferguson, Castle Chess Camp, US Chess Federation 25:00- As Beatriz retells, she became the first female president of the US Chess Federation, only to discover that the organization faced serious financial difficulties. How were she and others able to help US Chess recover? Mentioned: Stan Booz, Sam Sloan 35:00- How did WIM Marinello end up becoming affiliated with FIDE? What was that experience like? Mentioned: FIDE Social Action Commission, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Former Fide President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov 47:00-A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks about Beatriz’ efforts to promote chess as a vehicle to fight dementia. Mentioned: Checkmating Dementia, Michael Glassman 1:04- Beatriz tells a funny Bobby Fischer story that she heard from a reliable friend of hers. Mentioned: Beatriz Marinello Interview with Chessbase, Dr. Leroy Dubeck, GM Tigran Petrosian 1:12- We talk a bit of chess improvement and chess books, and some of Beatriz’ favorite chess players and chess games. Mentioned: My Great Predecessors, GM Hou Yifan, Polgar-Berkes,Hou Yifan-David Navara 2016, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Antoaneta Stefanova, Jennifer Shahade, Kimberly Doo McVay 1:21- Goodbye! You can keep up with all of Beatriz’s initiatives via her Facebook page. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.144 - GM R.B. Ramesh Sep 24, 2019

Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh is the author of the highly regarded book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making, and was the 2002 British Chess Champion, but these days he is best known as one of the top chess trainers in the world! He has served as the coach of the Indian National Team many times, and in recent years has been the trainer of the teenage super-talent, GM Praggnanandhaa, among many others. In our conversation we talk about topics ranging from how Ramesh finds and keeps track of material for his students, to how to fight chess slumps, to a list of his many favorite chess books,plus lots more! Please tune in and read on for timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by discussing R.B. Ramesh’s current whereabouts. He is conducting a training camp for talented young Indian chess players with GM Vishal Sareen and IM Dejan Bojkov. Ramesh shares the sorts of material and themes he often emphasizes in these types of camps, including the advice he gives to students who get upset by losing games. In this segment Ramesh answer a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast about how trainers organize their teaching materials. Mentioned: Chessbase 15 21:30- Are there any traits GM Ramesh has noticed in his most accomplished students, such as GM Praggnanandhaa? 31:00- When GM Jacob Aagard was a guest on Perpetual Chess, he discussed an upcoming chess camp he would be teaching with GM Ramesh. GM Ramesh provides us with some details about the camp. Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland, GM Ivan Salgado Lopez, 34:00- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh for advice about how to think about and persevere during periods of stagnation in one’s chess development. 46:30- GM Ramesh talks about his own chess playing career, was he discouraged in the period when it took him 8 years to go from IM to GM? Mentioned: GM Anand, GM Sasrikan Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of GM Ramesh’s insightful 3 part 2017 interview with Niklesh Jain on Chessbase India 50:30- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh whether he thinks the competition amongst players in India is particularly fierce. From here we transition to a more general conversation about support for chess in India. Mentioned: IM Sagar Shah, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Harikrishna, IM Tania Sachdev , GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Aravind Chithambaram, GM Nihal Sarin gets an endorsement with a milk company, GM Koneru Humpy 1:01- Chess books! Get ready! No surprise that a renowned trainer like GM Ramesh has a long list of recommended books. :) Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games, Zurich International, The Art of Attack, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Judgement and Planning in Chess, Fire on Board, The Works of Mark Dvoretsky, The Works of GM Jacob Aagard, Secrets of Practical of Chess, Winning Pawn Structures (out of print), Think like a Grandmaster, Endgame Strategy, The Works of Boris Gelfand, Dynamic Chess Strategy, Theory and Practice of Chess Endings, Imagination in Chess, Perfect Your Chess, Its Only Me by Tony Miles, The Yusopov Series, Fundamental Chess Endings, Timman On the Attack,Creative Chess by Amatzia Avni, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall, 1:11- At his ChessGurukul Academy GM Ramesh sometimes teaches yoga and meditation to his students. How have they responded to it? Mentioned: The Grandmaster Diet: How to lose Weight While Barely Moving , GM Praggnanandhaa 1:15- We conclude with a brief discussion of GM Ramesh’s excellent book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making, and an exciting tease for another book project that GM Ramesh is planning. You can keep up with GM R.B. Ramesh via Facebook and Twitter. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.143 - IM John Donaldson Returns Sep 17, 2019

More than 2.5 years after our first interview it is once again an honor to talk chess with renowned chess author and historian IM John Donaldson. As we discuss, John has remained extremely busy despite recently retiring as Director of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in San Francisco. In addition to co-authoring acclaimed books about Bobby Fischer and Akiva Rubinstein, John is a member of the Samford Fellowship Committee and has served as the Captain of many U.S. Olympiad Teams. So as always, we had much to discuss! Please read on for many relevant links and timestamps. 0:00- Intro- We begin by discussing what is new with John's ongoing research related to his series of books about GM Bobby Fischer, written with IM Eric Tangborn. Mentioned: Bobby Fischer’s Final Years: A Memoir, GM William Lombardy, IM Anthony Saidy 11:30- When he retired from the Mechanics' Institute one of John’s goals was to play chess competitively more often. Has he been able to achieve this goal? Which older players inspire him? NM Han Schut, IM Anthony Saidy, USCF Master Viktors Pupols 20:00- John has been the captain of the U.S. Olympiad team many times, He explains the selection process for determining the next team for the U.S. Olympiad. Mentioned: Khanty-Mansiysk, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Sam Shankland, Jeffrey Xiong, Hikaru Nakamura 24:30- What is Samford Fellowship, and how do its recipients get selected? Mentioned: Allen Kaufman, Sam Sevian, Hikaru Nakamura, Awonder Liang, Joel Benjamin Wesley So, IM Christopher Yoo, 32:00- More Olympiad talk! Who will be the strongest teams in the next Open Chess Olympiad? What are John’s favorite Olympiad memories? Mentioned: 38th Chess Olympiad (2008), GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Pentala Harikrishna, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Gata Kamsy, GM Vassily Ivanchuk 44:00- Is drug testing necessary in chess? How thorough is the monitoring for computer assistance at the Olympiads? Mentioned: IM Kenneth Regan 49:00- We discuss John’s 2 volume work on legendary GM Akiva Rubinstein (co-written with IM Niklay Minev) , which is available on Forward Chess and Amazon. A Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess wonders if there is hope for a 3rd edition of the book and also asks John’s opinion on whether Peak Rubinstein could have beaten GM Emanuel Lasker for the World Championship. John did not dodge the question! Mentioned: Michael Negele, Positional Decision-Making in Chess, Dynamic Decision-Making in Chess 1:00:00- John shares some memories about notable recent passings in the chess world. This includes Fischer-era chess commentator Shelby Lyman, Chess Historian Dale Brandreth, and GM Pal Benko Mentioned: Steve Brandwein , Henry Kissinger, Karl Burger, IM Jack Peters, GM Michael Wilder, Albrecht Buschke, John Rather, Oscar Shapiro, USCF Master Fred Wilson 1:19:00- Has John read any standout chess books lately? Mentioned: Quality Chess, Chess Evolution, Thinkers Publisher, McFarland, Mongoose Press, New in Chess, Russell Enterprises, Everyman Press, Andy Soltis, 300 Most Important Chess Positions, The Survival Guide to Rook Endings, The Woodpecker Method , The King’s Indian According to Tigran Petrosian , Opening Simulator - King's Indian Defence, Perfect Your Chess , Learn From the Legends 1:36:00- John reviews the performance of the U.S. Teams at the 2019 World Team Championship. Mentioned: GM Darius Swiercz, GM Sam Sevian, GM Alex Onischuk, GM Alex Lenderman, GM Elshan Moriadiabadi, GM Melik Khachiyan, GM Alejandro Ramirez, Carissa Yip, Rochelle Wu, GM Zviad Izoria 1:41:00- Thanks to John for coming on! You can email him here. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.142 - USCF Master Han Schut (Adult Improver series) Sep 10, 2019

This week the Adult Improver series returns with another great guest. Fifty-five year-old USCF Master Han Schut is a Certified Chess Steps Trainer, a blogger, and a chess parent. His daughters Donna and Lisa were both top Dutch scholastic players, and Lisa is the youngest ever Dutch Women’s Champion. She won it at the age of 19. Han returned to competitive chess in 2013 and has since seen his rating steadily climb from 2120 to a recent high of 2270. Given the age and relatively high rating from which Han started, this is quite an accomplishment! How did he do it? What resources did he use? How does he combat Father Time? What do we need to know about the Steps Method? Tune in to find out. Timestamps and relevant links below: 0:00- Intro and discussion of the Steps Method. The Steps is a Dutch chess curriculum which is designed to take you from the Novice to the Master Level. You can order Steps books here. Han also asks some questions from Patreon supporters of the podcast relating to the qualifications for becoming a Certified Steps Trainer and how to “mine the data” of the LiChess Online database . Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Patreon Page, Rob Brunia, IM Cor van Wijgerden, GM Loek Van Wely, GM Erwin L’ami, Chess Tutor discs, LiChess Opening Explorer, Hiarcs Opening Book Subscription 30:00- We transition to talking about Han’s chess playing and chess improvement more generally. Han shares how he has managed to continue to improve into his 50s, and answers a few questions from supporters of the podcast about how to budget one’s chess study time. Mentioned: Chess Steps, Step 3 Books, 100 Endgames You Must Know (Chessable version), Perfect Your Chess, Chess Structures, Keep it Simple 1. D4 (Chessable Course) . Grandmaster Repetoire 1. e4 , 1. d4 : Dynamic Systems, Game Changer, Chess for Life, Vladimir Chuchelov, Alex King, IM Ali Mortazavi, Fred Wilson 1:04- Han retells a great story from his blog relating to former World Champion, GM Boris Spassky. Mentioned: Daniel Yarur Elsaca 1:15- Han shares some advice for other parents based on his experiences as a chess parent. Mentioned: GM Robin Van Kampen 1:18- Goodbye. Keep up with or contact Han via his Chess.com account If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.141 - Isaac Steincamp Sep 03, 2019

Isaac Steincamp is only 22, but has already been quite busy making a name for himself in the chess world. He is an expert level chess player, and after recently graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, he has begun working at Chess.com as The Lead Solutions Architect. In the past he has been a chess streamer, has made videos for ChessOpenngsExplained.com, and he founded Chess Summit. In our conversation, we talk about how Isaac got his new gig, what is going on at Chess.com, and Isaac’s chess improvement recommendations, both for his own game and for other players. Please read on for timestamps, links and more details. 0:00- Intro. We begin by discussing how Isaac ended up with the position of Lead Solutions Architect at Chess.com Referenced NM Sam Copeland, Aran S, Nick Barton 9:00- As the Deputy Commissioner of the Pro Chess League, Isaac gives us a rundown of all that is going on with the Pro Chess League, including the Summer Series, which is winding down. Referenced The Pittsburgh Pawnsgrabbers, IM Greg Shahade, Reykjavik Puffins, IM John Bartholomew, Chessbrahs 24:00- We dive deeper into the Fischer Random World Championship, which is a year long competition which begins on Chess.com and culminates in a live championship in Norway in October. 27:00- We digress into a discussion of the 2019 FIDE World Cup, my favorite event on the 2019 Chess Calendar. Email me if you would like to run a World Cup Pool and I will help promote it. :) 31:20- Chess improvement! A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks about the status of Isaac’s quest for the US Chess National Master Title. Why does he think he has plateaued of late? Mentioned: GM Eugene Perelyshteyn, FM Gabe Petesch 42:00- What has helped Isaac improve the most? Referenced Endgame Essentials, 100 Chess Master Trade Secrets, Chess Structures, Chess.com Survival Mode, IM Hans Niemann, IM Casper Schoppen 49:00- Another supporter of the podcast asks Isaac to share his views on the importance of “storyboarding” each game of chess. 54:00- Goodbye! You can keep up with and contact Isaac via Twitter and His Chess.com account If you would like to help support and grow the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.140 - GM Aman Hambleton Aug 20, 2019

26 year old Grandmaster Aman Hambleton is one of Canada’s top 10 players and, among other distinctions, he has represented his country in the Chess Olympiad multiple times. Of course, he is best known as one of the founding members (along with GM Eric Hansen) of the extremely popular chess streaming team known as the Chessbrahs. In our lengthy and entertaining conversation we discuss topics ranging from Chessbrah origins, to the business of being a chess streamer to the struggles Aman endured to earn the Grandmaster title. This was a fun one! Please read on for timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- Intro! We kick things off by discussing all that goes into creating a vlog, like this awesome Reykjavik Open Tournament Recap Vlog that Aman and the Chessbrahs recently released. 8:00- We transition to discussing the business of Chessbrah. How many employees does Chessbrah have? What project are they working on outside of chess? This includes a discussion of the origins of GM Eric Hansen and Aman forming Chessbrahs. Mentioned: Aman Hambleton’s old blog 14:00- Aman tackles the first of many questions (thanks guys!) from a Patreon Supporter of Perpetual Chess. This question relates to how much income Twitch streamers can expect to make. Other questions relate to advice for getting into chess streaming. 29:30- GM Hambleton fields some listener questions about how GM Yasser Seirawan joined team Chessbrah, what his favorite Yasser story is, and Aman even does an impromptu Yasser impersonation! Mentioned: Trailer Park Boys. Chess World Cup 2019 (which the Chessbrahs will be covering), Second City Improv , GM Vidit Gujrathi 45:00- Another listener asks about how many mice the Chessbrah’s have broken due to chess rage, and whether people complain that the Chessbrah’s sometimes suggest moves to each other. Mentioned: GM Robin van Kampen, FM Lefong Hua 51:45- Chess improvement! How much has Aman trained his blndfold chess abilities? Mentioned: Jeff Coakley 58:00- Aman talks about the immense challenge it was for him to get the GM title, and about what motivated him and enabled him to get it. Mentioned: The Taimanov Bible: A Complete Manual for the Sicilain Player, Aman explain his win vs GM Shirov to Fiona Steil-Antoni, or play through Hambleton-Shirov 2017 here 1:08- Another listener asks about the history of the opening containing a queen sacrifice that Aman has dubbed “the undefeated opening”. Mentioned: Check out one of Aman’s blitz games with the Undefeated Opening with it here. Englund Gambit game from Reykjavik Open vs. Lars Laustsen here 1:12- A listener asks, has blitz helped Aman’s chess, can it help ours? Does Aman play better or worse chess while streaming? 1:24- Who have been Aman’s toughest online blitz opponent? Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Sergei Karjakin, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen-Hambleton 2017 1:28- Spurred by another listener question, Aman assesses the current health of the Canadian Chess Scene Mentioned: GM Pentala Harikrishna, GM Vassily Ivanchuk, GM Sam Shankland, GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly, GM Wang Hao, GM Wesley So, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Leinier Dominguez 1:38- How can one become a Chessbrah? Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, John Urschel, Chessbrah Norway Chess 2019 Coverage 1:44- One last listener question- How does being a chess professional/well known personality help or hurts Aman’s dating life? 1:48- Goodbye! Here is how you can keep up with Aman and the Chessbrahs: Aman’sTwitter, Aman’s Instagram, Chessbrah Twitch, Chessbrah Youtube Channel,Chessbrah TV Twitter If you would like to help support the podcast, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.139 - Author Sasha Chapin Aug 13, 2019

Sasha Chapin is a writer who has just published his first book, All the Wrong Moves, a Memoir about Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything. Sasha’s book tackles themes quite familiar to many chess enthusiasts: Chess love, chess addiction, chess improvement, the inevitable intersection of chess and real life, and how to grapple with one’s own chess limitations. Sasha’s book is a fun read which resonated with me, and features mentions of many prominent chess players and personalities. For another perspective on Sasha’s book, you can read the Washington Post’s review of his book here. For more details, timestamps, and relevant links please continue reading. 0:00- We begin by discussing how Sasha was able to get a book deal with Doubleday to write a “chess memoir,” and how he approached writing the book once the project was a reality. Mentioned: GM Vassily Ivanchuk, Gm Alexander Morozevich, IM John Bartholomew, GM Ben Finegold, GM Eric Hansen, GM Var Akobian, IM Eric Rosen, GM Peter Svidler, Video of GM Magnus Carlsen and Peter Svidler doing post-mortem analysis 17:33- We transition from talking about chess streamers and announcers to Sasha’s favorite chess books. Mentioned: My System by Aron Nimzowhich, Chess for Zebras by Jonathan Rowson 21:00- A Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess asks what helped Sasha the most in terms of chess improvement. As Sasha tells it, his greatest improvements came from some key insights that GM Ben Finegold provided during their lessons. . 32:00- Another Patreon supporter asks how to prevent one’s ego from ruining one’s chess mood, and also asks for Sasha’s input about the pros and cons of playing live vs. online. 39:00- Does Sasha think that chess is inherently addictive? 43:00- We circle back to what Sasha’s chess routine was like during the time that this book takes place. Was he working at the time? What did he study? How many hours per day did study? Mentioned: Chess Tempo Tactics Trainer 48:00- Sasha discusses a bit of his impressions of some of the places that he visited while writing this book, including St. Louis, and Hyderabad, India. 54:00- We wrap by talking a bit about Sasha’s future plans. You can keep up with Sasha via Twitter,Instagram, or his email list All the Wrong Moves is now available from Amazon and many other book sellers. If you are in the Los Angeles area you can go see Sasha Chapin discuss his book on August 20. Details here. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.138 - USCF Master Dan Heisman Aug 06, 2019

This week the popular Chess Author, Presenter, and USCF Master, Dan Heisman joins me. As someone who has been teaching adults (and kids) chess for decades, Dan has special insight into the way that amateurs should think about chess and also knows the ways that they actually do think about chess. It was a pleasure to pick Dan’s brain and to hear some of his stories! Please read on for many more details, relevant links, and timestamps. 0:00- Intro and we begin by discussing of why Dan recently decided to launch his instructive new Youtube Channel. Mentioned: Kurt Schneider (chess master and creator of College Musical) , GM Daniel King’s Youtube Channel, John Bartholomew’s Youtube Channel, Christof Sielecki’s Youtube Channel, Back to Basics Tactics, John Nunn’s Learn Chess Tactics, The Evaluation of Material Imbalances by GM Larry Kaufman 19:00- Dan talks about how he transitioned from working as an engineer to teaching chess full time in the 1990’s. Mentioned: Bobby Dudley, NM Daniel Benjamin, Arthur and Matthew Traldi, Everyone’s Second Chess Book by Dan Heisman 27:20- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks for tips for how a 1700 rated player should approach teaching a 1300 rated player. Mentioned: Chess for Zebras by GM Jonathan Rowson, Thought and Choice in Chess by Adriaan DeGroot, FM Charles Hertan 44:40- Another Patreon supporter writes to ask whether it is important to use an actual chess board rather than screen when solving tactics. Mentioned: Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation by GM Jacob Aagard, 52:30- Another Patreon supporter asks a question relating to how much time to spend studying the opening versus other aspects of chess. Mentioned: WGM Jennifer Shahade, NM Mike Shahade, Ruy Lopez Riga Variation, GM Andy Soltis, Howard Stern, The World’s Most Instructive Amateur Games by Dan Heisman 1:13- Chess books! Here is the link to Dan’s excellent recommended chess books page. Mentioned: John Bain’s Chess Tactics for Students, Logical Chess Move by Move , The World’s Most Instructive Amateur Games, The Art of Logical Thinking by GM Neil McDonald, Tim Krabbe’s Chess Curiosities, The Joys of Chess by Christian Hesse , Pawn Power by Hans Kmoch, Alekhine’s My Best Games of Chess 1:22- Dan breaks down what you can find in some of his own books. Mentioned: Is Your Move Safe, The Improving Chess Thinker, The World’s Most Instructive Amateur Games, Everyone’s Second Chess Book , A Guide to Chess Improvement: The Best of Novice Nook, GM James Tarjan 1:31- Dan tells stories from the time that he spent teaching chess to the famous radio host Howard Stern, and from his encounters with former World Champion GM Garry Kasparov 1:39- Goodbye and final plugs! Links: Dan’s Youtube Channel, Dan’s Website , Dan’s Twitter Chess Tip of the Day See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.137 - IM Erik Kislik Jul 30, 2019

IM Erik Kislik is a popular American chess trainer and author who is now based in Hungary. We talk about Erik’s first book, Applying Logic in Chess, which lays out his a framework for how to think about chess, and his just-released new book,Chess Logic in Practice. Chess Logic in Practice expands on this framework and provides concrete examples to augment your chess understanding (more details about Erik's new book can be found at the bottom of this description). During our conversation, we discuss Erik’s favorite game collection chess books, and Erik shares lots of chess improvement advice based on his experiences as a player and coach. For relevant links, timestamps, and more details about all that we discussed, please continue reading. 0:00- We begin by talking about how Erik developed the framework that he lays out in his first book, Applying Logic in Chess, which he expands upon in his new book Chess Logic in Practice. This includes a detailed discussion of an updated version of the point values in chess, as laid out by GM Larry Kaufman (who is also the designer of the Komodo engine.) GM Kaufman’s point values: Pawn – 1 Knight – 3.45 Bishop – 3.55 Rook- 5.25 Queen- 10 Mentioned: The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White: A Complete, Sound and User-Friendly Chess Opening Repertoire, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy by John Watson Botvinnik-Tal 1960 World Chess Championship, John Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess (This book coined the term- Loose Pieces Drop off, aka “LPDO”), Jon Speelman’s Chess Puzzle Book 34:00- Erik answers a couple of questions from a Patreon supporter of the podcast, about how one can analyze his/her own games and what to do if one doesn’t have time to play tournament games, but understands the importance of playing serious games for improvement. Mentioned: Perfect Your Chess, Imagination in Chess , IM Stefan Kuipers, Ed Latimore 56:00- What are some of Erik’s favorite game collection books? What is it like it live in a chess hub like Budapest, Hungary? Mentioned: Chess by Lazslo Polgar, Winning Chess Strategies by GM Seirawan, Kramnik: My Life of Games,GM Peter Lukacs, IM Lazslo Huzai, GM Peter Prohaszka, Vishy Anand: My Best Games of Chess, Victor Bologan: My Selected Games 1985-2004, Alexander Alekhine’s Best Games 1:14- What methods did IM Kislik’s best improving( most improved?) student, Thomas Callea, use to get better? 1:20- What plans does Erik have for sharing free content on his Youtube Channel and elsewhere? Mentioned: Martin Shkreli, IM Kislik’s working list of 500 games you should study 1:29- Thanks and goodbye! You can keep up with Erik via his YouTube Channel, and The Internet Chess Club. His books, Applying Logic in Chess and Chess Logic in Practice are available from Amazon and many other book sellers. Courtesy of Erik Kislik, here is a bit more about what you can expect to find in Chess Logic in Practice: The book Chess Logic in Practice consists of Thinking Concepts, Positional Concepts, and exercises. The first two chapters deal with pursuing the most direct idea as actively as possible and, conversely, when the logic of that idea doesn’t work and how to fix it. The first essential type of thinking concept stressed is related to urgency, and the second thinking concept emphasized relates to your sense of danger (addressed in the chapters Overpressing, Only One Way to Lose and Unlikely Draws). In Part 2: Positional Concepts, a heavy emphasis is on • understanding piece exchanges (with three separate chapters to increase our positional understanding) • sensing the quality of pieces (with chapters on various weak pieces) • grasping and creating weaknesses • appreciating difficult moves we tend to miss or misevaluate • defensive play concepts like tenacity and the queen’s value and role in defense; • maneuvering in closed positions. With this book, players will learn how to analyze with helpful thinking methods and apply them practically in their games, developing their ability to handle common situations with a clear thought process. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.136 - IM Kenneth Regan Jul 23, 2019

Dr. Kenneth Regan is an International Master, an associate professor of Computer Science at the University of Buffalo, and is one of the world’s foremost experts on using predictive analytics to help detect computer-assisted cheating in chess tournaments. With the chess world abuzz about the alleged cheating of GM Igors Rausis, I thought it would be the perfect time to invite Dr. Regan to join me to discuss all of the challenges faced by those who work to stop chess cheaters from undermining the integrity of our beloved game. Naturally we also discuss IM Regan’s other research and hear stories and reflections on his background as a strong chess player. (Dr. Regan was the 1977 US Junior co-champion and broke the record of Bobby Fischer as the youngest USCF Master!) Please continue reading for more details, links and timestamps. 0:00- Intro. We begin by discussing some background about the Igors Rausis cheating scandal and the issue of engine-assisted chess in tournaments more generally. As Kenneth explains, his work involves using predictive analytics to assess the probability that a person received engine assistance in a chess game or series of chess games. Mentioned: 2006 Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match (aka “ToiletGate”) , Frederic Friedel, Alekhine-Capablanca 1927 , Tamal Biswas 21:00- According to Dr. Regan’s metrics, what was the best played chess match in history prior to Fischer-Spassky 1972? Mentioned: So-Karjakin 2019 26:00- Dr. Regan’s discusses some of the inherent challenges of his work detecting possible cheating in live chess tournaments, including the issue of the risk of “false positive” results in his algorithm. Mentioned: Howard Goldowsky’s 2014 Chess Life Feature of Kenneth Regan 39:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Dr. Regan what club players can do to detect and deter potential cheaters. 44:00- How does online cheating differ from live tournament cheating? Mentioned: Daniel Sleator of the Internet Chess Club, Danny Rensch and Mike Klein of Chess.com (the February 2019 Chess Life article by Danny Rensch that Dr. Regan mentions is behind the USCF paywalll.) 46:45- Another supporter of the show submits a list of questions for Dr. Regan touching on topics ranging to his own experiences with cheating to his background as a strong chess player, to where he sees the next battle being fought in the realm of chess cheating. Mentioned: Dennis Monokroussos’ The Chess Mind Blog , Dr. Regan’s Ted Talk ., IM Regan’s blog post, London Calling , Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O Neil 1:05- How surprised was Dr. Regan by the rise of neural networks like AlphaZero and Leela? 1:09- We talk a bit about Dr. Regan’s own chess career. How did he improve? What were his favorite chess books? Mentioned: Sam Copeland’s interview with Kenneth Regan Pawn Power in Chess, My System,Capablanca’s Hundred Best Games of Chess, Laszlo Szabo, Jaan Ehlvest, Rafael Vaganian, John Fedorowicz, Tarjei Svenson article summarizing Magnus Carlsen’s dispute with Norwegian Chess Federation 1:19- Goodbye! Keep up with IM Regan via his blog and his professional page. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.135 - GM Vladimir Tukmakov Jul 16, 2019

This week it was my honor to interview renowned player, author, and trainer, GM Vladimir Tukmakov. GM Tukmakov was once one of the world's top 20 players and was the 1970 Ukrainian national champion. More recently, he has switched his focus to coaching and writing about chess. He has had 4 chess books published in English, including the excellent new book Coaching the Chess Stars, which we discuss in great detail. This book shares his memories and annotates some key games from his time coaching teams such as the Ukraininian, Dutch and BeloRussian national teams, and from working with individuals like GMs Wesley So and Anish Giri, who currently sit #4 and #5 in the world, respectively. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links. Enjoy! 0:00- Intro 2:30- We launch right into discussing Coaching the Chess Stars . GM Tukmakov tells us how he had the idea for this book, and he retraces the arc of his career as a chess trainer. 11:00- GM Tukmakov reflects on his experiences working with the legendary former World Champion Finalist Viktor Korchnoi. Mentioned: GM Gyula Sax. GM Dmitri Gurevich GM Jan Timman 21:30- What was it like to work on the team of former World Champion GM Anatoly Karpov during his 1998 FIDE World Championship Match with GM Viswanathan Anand? Mentioned: IM Mikhail Podgaets, GM Alexander Onischuk, and GM Ivan Morovic 34:15- GM Tukmakov discusses some details of working with Super GM Anish Giri Mentioned: Chess24 Jan Gustafsson interview with Magnus Carlsen, This Anish Giri tweet 42:00- After working with Anish Giri for a few years, the next player with whom GM Tukmakov worked was GM Wesley So. GM Tukmakov discusses what it was like to work with this “pure chess talent.” Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Ding Liren, David Cox’ Chess.com interview with Wesley So 55:30- GM Tukmakov coached GM Vugar Gashimov, (who died tragically young) when he was a member of the Azerbijani National Team. You can read more about Vladimir’s interactions with GM Gashimov in Coaching the Chess Stars 58:30- We talk a bit of chess books and chess improvement. Mentioned: Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953, Paul Keres Best Games of Chess 1:04- Thanks and good bye, GM Tukmakov can be reached via email here If you would like to help support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.134 - Megan Chen (Adult Improver Series) Jul 11, 2019

This week the always popular Adult Improver Series returns with another rapidly rising adult guest. Megan Chen is a 24 year old software engineer and enthusiastic chess player. Since resuming tournament play in 2015 Megan’s USCF rating has ascended from 961 in 2015 to a peak rating of 1909! How did she do it? We discuss that in great detail, and as usual, you can find the links and timestamps below. The short answer, of course, is that she did lots of hard work on her chess and played in tons of tournaments. 0:00- Intro. Megan talks about how she rediscovered a passion for chess in college at Carnegie Mellon after many years away. Mentioned in this segment: USCF Masters Beilin Li and Grant Xu 8:00- Once Megan recommitted to chess as a serious hobby, what did she do to help improve her game? She found stronger players to review her games, and found her coaches, Ryan Murphy and WGM Nazi Paikidze. Mentioned: Chicago Chess Meetup , Combinative Motifs by Maxim Blokh , Illinois Chess Association article about Megan Chen 18:00- Megan answers a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast about how she structures her lessons and study time. 29:00- What change in Megan’s lifestyle helped her game of chess the most? What are Megan’s current goals in chess? How is she approaching a current slump in her results? 40:00- Megan answers some more questions from Patreon supporters of the show. They relate to the best way to spend one’s chess study time, choosing coaches, seeking book recommendations for a new player rated around 900, and her biggest challenge as an adult improver is. . Mentioned: Chess: 5334 Problems Combinations and Games, and Bobby Fischer Teaches ChessTwitlonger post from IM Alexander Katz LiChess Coaches Page, Chess.com coaches page 56:00- What are Megan’s favorite chess books? Mentioned: Combinative Motifs by Maxim Blokh , Active Pieces by Jay Bonin, Imagination in Chess, Attacking Manual Volume 1 and Volume 2 by GM Jacob Aagard 58:00- As is becoming a tradition in the Adult Improver Series, Megan gives her opinion of the importance of various study methods in the quest for improvement. These methods include: Studying Openings, playing blitz, having a coach, studying endgames, doing tactics, exercising, and watching chess broadcasts and videos. Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know,SIlman’s Endgame Course, Chess.com Endgame Practice, Nazi Paikidze’s Endgame Renaissance Video 1:12- Does Megan have any longer term chess goals? 1:14- Goodbye! Keep up with Megan via her LiChess and Chess,com accounts, or join her in the Chess.com club Play Like the Masters If you would like to help support the podcast you can go here: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.133 - GM Pentala Harikrishna Jul 02, 2019

GM Pentala Harikrishna has been World Junior Champion, Asian Individual Champion, and he has been ranked as high as #10 in the world! In between tournaments, while home in Prague, GM Harikrishna joined me to assess his most recent tournaments, reflect on his career, and to talk about his recently released Chessable course, which provides a complete repertoire against the French Defense. Please read on for many more details, notes and timestamps. .. 0:00- GM Harikrishna has been quite busy of late, so he begins our conversation by discussing his two recent most GM tournaments, The Shenzen Masters, and The TePe Sigeman Chess Tournament. GM Harikrishna finished in second place in both tournaments. Players mentioned: Anish Giri, Nihal Sarin, Gawain Jones Games Mentioned: Harikrishna-Giri 2019, Harikrishna-Sarin 2019 8:35- Does GM Harikrishna have a special knack for endgames? How does he prepare for an invitational GM tournament 11:45- Why did GM Harikrishna recently move from Belgrade to Prague? Mentioned: Nový Bor Chess Club, GM David Navara 15:00- We talk about chess in India, includiing whether living away from India affects GM Harikrishna’s sponsorship with Bharat Petroluem Corporation Limited? We also briefly discuss some of India’s young phenoms including Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Nihail Sarin 19:00- As a former top junior player and World Junior Champion, what advice would GM Harikrishna give to other strong young players? 25:30- We talk about GM Harikrishna’s new Chessable Course, called French Toast: How Harikrishna Fries 1… e6 . This includes a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast about the challenges GM Harikrishna faced in trying to tailor an opening course for players of a wide range of experience levels. Mentioned: GM Magesh Panchanathan, IM Dmitri Schneider, Harikrishna-Rapport 2019 (Watch GM Hari analyze his the game here), Adams-Gupta 2018 36:30- We talk chess improvement. GM Harikrishna weights the importance of solving studies, and answers a question from friend of the podcast, Moonmaster 9000 about whether it is important to memorize games. Mentioned: Domination in 2,545 Studies 44:00- What is GM Harikrishna’s favorite game of his? Mentioned: Mamedyarov-Harikrisha 2016, Bobby Fischer 48:00- We say our goodbyes. You can check out GM Harikrishna’s Chessable course here, and can keep up with him by following him on twitter here. To help support the podcast, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.132 - FM Alex Dunne Jun 25, 2019

FM Alex Dunne is the author of over 12 books, including the recently released, Fred Reinfeld, The Man Who Taught America Chess. Alex is also an ICCF Correspondence Chess Master, and is well known for his popular column about correspondence chess in Chess Life magazine, called The Check is in the Mail. In our interview we discuss Fred Reinfeld, correspondence chess, chess improvement, Bobby Fischer and more. Please read on for more details. 0:00- We kick off by discussing Alex’s latest book, Fred Reinfeld, The Man Who Taught America Chess. We discuss the life and legacy of Fred Reinfeld. Reinfeld was a top 10 player in the US, and is probably the best selling chess author of all time. He was also one of the first Americans to make a living from chess, and managed to do so despite coming of age during The Great Depression. Mentioned: Israel “Al” Horowitz, Irving Chernev, Fred Reinfeld Whales and Whaling . 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate . Keres Best Games of Chess. 1931-1940 18:00- Alex discusses how correspondence chess has changed at its highest levels, and assesses the future of correspondence chess. We also discuss the nuts and bolts of how correspondence games are transmitted, and the rules regarding when book/engine assistance is and is not allowed in correspondence chess. 27:45- Alex has written a book about chess books, and has over 2,000 chess books titles in his library, so naturally I had to ask him about chess books. Mentioned: My Great Predecessors, Vassily Ivanchuk: 100 Selected Games, Mato Jelic’s YouTube Channel , The Complete Chess Course by Fred Reinfeld 36:00- It took Alex about 20 years to go from the expert level to the master level, and then he continued to ascend up to a peak rating over 2400 USCF. How did he improve so much as an adult? Mentioned. Interview with Bob Ferguson and Alex Dunne 42:00- Alex reminisces about playing ping pong with Bobby Fischer as a teenager. Also mentioned GM Arthur Bisguier, GM Larry Evans 47:00- How did Alex get into chess writing? 49:30- Goodbye! You can email FM Alex Dunne here. If you would like to help support the podcast, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.131 - GM Nico Checa Jun 18, 2019

17 year old GM Nicolas "Nico" Checa is one of the young stars of the American chess scene. He recently tied for first place in the 2019 National High School Chess Championship. With a 2617 USCF rating, he is #7 on the US Chess top 100 Under Age 21 List, and has beaten Fabiano Caruana in the Pro Chess League. On top of that, Nico is a regular 17 yr old, with other interests and activities competing for his time. In our interview Nico talks about how he finds time for everything, and shares a lot about his approach to chess and chess improvement. Read on for links and timestamps. 0:00- Intro. We launch right into a discussion of how getting the GM title has changed Nico’s tournament selection and preparation. Mentioned in this segment: GM Ruifeng Li, GM John Michael Burke, IM Advait Patel, IM Praveen Balakrishnan 8:00- As Nico finishes his junior year at Dobbs Ferry High School, he touches on his after-high school plans, and discusses the reasons that he and his family never felt that home schooling was the right choice for him. 15:30- What “gaps in his play” did Nico need to plug in order to reach the strength to get the GM title? Mentioned in this segment: IM Alexander Katz, GM Jacob Aagard Game: Checa-Katz 2018, 2019 Philadelphia International , 2019 US Junior Championship 23:55- How did Nico discover and get so good at chess anyway? Mentioned: Marshall Chess Club Books: Chess Secrets: Giants of Power Play by Neil McDonald, Learn from the Legends, Chess Champions at Their Best by GM Mikahil Marin, The books of GM Jacob Aagard,Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games Games: Checa-Smirin 2016, Fischer-Byrne 1956 40:30- Who are Nico’s favorite chess players? Mentioned: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Bobby Fischer, Botvinnk, 44:30- Fast chess vs. slow chess we settle the debate once and for all!! Just kidding, but Nico weighs in and shares his ideas about the roles of classical chess and rapid chess in the chess world. Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade 47:00- We discuss Nico’s interests outside of chess, including soccer and political science. Mentioned in this segment: GM Parham Maghsoodloo 56:00- Goodbye! Keep up with Nico via Chess.com If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.130 - IM Eric Rosen returns Jun 11, 2019

Nearly two years after our first interview popular Chess YouTuber, Twitch streamer, Photographer, Author, and yes, chess player, IM Eric Rosen returns to Perpetual Chess. As we discuss, a lot has changed for Eric in the past two years, including his place of residence and many of his professional responsibilities, but he remains a great person with whom to talk all things chess. Read on for more details, timestamps and links. 0:00- Intro. Eric discusses why he has set up residence in St. Louis and gives some details on his most recent tournament, The St. Louis Norm Congress. This includes a discussion of a new video approach Eric recently tried, where he recorded his opening preparation for specific opponent’s and subsequently posted it to YouTubet. Check out one of these YouTube prep videos here. You can see the list of Eric’s most popular YouTube videos here (as we discuss) here. 12:00- Why has Eric decided to deemphasize competing in tournaments as compared to all of his other chess work? Mentioned in this segment: Chessbrahs, FM LeFong Hua 16:30- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks for advice in filtering YouTube videos for players in the 1300-1500 rating range. Mentioned in this segment: St. Louis Chess Club’s YouTube Channel, John Bartholomew’s Climbing the Rating Ladder Series 19:30- Another listener question leads to Ben and Eric discussing their favorite drinks to consume while playing chess. Mentioned in this segment: The Queen Side Cafe in Sydney, Australia 23:45- Since Eric is a popular Twitch streamer and I am a Twitch noob, he patiently answered some questions for me about how it works. Mentioned in this segment: Hikaru Nakamura 31:30- Eric reflects a bit on what has changed in his professional life since our first interview, which occured in August of 2017. Mentioned in this segment: Marc Maron interviewing David Letterman 37:00- We talk some chess improvement. Mentioned in this segment: Imagination in Chess , Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources by Mark Dvoretsky 43:00- Eric answers a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast regarding whether it is better to study at a fast or a slow pace. Mentioned in this segment: The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin , Searching for Bobby Fischer (the book) and the movie 48:00- One more listener question for Eric relates to how Eric balances all of his differing professional roles. Mentioned in this segment: Calendy.com 54:00- Eric tells the stories of the two different times he has managed to beat World Champion Magnus Carlsen in online chess tournaments. Mentioned in this segment: The Reddit Post about Eric beating ManWithAVan, Unknowingly Beating the World Champion , Playing the World Champion in Chess960, Game Show Network’s New Master Trivia Game (featuring former Perpetual Chess guest Jonathan Corbblah) 1:02- Eric asks me who my current dream guests for Perpetual Chess are. Mentioned in this segment: Timman’s Titans , Yasser Seirawan, Boris Spassky, Maurice Ashley, Perpetual Chess World Championship Report with IMs Eric Rosen and Kostya Kavutskiy 1:05- Goodbye! Follow Eric on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and Twitter To help support the podcast, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.129 - IM Cyrus Lakdawala Jun 04, 2019

This week’s guest is the highly productive and popular author and teacher, IM Cyrus Lakdawala. Cyrus has recently published his 40th (!) book, Opening Repertoire 1. d4 2. c4., and already has more books in the works. In addition to publishing multiple books per year, Cyrus also teaches chess for about 20 hours a week, plays in two tournaments per month, and even manages to meditate, exercise and read very regularly. In our conversation, Cyrus reveals how he accomplishes so much, talks some chess improvement, and tells some fun stories. Read on for details, links and timestamps. 0:00- Intro. We being by discussing Cyrus latest book, Opening Repertoire 1. d4 2. c4. Cyrus tells the story of how he decided it was time to try a spicier opening repertoire, after decades of playing "like a chicken.” The results he attained with this experiment pleasantly surprised him. Mentioned in this segment - IM Dionisio Aldama, IM Tony Saidy, IM Keaton Kiewra 12:00- Cyrus discusses the philosophy behind his unique, very personal writing style. We also discuss Cyrus’ writing routine, and how he reacts to critics. Mentioned in this segment - John Hartmann, ChessBase interview with Davide Nastasio 21:00- What is Cyrus’ opinion of the rise of engine use in chess study and chess spectacting? How does he use engines in his own game analysis and writing? 25:30- Cyrus answers a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast asking him to compare his book Opening Repertoire… c6: Playing the Caro-Kann and Semi-Slav as Black to the book A Complete Repertoire for Black Using Solid Systems by Jovanka Houska and James Vigus. This leads to a broader discussion about how one should choose repertoires and opening books. 34:00 - We discuss Cyrus’ award winning book, Chess for Hawks. The premise of the book is that everyone is predisposed toward risky or safe chess, and should tailor her game accordingly. Cyrus also discusses what happens when he clashes against his most frequent opponent, IM Dionisio Aldama, who is a “hawk” to Cyrus’ “dove.” 45:00- Cyrus answers a question from another listener about how an under 2000 player should improve at endgames. Aside from his own endgame book, Cyrus recommends studying the games of Rubinstein, Capablanca and Magnus Carlsen. Also mentioned: Timman’s Titans, Kasparov’s Great Predecessors. 52:00- IM Lakdawala tells the story of how he met former World Champion, GM Boris Spassky a couple times, and shares his impressions of him. Also mentioned- GMs Tony Miles and Kasparov. 58:00- Cyrus shares some stories from his teenage years in Montreal, were he earned spending money by playing speed chess for money. 1:01- After five decades immersed in it, does Cyrus ever feel burnt out on chess? 1:04- Cyrus discusses the benefits and drawbacks of being autistic. 1:14- Goodbye and contact info! You can keep up with Cyrus via Facebook. To help support the podcast, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.128 - Doug Griffin (Chess writer/translator/blogger) May 28, 2019

Douglas Griffin is a chess author/blogger, translator, and an indispensable source of historical chess perspective on “chess twitter”. He is particularly interested and knowledgeable about chess in the Soviet Union. Doug is also a strong player. As a teen, he was one of Scotland’s stronger junior players. His FIDE rating reached about 2270, before his family, his work and his strong interest in chess history overtook his interest in tournament participation. While Doug may not be as well-known as some of the Grandmasters and personalities that have been on the show, our talk was one I looked forward to, and sure enough, it was highly informative and inspiring.. For more information about Doug, you can check out his blog, and his twitter page. Please keep reading for timestamps and many fun links and resources. 0:00- Intro and discussion of Doug’s intro to the chess world. Mentioned in this segment, GMs Anatoly Karpov, Tony Miles, VIktor Korchnoi. The BBC show, The Master Game 6:00-How did Doug improve in chess and develop an interest in Soviet-era chess and the Russian language? He owes a debt of gratitude to his former teacher IM Danny Kopec, among others. 9:00- Doug transitions to telling some stories about some of the chess greats he encountered early in their careers. Players mentioned are those he saw at the Lloyds Bank London 1984- GM Vishy Anand, Ivanchuk, Spassky, Nigel Short. You can read a bit more about the Lloyds Bank tournament in this Chessbase article by Priyadarshan Banjan Read Doug’s blog post about the Troon 1984 tournament he mentions and about GM Lev Psakhis in his blog post here. 14:30- How did Doug learn Russian, and where does he get all of the original sources for his blog? Magazines mentioned: Shakhmatny Bulletin , Chess in the U.S.S.R. and “64” Doug bought a lot of his Soviet chess magazine’s from Kimmo Välkesalmi's website. Translator named in this segment: Ken Neat 25:00- Friend/supporter of the podcast, John Hartmann of Chess Life Online (and author of CLO’s Throwback Thursday) writes in to ask whether Doug has any plans of turning his material into a book and/or launching a Patreon page. Mentioned in this segment; Ilan Rubin of Elk and Ruby. . 31:45- We discuss an excerpt of Doug’s most recent blog post, which unearthed a great and prescient quote from former World Champion GM Mikhail Botvinnik regarding an ascendant Bobby Fischer. Read Doug’s blog post here. 38:00- Are there any Soviet periodicals or books that Doug is especially excited to translate? Mentioned in this segment:, IM John Donaldson and IM Nikolay Minev’s books about The Life and Games of Akiba Rubinstein, GM Razuvaev and Murahveri’s Russian language Rubinstein biography. Nikolai Krylenko is also mentioned 43:00- Chris Wainscott writes in to ask if Doug has favorite lesser-known Soviet chess players. Doug mentions Andor Lilienthal, Isaac Boleslavsky, Semyon Furman, Ratmir Kholmov, Grigory Levenfish (about whom Doug is writing a book) Books mentioned by GM Genna Sosonko: Russian Silhoettes, The Reliable Past, Smart Chip from St. Petersburg and other tales of a bygone chess era Also mentioned GMs John Shaw and Jacob Aagard, co-founders of Quality Chess 53:00- Doug and I wax nostalgic about The Chess Informant and he discusses some exciting upcoming projects on which he will work with their publishers. 56:30- Doug names of a few of his favorite chess books amongst those that have been published in the English language. They are: Botvinnik’s Best Games, Smyslov’s Best Games, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal , Anatoly Karpov: My 300 Best Games , Kasparov on Kasparov, Leonid Stein: Master of RIsk Strategy 1:00- Doug reflects a bit on what helped him become a strong chess player. He credits reading voraciously and being blessed with a good memory. 1:05- On the heels of GM Neil McDonald’s story of meeting legendary GM David Bronstein, Doug shares his own story . Also mentioned in this segment: Jon Speelman, Julian Hodgson, Paul Motwani, Colin McNab, Jonath Rowson, Bojan Kurajica 1:09- Reluctantly, we discuss non-chess related stuff. Doug discusses his day job and his affinity for hiking and photography. Check out his landscape photography site here. The Dutch online photo archive Doug mentions is here. 1:13- Goodbye! A friendly reminder to read Doug’s blog here, follow him on twitter here, You can email him here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.127 - GM Neil McDonald May 21, 2019

Neil McDonald is a Grandmaster, a trainer for the British Chess Federation and a prolific and accomplished author of 37 chess books! As you will hear, he has gathered some great stories to share in his decades in the chess world. His most recent book, Coach Yourself: A Complete Guide to Improvement at Chess is now available from Amazon and many other sellers. Read on for more details, links and timestamps. 0:00- Intro. Neil kicks off with a few great stories relating to chess history. The first connects his mom with a radio interview of former World Champion Alexander Alekhine. You can hear the interview in question here on YouTube. The second story describes an opportunity Neil had to travel to the Soviet Union in 1986 and play legends of the game like former World Champion Mikhail Tal, Oleg Romanishin and many others. Others mentioned in this segment include: GMs Polugaevsky, Vaganian, Portisch, and Spassky, . Ovidiu-Doru Foisor and Sabina Foisor. 22:00- Neil shares a few more stories from his travels, including tales of chess trips to Serbia, Hungary and the Ukraine, interweaving chess and world history. 28:30- Neil tells the story of meeting legendary GM David Bronstein in the mid 1990s. Find out the chess improvement advice Neil got from one the strongest non World chess champions in history. Books mentioned in this segment: GM Genna Sosonko’s The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein, and Irving Chernev’s The Golden Dozen. 35:30- Neil fields some questions regarding chess improvement from some of the podcast's Patreon supporters. They touch on selecting opening repertoires, the importance of doing “post-mortems” after a game, . Player mentioned include: GMs Kasparov, Karpov, Korchnoi, Botvinnik, Baskaran Adhiban, Richard Rapport, Chris Ward, John Nunn, Boris Spassky. Books mentioned:The Giants of Chess Strategy by Neil McDonald Perpetual Chess Episodes mentioned: Stacia Pugh 1:07- Another listener asks about which of the older authors like Reinfeld and Horowitz are the most instructive to read these days. Authors mentioned: Irving Chernev, Fred Reinfeld, Al Horowitz, Lev Alburt, Raymond Keene. Books mentioned: From Morphy to FischerThe Chess Training Pocket Book 1:17- We plug Neil’s books! Coach Yourself has a wealth of material for players of many levels. Other books mentioned: Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca Chess Secrets: The Giants of Chess Strategy by Neil McDonald 1:24- Goodbye! Keep up with Neil’s works by following his publisher, Everyman Chess’s webpage or twitter account. If you would like to help support and sustain the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.126 - GM Evgeny Bareev May 14, 2019

This week the esteemed Grandmaster Evgeny Bareev joined me on the podcast. GM Bareev has been ranked as high as #4 in the world. He has been the trainer of the Russian National Team, and was a vital member of the team that assisted former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik in the early 2000s. Evgeny is also an acclaimed chess author. His prior book, From London to Elista, (co-authored with Ilya Levitov), won the 2007 Book of the Year, from the British Chess Federation. This year, Thinker’s Publishing has recently released his new work, Say No to Chess Principles . This fun and informative book contains some great stories and explores the topic of when one should “break the rules” in chess, as shown in Evgeny’s and some other top level games. In our interview, Evgeny discussed both of his books, shared some stories, and offered some chess improvement advice. Read on for details, links and timestamps. 0:00- Intro and discussion of Say No to Chess Principles . GM Bareev tells the story of the idea behind the book and of how the project came to fruition. He also shares some memorable stories from growing up in the Soviet Chess School which are touched on in his book. People and books mentioned include Boris Postovsky, who headed the Vasily Smyslov School of chess, and the book Devoted to Chess: The Creative Heritage of Yuri Razuvaev . This includes a discussion of whether or not it's important to have a good memory (14:00) to be a top chess player. According to GM Bareev, former World Champion Anatoly Karpov had a notoriously faulty memory in his prime. Evgeny gives some helpful tips for how to approach chess if you have a bad memory. 23:00- How do we know when to “say no to chess principles” anyway? 28:00- As a former member of his “Team Kramnik,” was GM Bareev surprised by the retirement of former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik? Evgeny also reflects on some of the stories and perspectives from the classic book From London to Elista. His current take on the some of the stories shared in this book might surprise you. We also touch on Carsten Hensel’s recent book about his time as the manager of GM Kramnik. You can hear my interview with Carsten Hensel here. 37:00- GM Bareev shares some stories dealing with getting sick at a chess tournament and about how to deal with tough losses. This includes some discussion of Peter Leko, who lost to GM Kramnik for the 2004 World Championship in a very close match. 45:00- Who were GM Bareev’s toughest opponents? Players mentioned include Garry Kasparov, Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Vassily Ivanchuk, Alexey Dreev and Alexei Shirov. 49:00- Chess books! Since GMs Magnus Carlsen and Anish Giri have been tradingbarbs about Vladimir Tukmakov’s new book, I asked Evgeny if he had read it. Evgeny does not read all of the chess literature, but has enjoyed the books of Boris Gelfand, Matthew Sadler and Yasser Seirawan. 54:00- A Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess asks if GM Bareev uses a particular method as a trainer. 58:00- We talk a bit about how GM Bareev ended up emigrating to Toronto, Canada, and he answers a question from a Patreon supporter comparing chess and literature. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.125 - USCF Master Jason Cigan (Adult Improver Series) May 07, 2019

Jason Cigan is a 29 year old US Chess Master who recently won the Oregon State Championship. As Jason tells us, he did not begin seriously playing chess until he was 18, but in the past 11 years, he has managed to slowly and steadily gain over 1,000 rating points while working full time as a software engineer . (You can see his US Chess rating graph here.) How has he done it? Listen to the show and you will find out. For relevant links, timestamps, and many book recommendations, please keep reading. :) 0:00- Intro and Jason tells his chess story, including how he got into chess, and why it took a while for his passion for the game to fully manifest. 10:25- So how did Jason improve so much, anyway? In his opinion, having master level mentors played a big role in his improvement. Jason credits FM Charles Schulien, NM Corbin Yu and NM Jeremy Kane with helping him immeasurably along the way. The video from GM Vidit Gujrath regarding chess improvement can be seen here. Jason is a fan of the books of GMs Mikhail Marin and Boris Gelfand, and also Seven Deadly Chess Sins by GM Jonathan Rowson 18:00- A listener, new to chess, who is 62 year old and recently retired, is eager to devote 20 hours a week to chess books and chess improvement. How should he spend his time, what resources should he utilize? How good can he become? In Jason's response, he mentions that he is a strong proponent of John Nunn’s chess books. I chimed in and mentioned that the listener might want to pursue something more systematic to improve, like the acclaimed series from GM Arthur Yusopov , The Steps Series, or the Susan Polgar series for those brand new to chess. 29:00- As is a regular feature on the Adult Improver Series, we launch into a discussion of how useful various attempts at improving one’s chess games are. Jason gives his opinion on the importance of having a coach, as well as the relative merits of analyzing one’s games, solving tactics, studying endgames, playing speed chess, learning openings, exercising, and more. Jason benefited from taking lessons with GMs Melik Khachiyan and Sabino Brunello and from playing training games with IM Craig Hilby. One can always look for coaches on the LiChess coaches page 39:00- Jason answers a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast, about whether its important to set up a board when solving tactics. The US Championship summary by Jennifer Yu that I mentioned can be read here. 46:00- How should one approach openings when you live in a community where you play the same players repeatedly? 51:00- Jason tells a fun story related to opening preparation, of a game between GM James Tarjan and recent Perpetual Chess guest GM Alex Ipatov. Check out the game here. Mr. Moonmaster 9000 asks for some clarification about something Jason wrote: Does Jason believe it's impossible for him to become a super GM? 1:02- A 3 minute digression into the intersection of the NBA and professional chess. Sorry NBA haters! 1:06- Back on track, Jason talks about the importance of endgame studies in helping your chess game. Jason is a big fan of the book 100 Endgames You Must Know He also mentions enjoying the Yusupov and Dvoretsky features on chess24.com 1:10- Jason discusses his coaching philosophy, and shares some methods that he has used to help his student, Gavin Zhang. He emphasizes the importance of studying the classics, and identifying and working on one’s strongest point and one’s weakest points in chess. 1:19- We discuss books on endgames and endgame studies. Jason mentions: Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings by Irving Chernev Endgame Training by Bernd Rosen Endgame challenge by John Nunn Studies for the Practical Player by Mark Dvoretsky One Pawn Saves the Day by Sergei Tkachenko Under the Surface by Jan Markos Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios Grandmaster Repetoire: 1. E4 by Parimarjan Negi 1:30- Keep up with Jason’s progress via his chess.com account here. If you would like to help support the podcast you can do here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.124 - GM Alex Ipatov Apr 30, 2019

This week I am joined by 25 year old GM Alex Ipatov. Alex is quite an accomplished chess player who is well known for winning the 2012 World Junior Chess Championship, among many other distinctions. These days, Alex is graduate student at St. Louis University, and he has recently published an original chess book called Unconventional Approaches to Modern Chess Volume 1: Rare Ideas for Black. His book is available from Thinker’s Publishing, Amazon and Forward Chess.

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/4/30/episode-124-gm-alex-ipatov

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.123 - Charity Chess Championship + Philadelphia Chess Society (Double Episode!) Apr 23, 2019

This week on Perpetual Chess, I would like to spotlight some of the ways that people are using chess as a vehicle to make a difference in the world. I am happy to say that there are countless qualified guests to choose from in this regard, and it was hard to limit myself to only 2 segments. As you will hear, the guests in both segments have great stories to tell. My first interview this week is with Scott and Norma Mero, the founders of the Charity Chess Championship, while Part 2 (26:30) features Gabrielle Moshier and Jason Bui, who are Philadelphia school teachers and board members of The Philadelphia Chess Society, Please read on for relevant links and more detailed timestamps.

0:00-Charity Chess Championship

26:30- Philadelphia Chess Society

For more detailed timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/4/23/episode-123-charity-chess-championship-philadelphia-chess-society-double-episode

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.122 - GM Gata Kamsky Apr 16, 2019

This week it is my great honor to talk with the five-time US Champion and 1996 FIDE World Championship Challenger, GM Gata Kamsky! Gata has just released Volume 1 of his highly anticipated games collection, Gata Kamsky - Chess Gamer, Volume 1: The Awakening 1989-1996. The recent release of this book gives us a rare opportunity to listen in as Gata Kamsky reflects on his illustrious chess career and discusses the past and future of chess. As usual, read on for timestamps of our discussion topics and relevant links. Enjoy!

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/4/16/episode-122-gm-gata-kamsky

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.121 - WIM Alexey Root Apr 09, 2019

WIM Alexey Root is a former US Women’s Chess Champion among many other distinctions. She has a Ph. D. from UCLA in Education,and is a lecturer at The University of Texas at Dallas. Alexey has written 7 books about chess and education, and is also a frequent writer for US Chess and other publications. In our interview we discussed collegiate chess in the U.S, how opportunities for female chess players have changed, plus the important topic of what chess parents can do to help safeguard their children.

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/4/9/episode-121-wim-alexey-root

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.120 - John Hartmann Returns Apr 02, 2019

This week features another return guest, as John Hartmann joins me from the US Chess Championships in St. Louis. As listeners who heard our popular first interview will recall, John is the book reviewer for Chess Life Magazine, but they may not know that he was also recently named digital editor for Chess Life Online. Some of the highlights of this conversation include: a discussion of the 2019 US Championship, a rundown of some recent standout chess books, details on John’s new job, and his reflections on how to find work in the chess world.

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/4/2/episode-120-john-hartmann-returns

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.119 - GM Alex Colovic Mar 26, 2019

This week GM Alex Colovic joins me from his native Skopje, Macedonia, speaking to me on the "rest day" of the European Chess Championship, in which he is competing. Alex Colovic is a Grandmaster, blogger, author and newly elected President of the Association of Chess Professionals. Alex catches us up on the status of the tournament at the midway point, and from there we have a wide-ranging conversation which covers topics which range from his latest Chessable course, The Najdorf Sicilian Simplified, to why he loves studying the games of Jose Raoul Capablanca. I think that Alex’s love for and knowledge of chess and chess history is evident in our conversation. Read on for timestamps, links and GM Colovic’s contact info.

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/3/26/episode-119-gm-alex-colovic

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.118 - IM Herman Grooten Mar 19, 2019

This week it my pleasure to talk with the well known Dutch trainer, and award-winning author, IM Herman Grooten. Herman has been active as a chess trainer for more than 45 years and has worked with countless players, including well known players such as GM Loek Van Wely, GM Jan Werle and GM Benjamin Bok. Read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- Intro and discussion of Herman’s life as a football/soccer coach and “chess dad.” Herman’s son, Tommy is a scholastic chess champion. What are the secrets of Tommy’s success? How much credit do Dad and Mom, FM Petra Schuurman, deserve for it? 18:00- Herman tackles the age old question of how important talent is for chess achievement. He looks at the question through the lens of having coached elite players such as GM Loek Van Wely. What lessons has he learned that have helped him become a better trainer over the years? 28:30- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Herman, "How should we select a coach and assess their work?" The game referenced from IM Grooten’s book is Petrosian-Planinc 1972 (I have uploaded the game from my database for listeners to see, but they are encouraged to buy Chess Strategy for Club Players: The Road to Positional Advantage in order to see IM Grooten’s analysis of this and countless other instructive games. 😃 ) 37:40- Another question comes from a listener/supporter of the show, "How can one go from 1700 to GM in 10 years?" The famed Dutch chess players that Herman mentions are are the co-founders of the Steps Method., IM Cor van Wijgerden, and Rob Brunia and Adrian de Groot. 49:00- We discuss IM Grooten’s acclaimed book, Chess Strategy for Club Players: The Road to Positional Advantage, as well as Attacking Chess for Club Players: Improve Your Skills to Overpower Your Opponent. IM Grooten's book Understanding Before Moving 2: Queen's Gambit Structureshas just been released on Chessable. 55:00- Goodbye and contact info. You can email IM Grooten here.

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.117 - Stjepan Tomić (Adult Improver Series) Mar 12, 2019

This week the Adult Improver Series continues with another inspiring guest. Twenty eight year-old Stjepan Tomić (creator of the Hanging Pawns Channel on Youtube) learned the rules of and fell in love with chess only a few years ago. Since that time he has not let a full-time job or a girlfriend (his life currently includes both) interfere with his drive to improve at the royal game. Stjepan details for us how he created a nine-year plan to become a Grandmaster, and three years into the plan, he has made steady progress, with an ELO peak nearing 1900. In our conversation Stjepan shares what he has learned about how to manage one’s time, deal with defeat, create a Youtube channel, and of course, improve at chess.

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/3/12/episode-117-stjepan-tomi-adult-improver-series

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EP.116 - GM Michal Krasenkow Mar 05, 2019

GM Michal Krasenkow has battled many legends of the chessboard during the course of his life, and he has been one of the top 10 chess players in the world. He is also a respected chess trainer and author. His recently released and excellent new book, Learn from Michal Krasenkow shares many of his memories and favorite games. In our conversation, we discuss GM Krasenkow’s book in great detail, along with the usual assortment of improvement advice, recommendations, and favorite stories. Please read onward for many more details of this week's podcast.

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the episode webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/3/5/episode-116-gm-michal-krasenkow

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EP.115 - GM Jan Gustafsson returns again Feb 26, 2019

This week, the always popular and entertaining GM Jan Gustafsson makes his third appearance on Perpetual Chess. In addition to the broadcasting, streaming and video creation that Jan does for Chess24.com, he also was a part of "Team Magnus" for the 2016 and 2018 World Chess Championships. Naturally we discussed the most recent World Championships in great detail, as well as catching up on what else Jan has been up to since his Perpetual Chess interviews #1 and #2. As always you can keep up with Jan on twitter or by subscribing to and monitoring the calendar on Chess24.com Read on for details and timestamps about all that we discussed: 0:00- Glowing intro and discussion of Jan’s work as a member of Magnus Carlsen’s team for the 2018 World Championship Match. Jan reflects on his overall thoughts on the match and answers some follow up questions I had based on the excellent Chess24 series “Inside the 2018 World Championship Match” featuring Jan and GMs Peter Heine Nielsen and Laurent Fressinet. 31:30- More World Championship talk, but now with a focus on the openings that were played. 36:00- Is it really true that a Queen and Knight is better than a Queen and a Bishop? 38:00 What should one do to get back into playing shape after a layoff from competitive chess? (a discussion prompted because Jan will be playing in the Bangkok Chess Club Open in April) 39:00- Coaching Netherlands at Olympiad. What mystery book was Jan pictured reading while the games went on? The Patrick Melrose books 44:00- What is Jan’s favorite Jan Gustafsson game? What about his favorite other people games? Jan mentions his opening prep paying off in the following games: Naiditsch-Gustafsson 2007 and Gustafsson-Rodshtein 2007 Jan also highlights the modern classic, Wei Yi-Lazaro Bruzon Batista 2015 and Jinishi Bai vs. Ding Liren 2017 49:00- Some idle chit-chat and Jan’s latest pop culture recommendations. Jan gives a lukewarm recommendation for True Detective Season 3 and did not share Ben’s level of enthusiasm for Atlanta, but is a big fan of the movie Burning. 53:00- Goodbye and what to watch for coming from Chess24. Jan recommends GM Laurent Fressinet’s recent series Playing the Berlin and teased a blitz match between Magnus Carlsen and Peter Svidler, which you can now watch on Chess24.

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EP.114 - GM Romain Edouard Feb 19, 2019

28 year old Grandmaster Romain Edouard has been a top 50 chess player in the world, with a peak rating over 2700, but in recent years, he has been quite busy with other chess related work. He is the author of the highly regarded, Chess Calculation series, and this year, has published, My Magical Years with Topalov.a book about his time working as the second to one of the strongest players in the world. GM Edouard is also the Editor-in-Chief at Thinker’s Publishing, the publisher of his acclaimed works. For more detail about all that we discussed, plus recommendations and contact information, please read on: 0:00- Intro and discussion of GM Edouard’s new book, My Magical Years with Topalov. This book annotates games and shares stories and reflections from GM Edouard’s time working as a second to GM Veselin Topalov, between the years of 2010-2014. Romain shares how the relationship began and how it evolved in the ensuing years. 17:00- What differentiates GM Topalov’s chess style from other top-level players? 20:00- Romain discusses his most recent chess tournament. He recently played in the super strong 2019 Gibraltar International, and finished with 7 points, as part of a big tie for 6th-22nd place. 25:30- GM Edouard retells how he became the Editor-in-Chief with Thinker’s Publishing, and what that works entails. The two new books that we mention are: Gata Kamsky - Chess Gamer, Volume 1: The Awakening 1989-1996, and Michal Krasenkow - Learn from Michal Krasenkow 32:00- Romain’s gives his chess improvement advice for those with a limited amount of time. 1) Play lots of games 2) Find openings you like and know well 3) Learn Endgames from Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 4) Practice Calculation 37:30- Discussion of the London Lions of the Pro Chess League, who have had a disappointing season, but just had a strong showing in defeating the Montreal Chessbrahs. 39:00- Discussion of GM Edouard’s favorite game of his own (Edouard-Tkachiev 2010) , as well as his favorite game of all time (Kasparov-Topalov 1999) 43:30- Goodbye and contact info, you can follow Thinkers Publishing on Facebook and their website, and GM Edouard on Facebook and Twitter.

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EP.113 - GM-Elect Michael Brown Feb 12, 2019

My guest this week is 21 year old GM-elect Michael Brown. Michael just earned his final GM norm in January 2019, but the path to earning the highest chess title has come with many challenges. In our conversation, Michael walks us through how he overcame those challenges, and gives advice for how others can do the same in their own chess journeys. For many more details about our conversation, check out the timestamps below. Michael can be reached via email here. 0:00- Intro and recap of the tournament at the Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy where GM-elect Michael Brown got that elusive and coveted 3rd GM Norm. The dramatic GM Norm clinching-game vs. FM Gauri Shankar that Michael discusses can be found here. 10:00- How did Michael stay sharp as his time became more scarce after enrolling in college? Michael mostly credits study partnering with other strong players, such as IM Keaton Kiewra,and IM Shiyam Thavandiran. 16:30- After graduating from BYU in December 2018 what is Michael’s next professional step? 19:30- We discuss Michael’s memorable experience beating world class GM Yu Yangyi in 2016. Michael annotates this game in this very instructive Youtube video, and you can also play through the moves here. We then discuss some of the “super GMs” Michael has played in addition to Yu Yangyi. 32:00- Michael tells a couple fun stories of playing at the notoriously strong Chess.com Isle of Man International tournament in 2017 and getting to see and meet the likes of GM Vishy Anand and GM Magnus Carlsen. 39:00- What have been the most challenging periods during Michael’s chess career? How did he get through them? What advice did his trainer at the time, IM Armen Ambartsoumian, give him? 44:00- What are Michael’s favorite chess books? As a young, improving player, he learned a ton from Winning Chess Brilliancies by GM Yasser Seirawan and later used CT-ART to sharpen his tactics. 51:00- What was the connection between his choice of college, Brigham Young University, and his desire to remain dedicated to chess? What other factors went into Michael’s decision as to which college to attend? 59:00- What is going on with the San Diego Surfers of the Pro Chess League? 1:04- Goodbye and contact info See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.112 - GM Matthew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan Feb 05, 2019

This week I am joined by the authors by one of the most anticipated chess books in recent memory, Gamechanger: AlphaZero's Groundbreaking Chess Strategies and the Promise of AI.GM Matthew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan have written a fascinating and revelatory book, so I was very excited to chat with them about the background to the book and discuss some highlights from it. In our conversation, we also touch on other aspects of Matthew and Natasha’s accomplished careers, particularly, how adults can continue to make strides in chess, as discussed in their prior collaboration, Chess for Life.. You can find many more details about our conversation with timestamps below. Gamechanger is now available from New in Chess, Chessable, and Forward Chess, and will be released on Amazon in the US on February 15.

For timestamps and relevant hyperlinks, please go to the show webpage here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/2/5/episode-112-gm-matthew-sadler-and-wim-natasha-regan-1

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EP.111 - GM Jacob Aagaard Jan 29, 2019

This week it was my great honor to get to chat with the acclaimed author, trainer and co-founder of Quality Chess, GM Jacob Aagaard. GM Aagaard is chairing the FIDE trainer’s commission and has worked with elite chess players like GM Sam Shankland and GM Boris Gelfand. Jacob was very generous with his time and wisdom in our conversation. You can keep up with Quality Chess on their blog, and you can email GM Aagaard here. You can find out more about the Quality Chess Academy here. For timestamps and details about all that we discussed, read on. 0:00- Intro and discussion of the vision behind Quality Chess Publishing, co-founded by GM Aagaard in 2004 (along with GM John Shaw and IM Ari Ziegler). 12:40- A brief digression into some Science Fiction shows Jacob has been watching in his scant free-time. He recommends Altered Carbon on Netflix and a German series called Dark. 15:30- We segue into a detailed discussion of Jacob’s most recent highly acclaimed book, Thinking Inside the Box. As GM Aagaard discusses in the book, each move in chess can roughly be categorized into one of 4 decision types: Automatic Decisions (This includes a discussion of this game between GM Sam Shankland and GM Richard Rapport. ) SImple Decisions (This is where Aagaard’s famed 3 questions come into play- 1. Where are the weaknesses? 2. What is the opponent’s idea? 3. Which is my worst placed piece?) Critical Moments (positions where there is a large difference between the best move and the next best move) Strategic Decisions (complicated positions with no clear-cut way to approach them) 34:00- Jacob answers a question from a supporter of the podcast relating to how to use diagrams in chess books. While answering, Jacob rattles off a few of his favorite chess books. They include GM Romain Edouard’s calculation books, Imagination in Chess (out of print), Perfect Your Chess, and the Arthur Yusopov series. As a scholastic player, Jacob was a big fan of legendary Danish player Bent Larsen’s books. 42:30- GM Aagaard tells the story of how he became a trainer of other high level players. For any listener looking for a coach, GM Aagaard recommends his former student, Italian GM Sabino Brunello. Jacob also tells the story of how he became one of the trainers of former World Championship Challenger, GM Boris Gelfand and of US Champion Sam Shankland. 52:00- What feat did GM Sam Shankland accomplish that has gone a but under the radar? What does he think of GM Shankland’s prospects for a continued ascent in the world rankings? 1:02- GM Aagaard answers another question from a Patreon supporter about how to work on your chess when you do not have a coach. Jacob stressed the importance of analyzing one’s own games. 1:08- Jacob discusses his upcoming chess camp, The Quality Chess Academy, which will be co-taught along with renowned trainer R.B. Ramesh. You guys should sign up for the camp, then after attending you should email me to tell me about the camp. :) 1:15- Jacob discusses another new project of his, chairing the FIDE trainer’s commission. 1:26- Jacob gives his opinion on how big a role rapid chess should play in the World Championship Cycle. 1:35- What will be the next phase of chess, following what Jacob calls, “the digital period"? Jacob mentions a couple of alternatives to Chess960 that he finds interesting. 1:42- Jacob’s contact info and goodbyes

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EP.110 - USCF Master Michael "F-pawn" Aigner Jan 22, 2019

USCF Master Michael Aigner is a player and coach who is well-known in the Bay Area of California. He has coached many future titled players, and also holds a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Thanks to Michael for an informative and inspiring conversation. Read on for details of all that we discussed.0:00- Intro and quick discussion of how the Bay Area teams are doing in the Pro Chess League. What distinguishes Michael’s coaching style? Amongst his favorite games to share are those of Mikhail Tal, and any game between Carlsen and Aronian.8:00- How did Michael get into chess as a teen in the early 1990s? How did he get better quickly in the pre-computer age? (There were a lot of early losses involved.) Michael was not a big chess book aficionado but he learned openings from an encyclopedia called Modern Chess Openings and was a big fan of the book Mikhail Tal’s Life and Games. 18:50- Michael shares some of the advice he generally gives his students. For example, he thinks 15 minute chess is a good time control to practice online, as it is fast enough to be able to play multiple games, but slow enough to have educational value for the player.What was it like for Michael to coach future GMs Daniel Naroditsky and Steven Zierk? Michael tells some great stories to illustrate the tenacity and enthusiasm that these top players showed at a young age.27:30- A brief discussion of what scholastic chess teachers and US Chess can do to help chess players retain interest in chess past their teen years.31:00- Michael discusses the special role that chess plays in his life due to his physical condition, called quadrilateral phocomelia. As Michael discusses, this condition means that he gets around in a wheelchair, but this definitely does not deter him from competing over the board.37:30- Michael answers a question from a listener about how he handles wheelchair accessibility issues in his tournaments.44:30- Michael answers another question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast, about whether he would recommend chess as a hobby to others with physical disabilities.48:00- Michael tackles a list of questions sent in from Michael’s friend and sometime opponent, Stewart Katz, relating to chess teaching and competing.1:00- Michael discusses how he follows top level chess and names a couple of his favorite chess announcers, plus he gives his take on whether the World Championship format should be changed.1:06- Wrap up and contact info for Michael Aigner- You can keep up with Michael on his website,Facebook, Twitter and his blog. This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable.com- Check it out if you haven't already!

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EP.109 - GM Mauricio Flores Jan 15, 2019

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is Chilean Grandmaster, acclaimed chess author and newly minted Applied Mathematics Ph. D., Mauricio Flores. Mauricio and I covered a wide variety of chess related topics. Check them out below: 0:00- Introduction and we discuss Mauricio’s outstanding book Chess Structures. Mauricio explains how the idea for the book occurred to him and how he went about writing it. This includes a discussion of how Mauricio managed to become a GM despite a relative lack of resources in Chile, and the changes he made in his playing style as his study time became more scarce. How did he get great at tactics? Mauricio recommended CT-Art. He completed the entire tactics course 4 times! 16:00- How did Mauricio find out about the possibility of getting a chess scholarship in the United States, how did chess change his life? How did he find life in the US when he enrolled at University of Texas at Brownsville as an 18 yr. Old? What is next for Mauricio on the heels of finishing his math Ph. D? 25:00- Mauricio answers a question about his thoughts on other chess “structure books”, and reveals what he believes to be the most important aspect of writing a chess book. 34:00- Mauricio discusses his playing career and talks about why he is unable to compete much these days. We also discuss the Pro Chess League- Mauricio will be playing for his hometown Minnesota Blizzard along with IM John Bartholomew, GM Andrew Tang and others. 39:00- Book recommendations. Mauricio is a big fan of Quality Chess books such as Grandmaster Repetoire: 1.e4 , Learn from the Legends, and also of 100 Endgames You Must Know. 43:00- Mauricio gives his perspective on what the implications for chess could be of AlphaZero’s ascent. 50:00- What is the difference between 2500 level GMs and Super GMs? What steps would Mauricio take if he were to focus only on improving his chess even more?

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EP.108 - IM Tania Sachdev Jan 08, 2019

This week’s guest is well known chess competitor, presenter and Red Bull Athlete, IM Tania Sachdev. Check the timestamps below for discussion topics. 👇👇 0:00- Introduction and discussion of what to watch for and who is playing at the upcoming Gibraltar Chess Festival where Tania, along with GM Simon Williams and IM Jovanka Houska, will be a part of the announcing team. We also talk about the 2017 controversy at Gibraltar involving former Women’s World Champion Hou Yifan. 14:45- We segue into the schedule of upcoming tournaments in which Tania plans to compete These include the India Team Championship, and the Reykjavik Open The interview Tania mentions, which she conducted with GM Boris Gelfand at the 2018 Gibraltar Chess Festival, can be viewed here. Tania mentions that she always studies Mark Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual before a tournament. She also recommends the books Positional Play, and Thinking Inside the Box, both of which are part of the Grandmaster Preparation Series by GM Jacob Aagaard. 23:26- What was it like to train with renowned trainer GM Jacob Aagaard? Tania tells a great story regarding the memorable advice GM Aagard gave her as she struggled to keep up with stronger players at a training camp. 30:33- Actionable advice for chess players looking to improve. Tania emphasizes that remembering GM Aagaard’s fabled 3 questions when playing helped her game immeasurably. (The 3 questions are: What is your worst placed piece? What is my opponent intending? What is your opponent’s weakness?) 33:50- How did Tania became a representative of Red Bull India, and what is the nature of her role as a Red Bull athlete? 37:50- How are things changing for women in Chess within her native India? 41:00- Tania discusses how she spends her time away from the board when at home in Delhi. You can keep up with Tania on: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.

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EP.107 - IM Greg Shahade Returns (again) Jan 04, 2019

This week on Perpetual Chess, Pro Chess League and US Chess School founder IM Greg Shahade makes his annual return to the podcast. Instead of giving a detailed description of all that we discussed, my New Years Resolution for the podcast is to endeavor to provide timestamps of the major topics that each guest addresses. Below, you can find this week's timestamps, including any relevant links. As always, you can keep up with Greg on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

For relevant hyperlinks, please go to the show webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/1/4/episode-107-im-greg-shahade-returns-again

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EP.106 USCF Master Vinesh Ravuri (Adult Improver Series) Dec 24, 2018

This week the popular, chess improvement-focused, "adult improver" edition of Perpetual Chess returns, but with a twist. This week's improver, USCF Master Vinesh Ravuri of California, is just 17 years old. Nonetheless, I felt that motivated chess players of all ages could learn from the meteoric rating gain that Vinesh has shown in the past few years (over 1000 USCF points since 2014). Check out his US rating graph here. Here is a bit more detail about what Vinesh and I discussed: Vinesh told the story of how he got into chess, and shared why he thinks it took multiple exposures to the game, in both the U.S. and India, for a passion for it to take hold. Vinesh and I discussed the many ways to try to improve at chess, and discussed which methods have been most effective for him. Spoiler: he has done a ton of tactics puzzles. Vinesh shared a few book recommendations for different levels, and talked about the challenges he has faced as his rating has climbed and his free time has become more scarce. Thanks to Vinesh for joining me, you can root on his San Jose Hackers in the upcoming Pro Chess League, and track his games or contact him about chess lessons here. This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, please go here:

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EP.105 - GM Alexandra Kosteniuk Dec 18, 2018

This week’s guest, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, has won countless chess titles but is probably best known as The 12th Women’s World Champion and a perennial threat to retake that crown. GM Kosteniuk stays extremely busy, as in addition to being playing frequent top-level chess, she streams chess on twitch for chess.com, has been announcing high-level events and also somehow finds the time to work on her chess, spend time with her family, and even run marathons. In our conversation, Alexandra and touched on all of these facets of her life, and she tackled the following questions: What does she think of the format of the Men's World Championship? What about the announced changes in the Women's World Championship Candidates Cycle? What does she advise to study when one feels like they have hit a plateau? How can one maintain perspective when struggling at the chessboard? What advice would she give to young female chess players who may feel daunted by the preponderance of men playing chess?For someone who has had so much success, Alexandra clearly has a grounded perspective on chess and on life. When she is not battling at the board, you can follow her on twitter.

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EP.104 - GM Joel Benjamin Dec 11, 2018

A giant of US Chess, GM Joel Benjamin, joins me this week. In addition to being a 3 time US champion, and hosting a weekly chess show on the Internet Chess Club, Joel has just published his fourth book, Better Thinking, Better Chess. Naturally, Joel and I began our conversation by discussing some topics covered in the book such as: What are the causes of and potential solutions to typical mistakes that Joel sees in his students, such as a failure to generate candidate moves, and a hesitance about sacrificing the exchange? Joel and I also discussed the following: What was GM Benjamin's impression of the World Championship? Should the match format be changed? What are Joel's favorite chess games, stories and books? Joel has some great stories! Joel Benjamin has had a long and storied career, so needless to say, this was an entertaining conversation. Thanks to Joel for joining me. In addition to his excellent new book, Liquidation on the Chessboard, and American Grandmaster, also come highly recommended. The chess games Joel mentions are:Seirawan-Benjamin 1979Portisch-Benjamin 1987Abramovich-Benjamin 1984 game not online, but an excerpt can be found in his new book :) This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable.com

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EP.103 - GM Jóhann Hjartarson Dec 04, 2018

GM Jóhann Hjartarson is a legend of Icelandic Chess and has a firm place in the chess history books. He is best known for defeating GM Viktor Korchnoi in a match during the 1988 Candidates Cycle (before succumbing to Anatoly Karpov), but he is also the 6 time champion of Iceland, and the 2 time Nordic Champion. Jóhann took some time out from his duties at the World Championship in London, and we discussed the following: His impressions of the World Championship, and what his responsibilities were as a member of the Appeals Committee for the match. Perspective and stories from the height of his chess career, when he was among the top players in the world and crossed swords with all time greats like Kasparov, Karpov and Korchnoi. What led him to decide, at a time when he was near the peak of his chess powers, to transition from playing chess full time to working as a lawyer? Does he regret this decision? Has he kept up with the changes in study habits among world elites? What are his favorite chess books? This interview was quite a treat for me as a fan of chess history, and I think that you will enjoy it too. Thanks so much to Johann for sharing his experiences! This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable.comGM Hjartarson's favorite game of his own, Game 1 of his match vs. Korchnoi is here. His favorite game by any player, Spassky vs. Fischer, Game 13, is here.

For relevant hyperlinks, please go to the show webpage here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2018/12/4/episode-103-gm-jhann-hjartarson

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Bonus Episode - IM Mark Dvoretsky (2004 Interview with Fred Wilson) Nov 27, 2018

I am off this week, but I have some awesome bonus content for you. Have a listen to the January 7, 2004 interview that Fred Wilson conducted with the now-deceased, legendary chess trainer, author, and player IM Mark Dvoretsky. This is one of the many great historical chess interviews that I am posting on the Perpetual Chess Patreon page for those who donate $3.50 per month or more. Fred WIlson's archive will also feature old interviews with GMs Andy Soltis, Arthur Bisguier, Maurice Ashley, Lubomir Kavalek and many more. Here are a few of the questions that Fred asked of IM Dvoretsky in their conversation: Did Mark agree with GM Lev Alburt's suggestion that Boris Spassky had more chess talent than Bobby Fischer as a youth? How many positions did IM Dvoretsky have in his legendary file of positions for titled students to study? What were some of his favorite chess books of all time (besides his own)? What did he think of Peter Svidler's prospects of becoming World Champion in 2004? Was there any other young talent he thought might ascend to the highest title? So much chess history is shared within this 90 minute conversation that it is difficult for me to do it justice in a summary. Just listen and enjoy!

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EP.102 - World Championship report with IM Eric Rosen and IM Kostya Kavutskiy Nov 20, 2018

On a rest day (after Game 8) for the World Championship in London, friends of the podcast (and previous guests) IMs Eric Rosen and Kostya Kavutskiy were nice enough to take some time and give Perpetual listeners a taste of what its like to be attending, reporting, and photographing the dramatic, ongoing World Chess Championship between GMs Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. This episode is meant to have more of a "breaking news" feeling than your typical Perpetual Chess interview, so it's a shorter interview, but we covered a lot of ground. To wit: What was the mood like at the venue in Game 8 as Fabiano Caruana missed his best chance for a win over Magnus Carlsen? What openings might we see in the remaining games? Is there a clear rooting interest among the people attending the match? Does either player have more vocal fans? What are the conditions like for spectators? What about for photographers like Eric Rosen and his colleagues? IM Kostya Kavutskiy has done some great write-ups and game analysis for US Chess for the games that he has attended, while Eric Rosen has taken over the US Chess twitter account in addition to taking great photos like this one,. You can keep up with their great content in the following places: Kostya Kavutskiy's twitter account, Kostya's Youtube Channel Eric Rosen's twitter account and Eric's Youtube Channel To support the podcast please go here:

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EP.101 - GM Pontus Carlsson Returns Nov 20, 2018

Almost 17 months after his first visit to Perpetual Chess, GM Pontus Carlsson returns to discuss his latest projects and the recent developments in the chess world (including the World Championship). Among the topics we talked about are: Pontus' recent trip to New Orleans for a philanthropic initiative. He has helped launch Business meets Chess and Kids, an organization that pairs business leaders with underprivileged kids in tandem chess, with the goal of using chess as a form for networking and mentorship for the younger generation. Pontus told stories from his trip and talked about future plans for this inspiring effort. Pontus gave a couple of great book recommendations and gave some advice for infrequent tournament competitors who are trying to shake off some rust (for example, say, the host of this podcast). We talked about a couple of the themes emerging from the ongoing World Championship match, and Pontus shared some stories and perspectives from past experiences having met and talked with the likes of Magnus Carlsen, Veselin Topalov and Anish Giri. This guest is always entertaining, with plenty of wisdom to share, so there is lots more to enjoy from our conversation. You can reach Pontus via his website here. If you would like to buy a limited edition Perpetual Chess t-shirt or hoodie, you can do so here. (A portion of the proceeds will go to Business meets Chess and Kids ) To support the podcast via Patreon, click here:

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EP.100 - Carsten Hensel (Author, Former Manager of GM Vladimir Kramnik) Nov 13, 2018

My guest this week is Carsten Hensel. He is a chess organizer and author who has also spent time as the manager for two elite players- GMs Vladimir Kramnik and GM Peter Leko. Much to the benefit of chess fans, he has written a book about his experiences managing GM Kramnik, called Vladimir Kramnik - The Inside Story of a Chess Genius. The English version of this book will be published by Quality Chess later in November. The published excerpts and this interview suggest that this book will be a must read for those interested in GM Kramnik and/or modern chess history. Here are a few of the highlights of what Carsten Hensel and I discussed: How did he first encounter GM Kramnik, and how did they come to develop a working relationship? Carsten reflects on some of Kramnik's most famous matches- a disappointing Candidates loss to GM Alexei Shirov in 1998, followed by a thrilling World Championship victory over Garry Kasparov in 2000. What was it like to be the manager of both World Championship participants in the 2004 Leko-Kramnik World Championship match? As a high-level chess organizer and promoter, what are his thoughts on how to pitch corporations on sponsoring chess players and events? This was a fascinating conversation, as Carsten has had a ring side seat to much of modern chess history. Thanks to Carsten for chatting- you can email him here. If you are interested in learning more about hearing Fred WIlson's old interviews (as mentioned in the introduction) go to the Perpetual Chess Patreon here:

Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP.99 - Chessable CEO and Co-Founder David Kramaley Nov 06, 2018

This week I talked to 31 year old programmer, chess player, and entrepreneur David Kramaley, who is the co-founder and CEO of Chessable, a fast growing chess-educational start up. During our conversation,David and I discuss How he caught the "chess bug" in his early 20's. and how that enthusiasm ultimately led to the launch of Chessable. With its co-founder, IM John Bartholomew David launched Chessable in February of 2016. What lessons did David learn from his prior startup, Sharkius? What is he doing to make sure he strikes the right balance between product development and marketing? What new features are forthcoming from Chessable? How does David decide which improvements to prioritize? Of course we also get chess and business book recommendations which can be found here. You can email David here. Some other events/opportunities that came up during our conversation are linked below. To celebrate the release of Christof Sielecki's Chessable book in print form, Chessable is having a giveaway/contest. Enter here. Chessable meet-up in London on November 20, during the World Championship Geert van der Velde's free courses include Carlsen-Caruana move by move, and the Olympiad Tactics Trainer. IM Christof Sielecki's. aka ChessExplained 's repetorire against 1. e4, featuring Fabi’s Petroff, wil be released next week, and can be found here.

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EP.98 - GM Michael Rohde Oct 30, 2018

Venerable American GM Michael Rohde has been one of the top 100 players in the world, and he still competes actively on the American chess circuit. Mike writes frequently for US Chess Online, and American Chess Magazine and is also a practicing lawyer, and chess teacher. Here is what Mike and I discussed:- What psychological dynamics come into play when he plays another strong chess grinder, such as IM Jay Bonin, whom he has played hundreds of times in tournament games? - Are there any talented young players he has noticed recently while competing in and reporting on tournaments?- What are his memories of playing GM Spassky and seeing the young Polgar sisters at the 1987 New York Open Tournament (which was one of the largest and strongest open tournaments in the world for many years)? We covered all of this and much more, so listen up! Thanks to GM Rohde for sharing his knowledge and experiences. If you'd like to help support the podcast go here.

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EP.97 - USCF Master Alex King Oct 23, 2018

Alex King is a 29 year old Memphis,Tennessee based USCF Master. He is also a full time chess teacher, an adult improver, and a talented musician. We covered many topics on this week's podcast such as: Alex's recent return to the U.S. after traveling to Prague in order to board the fabled "Chess Train," through Central Europe. Alex told us a bit about the history of this unique chess vacation, shared the highlights of his trip and gave us the recap of his 11 round tournament on the train. Alex gave detailed practical advice on how to improve one's calculation and blindfold abilities. He also shared many of the adjustments he made to his game after completing college, just before he made a 170 point rating jump to 2350 USCF (26:00). We discussed the similarities between chess and music, and whether or not Alex likes to listen to music when he's playing and studying chess. We touched on assorted other topics such as Alex's unique approach to studying his blitz games, his book recommendations, his thoughts on the world championship, and lots more. Thanks to Alex for a fascinating conversation.

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EP.96 - Cristobal Cervino (Adult Improver series) Oct 16, 2018

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series charges onward this week with another inspiring tale of chess improvement. This week's guest, Candidate Master and economist Cristobal Cervino, wrote some popular blog posts detailing how he made a 170 ELO point jump (from 1935 to 2102) in a fifteen-month span a few years back. For background, you can read the posts that Cristobal wrote about his approach here, here and here. Cristobal and I discussed: Why is calculation the most important thing to work on for club-level players? What resources did he utilize to improve at it? How should one go about analyzing one's own chess games? How soon after playing should one analyze them? Why has he plateaued at around the 2100 level in the past few years? Does he have current aspirations of making another push forward? Cristobal was glad to share some of his favorite chess books and resources, both for chess improvement and for appreciation of chess history. Thanks so much to Cristobal for joining me. You can find him as "Kingzilla" on chess.com or chesstempo.

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EP.95 - USCF Master and Cognitive Scientist Christopher Chabris Oct 09, 2018

This week Perpetual Chess features an interview with USCF Master and renowned Cognitive Scientist Christopher Chabris. In the world of psychology, Christopher is best known for his collaboration with Daniel Simons regarding "inattentional blindness". This was most famously demonstrated in the viral Youtube video called "Invisible Gorilla." Professors Chabris and Simons later published a book expanding on their research and Christopher has published many more interesting studies related to human biases and cognition. But of course, we mostly talked about chess and how Christopher's research relates to chess! Are there examples of "inattentional blindness" or other cognitive biases in chess competitions? If so how can we combat them? Detailed advice on how to assimilate chess patterns and improve quickly at the game based on Christopher's experiences and his knowledge of how the brain works. Stories from Professor Chabris' time in the chess world. He has been in involved in publishing chess books and periodicals (see here), and has rubbed shoulders with Kasparov, Caruana and other chess luminaries. A discussion of the state of Christopher's own chess game, and some prominent and some lesser known chess book recommendations. Thanks to Christopher Chabris for a fascinating discussion!

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Ep. 94- USCF Master and Author Elliott Neff Oct 02, 2018

Elliott Neff, my guest this week on Perpetual Chess comes to us direct from the Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia. Elliott is a USCF Master who founded the thriving Chess4Life chess education organization. He is also a chess trainer who will be releasing his first book, A Pawn's Journey: Transforming Lives one Move at a Time, on October 9. Elliott and I discussed: Elliott's perspective on the Olympiad. This is his first time attending, so he told us what has surprised him about the event. He reported on a couple of the teams, including the Ugandan women's team, which he is helping to coach. How Elliott became a friend and coach of Phiona Mutesi of Queen of Katwe fame. Plus, Elliott gives an update on Phiona's life and chess career since the release of the movie telling her story. Elliott's recommendations for chess improvement, plus some awesome advice on how to get better at blindfold chess and visualization. What inspired Elliott to write a book? What impact can chess have away from the chessboard? Thanks to Elliott for joining me. You can reach him via Chess4life here, or at his website here. If you would like to help support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.93 - Tarjei Svensen Sep 25, 2018

Norwegian reporter, chess player, and photographer Tarjei Svensen is a frequent correspondent at elite chess tournaments and a popular and indispensable source of information on “chess Twitter.” Tarjei joins me this week to discuss the following: - How he gets scoops and manages finances as a chess reporter who is often working independently. - His plans for covering the 2018 World Chess Championships and some info on whether his friend and collaborator, GM Jonathan Tisdall, will be writing about the match again this year. - Tarjei’s own chess game, including some discussion of encounters with a very young Magnus Carlsen, and a few books that he recommends. We also talk about some interesting match-related statistics that Tarjei recently revealed on Twitter, and his twitter recommendations for whom to follow during the World Championships. Tarjei recommends following Olympiu Urcan, GM Jonthan Tisdall, Chess.com, Chessbase, and Chess24. Thanks to Tarjei for taking time from his busy schedule! You can follow him on Twitter here, and read his chess coverage here. If you are interested in supporting Perpetual Chess go here.

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EP.92 - Grandmaster Lev Alburt Sep 18, 2018

Editor’s Note- The audio quality on this interview is somewhat lackluster, so if you would like to read a transcript of our interview, you can do so here. This week on Perpetual Chess my guest is the 3 time champion of both the US and Ukraine, GM Lev Alburt. Lev is also a very popular chess author and teacher. He has co-authored books, such as World Chess Championships: Karjakin-Carlsen (with Jon Crumiller and GM Vladimir Kramnik,) The Comprehensive Chess Course (with Roman Pelts,) plus many others. Lev also writes the popular Back to Basics column in Chess Life Magazine. I hope you will enjoy our conversation about: The world champions and chess legends he has known. When did he first hear about future World Champions Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparov? Who are the modern-world chess champions he has found to be less likable than the others? How Lev decided on the unique format for this 2016 Carlsen-Karjakin Match book, and why GM Vladimir Kramnik was persuaded to contribute to the book after some initial hesitation. Of course, GM Alburt also shares his thoughts on the rapidly approaching 2018 World Chess Championship. Tips and recommendations for chess improvement. The three pillars of Lev's study advice are the 1) play chess competitively 2) Analyze your games and 3) Find time for uninterrupted study. There is much more! Thanks so much to GM Alburt for joining me.

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EP.91 - Grandmaster Andy Soltis Sep 11, 2018

This week on Perpetual Chess I am joined by the acclaimed and prolific chess author, columnist and historian, GM Andy Soltis. GM Soltis and I discussed the following: His most recent book, 365 Chess Master Lessons: Take One a Day to Be a Better Chess Player, and his upcoming work, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky and Korchnoi: A Chess Multibiography with 206 Games. We discussed how GM Soltis got the ideas for these books, and how he comes up with writing subjects generally. Andy also shared lots of details about what goes into researching, writing and naming his books. His two longstanding chess columns in the New York Post (since 1972), and in Chess Life magazine (since 1079), Andy discusses how these columns came into being, and how he has managed to keep them going all those years. Andy shares his thoughts on the upcoming World Championships and the modern chess scene more generally. Of course, GM Soltis also had great stories to share about the likes of Bobby Fischer, Viktor Korchnoi and Mikhail Tal.Thanks so much to Andy for joining me, it was an honor to speak with him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.90 - International Master V. Saravanan Sep 04, 2018

V. Saravanan is an International Master, a chess journalist and a voracious reader of chess books. Saravanan resides in Chennai, India, but joined me from St. Louis where he had just concluded covering the Sinquefield Cup for Chessbase. We discussed: IM Saravanan’s impression of the St. Louis Chess Club, and of the tournaments he had just covered. Stories and impressions of Super GM Viswanathan Anand who he has known for decades. What makes Anand a special talent and person? Saravanan also shares broader perspective about the Indian chess boom. Saravanan expounded on the incredible YouTube video he did, showing off his chess library to IM Sagar Shah. He rattled off a few more favorite chess books and shared his views regarding chess improvement. Thanks to Saravanan for an entertaining and informative conversation. Follow him on twitter here To support the podcast go here.

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EP.89 - International Master Kostya Kavutskiy Returns Aug 28, 2018

This week on Perpetual Chess, one of my earliest guests returns for an update on his life and travels. Twenty-five year old IM Kostya Kavutskiy is an active chess player, teacher, writer and content creator. We catch up with him after his busy summer of traversing 3 continents while playing and coaching chess. Kostya discusses the highlights of his trip, and the primary chess lessons he derived from his summer of high level competitive chess. (This includes a discussion of a position where he agreed to a draw in what was actually a winning position.) Check out the game here. We also cover: Chess improvement advice focused on methods of analysis of one's own games, plus some fresh chess book recommendations. A breakdown of some of his favorite chess announcers, both in the English and the Russian languages. A discussion of how he uses chess engines, and what it means when two different engines give starkly different evaluations. Thanks to Kostya for joining me. He has a Patreon page on which he shares great chess educational content. Check it out here. You can also follow/contact him via twitter or his webpage.

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EP.88 - Grandmaster Yannick Pelletier (hosted by Macauley Peterson) Aug 21, 2018

Today's show was recorded in Switzerland: Biel to be exact, home of the 51st International Chess Festival — which included a GM tournament won by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov ahead of Magnus Carlsen — and also the birthplace of today's guest, Grandmaster Yannick Pelletier. In chess, he's the Tournament Director in Biel as well as an accomplished player and commentator, but also polyglot and soon-to-be art/design/lifestyle media entrepreneur. Check out his YouTube channel and new magazine project Yunomi. Pelletier has been the Swiss Champion six times, and although he doesn't play more than a few tournaments a year nowadays, he has won three games from Magnus Carlsen, including one after Carlsen became World Champion. Yannick talks about life as a chess professional both before and after having kids, provides a history of the Biel Festival plus gives the 101 on how the Swiss manage to get along so well despite having multiple official languages. Macauley Peterson (Editor in Chief of ChessBase News) guest hosts once again, and he strongly suggests you support Perpetual Chess either via Patreon or using this special link at the ChessBase shop. Perhaps a video series from Yannick himself — he's recorded several and also contributes to ChessBase Magazine!

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EP.87 - Stacia Pugh (Adult Improver Series) Aug 14, 2018

This week on Perpetual Chess, the popular adult improver series makes its triumphant return, with another great guest. I am joined by Stacia Pugh. Stacia has only been playing tournament chess for a few years but has seen her rating rapidly rise to 1777, including a 300 point rise in the past year. What's her story? How did she do it? Stacia joins us to discuss exactly that. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

For the full episode description, timestamps, and links, please go here.

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2018/8/13/episode-87-stacia-pugh-adult-improver-series

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EP.86 - USCF Master Fred Wilson Aug 07, 2018

This week's guest on Perpetual Chess is USCF Master Fred Wilson. Fred is a chess author, teacher and for forty-five years, he has run a business, selling used and rare chess books! He also still competes actively, and he recently became one of the oldest US chess players to attain the USCF Master title for the first time, at the age of 71. How did he do it? Fred joins us to tell us just that, as we discussed the following topics: His #1 piece of advice for older chess players, along with plenty of study tips and recommendations of chess books. His stories from his time hosting a chess interview show, "Chess and Books with Fred WIlson," in the early 2000s for the Internet Chess Club. Fred discusses his favorite guests, and reveals what has become of the audio files of these interviews. His memories of a few of his encounters with Bobby Fischer and other NY chess personalities. Thanks to Fred for joining me, check out the books he has written here. You can see the list of books he is currently selling here, or visit his store in NYC at: 41 Union Square West (at 17th Street), Suite 718, New York 10003.

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EP.85 - FIDE Master Mike Klein Jul 31, 2018

FM Mike Klein is an old friend of mine. He also is a guy who has been involved in many facets of the chess industry. Mike was a scholastic champion, he's a great chess teacher, he was recognized as chess journalist of the year in 2012, and now he writes, edits, and creates content for chess.com and chesskid.com (for the latter he goes by the moniker "Fun Master Mike"). Here is what Mike and I discussed: Mike's newest project, an entertaining and informative chess-free podcast, called Extreme Travel Odysseys Chess advice relating to competing in, studying, and teaching chess Stories from his reporting assignments, including the times he spent playing tennis, soccer, and basketball with the likes of Magnus Carlsen, Rex Sinquefield and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and others. Thanks to Mike for joining me. You can reach him via chess.com here. Subscribe to his podcast here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.84 - FIDE Master Carsten Hansen Jul 24, 2018

The popular and prolific chess author, FM Carsten Hansen is my guest this week. By his current count, Carsten has written 26 chess books.. The depth of his chess knowlege is quite impressive, but his knowledge of chess openings is a particular specialty. Carsten and I discussed the following topics: Carsten's latest book, The Full English Opening. How did he pick the topic, and what is the story of how he came to love the English opening? How did his initial venture into the world of writing and publishing chess books come about? He also shares some insider intell on how the chess publishing business works, including the impact that Print on Demand may have on the industry in the future. Carsten's favorite chess players, advice for chess improvement, and a couple of book recommendations that have not previously been suggested on Perpetual Chess. Thanks to Carsten for joining me. You can buy his books here, Follow him on twitter here, and check out his webpage here.

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EP.83 - Grandmaster Paco Vallejo Jul 17, 2018

Thanks to 5 time Spanish National Champion, GM Paco Vallejo, for being my guest on Perpetual Chess this week. GM Vallejo had just returned from the Leon Masters Chess Tournament, featuring GM Wesley So, and young talents, GM elect- Ramesh Praggnanandhaa and IM Jaime Santos. Paco recapped the event for listeners, with a particular emphasis on the peculiar "dual blunder" that helped him get by IM Santos in the opening round. Other topics covered in our conversation: Paco discussed the experience of serving as a second to GM Topalov, and revealed why he is unlikely to pursue a similar job again. Paco discussed the challenges he has faced in his life away from the board over the past few years, including family issues and a vexing tax issue courtesy of the Spanish government. Paco gave detailed chess improvement advice to hungry chess students, and even gave some advice for male chess players looking to meet women!You can follow Paco on twitter here.or via his website here. To support the podcast go here.

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EP.82 - Frederic Friedel (Co-Founder of Chessbase, hosted by Macauley Peterson) Jul 10, 2018

Summer substitute Macauley Peterson takes another turn on the mic, this time close to home with a sort of guided oral history by ChessBase co-founder Frederic Friedel. Frederic tells stories of meeting Garry Kasparov, Nigel Short, Viswanathan Anand and many others for the first time, and later hosting them at his home in a suburb of Hamburg. There may be something in the water there because it seems like practically every World Champion and challenger since Kasparov has spent time with the Friedels over the past 35 years. You'll learn how ChessBase came to be, how Vladimir Kramnik felt about an early version of Fritz, what endgame kept Peter Leko up at night, which Leonard Barden book Frederic keeps in arms reach, and much more. Check out bonus material and support Perpetual Chess using this special link at the ChessBase shop.

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EP.81 - Judit Sztaray (Executive Director of Bay Area Chess) Jul 03, 2018

Judit Sztaray, the Executive Director of Bay Area Chess, is my guest this week on Perpetual Chess. Bay Area Chess, based in San Jose, California, is the largest provider of chess classes on the west coast of the US, with programs in over 100 schools. Bay Area Chess frequently runs tournaments as well as its classes, and Judit has a great deal to share about the goals and the work of the organization. In my conversation we discuss: The recent simul they hosted, conducted by Former Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan. Judit discussed how an event like this comes about, and how the event was received in the Bay Area. The origins of BAC and how Judit wound up as Executive Director. Judit also discussed the funding of their program and the challenges she and her team can face in looking to raise money for BAC and for the Pro Chess League. The role of Bay Area Chess' as supporter of the San Jose Hackers of the Pro Chess League. Judit reviewed their 2018 season and talked some about how they recruited world class players like Grandmasters Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Rauf Mamedov. Thanks to Judit for joining me on the podcast. You can reach her via email here, and learn more about Bay Area Chess here.

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EP.80 - Grandmaster Genna Sosonko Jun 27, 2018

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the eminent chess author, GM Genna Sosonko. GM Sosonko has enjoyed a distinguished career as a chess player. He was once in the top 20 of the world's players and has helped train chess legends like Mikhail Tal and Viktor Korchnoi. But in recent years he has become best known for his beautiful chess writing. In our interview, we touch on GM Sosonko’s career and on the story behind his emigrating from the USSR to the Netherlands in the 1970’s, but the main focus of our discussion is his two most recent books: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein, and Evil-Doer: Half a Century with Viktor Korchnoi. We talked about: What made David Bronstein's chess so brilliant? What did his peers think of him? What did those who trained with Viktor Korchnoi' say about him? Has GM Sosonko met any other chess player who could rival Korchnoi's legendary love for, will to study, and obsession with chess? What shaped the personalities of these two notoriously prickly chess legends? In closing, we touched a bit on the modern chess landscape, and of course GM Sosonko told some great stories during our conversation. He even recommended a book (although it may not be so easy to find. ) Thanks so much to GM Sosonko for joining me for a very entertaining and informative conversation. Please buy and enjoy his wonderful books here:Evil Doer: Half a Century with Viktor KorchnoiThe Rise and Fall of David Bronstein.

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EP.79 - International Master Malcolm Pein (guest host Macauley Peterson) Jun 25, 2018

Picking up on the theme of FIDE politics from the last episode, ChessBase Editor-in-Chief Macauley Peterson also spoke with IM Malcolm Pein while attending the first stop on the Grand Chess Tour in Leuven, Belgium. Macauley and Malcolm discuss the GCT 2018, which is continuing with more rapid and blitz in Paris, before turning to issues related to the FIDE election. Malcolm weighs in on the FIDE / Agon proposed "broadcast policy," the upcoming World Championship in London, why he joined the Makropoulos team, the impact of the pending RCF nomination of Arkady Dvorkovich, whether the election will be free and fair, and of course his old friend Nigel Short. While you listen, swing by the ChessBase shop, using this special link through which any orders will help support Perpetual Chess.

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EP.78 - Grandmaster Nigel Short (Guest Host Macauley Peterson) Jun 19, 2018

Perpetual Chess makes a "zwischenzug" over to Europe where Macauley Peterson, Editor-in-Chief of ChessBase.com, is filling in for Ben this week. Macauley caught up with Grandmaster Nigel Short in Leuven, Belgium, at the close of the first tournament of the Grand Chess Tour 2018, the "Your Next Move Rapid and Blitz" tournament, where Short was a commentator. The former World Championship challenger is still an active player, but in May he launched a bid to succeed Kirsan Ilyumzhinov as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation. Shortly before the interview, news broke that in addition to FIDE's current Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos, who declared his candidacy in April, a new candidate from Russia was entering the race: Arkady Dvorkovich, a prominent figure in Russian chess circles who currently serves as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA 2018 World Cup, and has deep Kremlin ties, as a former Deputy Prime Minister. Short explains why he's in the race, what's wrong with FIDE, and how he intends to fix it. If you're interested in browsing the vast ChessBase shop, use this special link to help support Perpetual Chess.

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EP.77 - Grandmaster Josh Friedel Jun 12, 2018

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is well-regarded American GM Josh Friedel. Josh is a frequent competitor on the American GM circuit, who also teaches, writes and lectures about chess. We talked about the following:- His most recent project, a YouTube series called “Autopsy,” in which he does an in-depth analysis of an educational chess game, with an emphasis on highlighting critical mistakes. - The matter of prearranged draws in GM games (an issue recently raised by Magnus Carlsen) is there a way to avoid them? - Lots of other topics, including what openings we might expect in the upcoming World Championships, reflections on Sam Shankland’s torrid 2018, and a couple of fun stories about Kasparov and Karpov. Thanks to Josh for joining me. Check out his new YouTube series here, follow him on twitter here, and Facebook here. To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.76 - Andrzej Krzywda (Adult Improver Series) Jun 05, 2018

This week on Perpetual Chess, by popular demand, we begin an occasional series which will be called "Adult Improvers". For Adult Improvers we will feature a guest who is making significant strides in improving his or her chess performance, and focus extensively on how that improvement is being attained. The first such guest is Polish Candidate Master Andrzej Kryzdwa. Andrzej had been hovering around 2100 FIDE for over 20 years when he decided to devote a significant amount of his time to pursuing the International Master title. Andrzej is 38 years old, runs a small business, and is married with two children, so the time that he can devote to this pursuit is limited. Nonetheless, in the past couple of years, Andrzej has shown great success, culminating in a recent tournament with a 2579 Performance Rating, his first IM Norm (!), and a FIDE rating now well north of 2200. How did he do it? Tune in to find out. You can find more details and timestamps below:

For full show notes, please go here:

www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2018/6/4/episode-76-andrzej-krzywda-adult-improver-series

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EP.75 - Grandmaster David Navara May 29, 2018

On this week’s Perpetual Chess I talk to Super GM David Navarra. GM Navara is the eight time champion of the Czech Republic. He has been ranked as high as #14 in the world, but you wouldn’t know it by talking to him. GM Navara and I discussed the following- - His busy schedule of upcoming tournaments - His most memorable chess achievements, including being a part of the winning European Club Cup winning team in 2013, and playing with the likes of Kasparov and Karpov. - His advice for improving your chess play and enhancing your chess intuition.Thanks to GM Navara for joining me for an insightful interview. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.74 - Grandmaster Irina Krush May 25, 2018

My final guest live from Nashville was none other than the seven-time winner of the US Women’s Championship, GM Irina Krush. Irina and I had a fun discussion, and covered the following topics: - Her reflections on the most recent US championships in St. Louis. (Irina finished in 3rd place)- How does she recover from tough losses? This is a crucial skill for all chess players to develop, and no, it doesn’t get much easier for grandmasters. - Why did she decide to devote herself full-time to chess while some of her peers have sought work in other fields? How does she manage to play so much while also teaching and writing about chess? Irina had many tales to tell, including stories of playing blitz with Magnus, playing future World Champ Hou Yifan when she was just 11 years old, the Olympiads and more. Thanks to Irina for a great chat. To see the puzzle from Shereshevsky's new book mentioned by Irina, go here. Black to move and win. To support the podcast go here. This is the last "Friday bonus" podcast, Perpetual returns to weekly Tuesday releases next week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.73 - Fide Master Sunil Weeramantry May 22, 2018

Today's guest on Perpetual Chess is renowned chess teacher and author, FM Sunil Weerumantry. Sunil has been teaching chess in the New York area for more than 30 years and has coached more national scholastic champions than one can count. He is also the step dad of GM Hikaru Nakamura and his brother Asuka, who also broke many US Scholastic records as a child. Sunil and I discussed: The great new book he co-authored with Alan Abrams and Robert McClellan called Great Moves: Learning Chess Through History. I highly recommend this book for chess teachers and chess history buffs. Sunil's story of growing up in Sri Lanka, making his way to New York, and becoming a chess teacher. What does one need to be "talented at chess"? Did he notice it in Hikaru and Asuka? Stories from travels with Hikaru and meeting chess legends Thanks to Sunil for joining me. You can order his book here. To support the podcast, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.72 - Coach Jay Stallings returns May 18, 2018

My second guest this weekend in Nashville, Tennessee marked the triumphant return to Perpetual Chess of popular chess teacher Jay Stallings. Jay gave an update on the status of the publication of the instructional chess books that he has been working on, which are an amazing resource for chess teachers, and for which he launched a successful Kickstarter campaign. You can order them here. Jay explained the difference between a "growth mindset" and a "fixed mindset", and shared what chess players can learn from Beyonce and baseball player Trevor Bauer. He discussed upcoming travel plans, including plotting a potential trip to the upcoming World Championships Jay suggested a few future Perpetual Chess guests. Thanks much to Jay for joining me again, it is always fun to hear his ideas and absorb his enthusiasm for chess. To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Ep. 71- Carol Meyer (USCF Executive Director ) and Mike Hoffpauir (President of USCF Board of Directors) May 15, 2018

This weekend at the biggest annual scholastic chess tournament in the United States, the Elementary School National Championships, I was honored to interview US Chess Federation (USCF) Executive Director Carol Meyer, and the President of the US Chess Board of Directors, Mike Hoffpauir. They both devote a big part of their lives to chess, and I think you will enjoy it as: Carol and Mike both talk about their backgrounds and share how they became involved with the USCF Carol discusses her vision for the USCF and discloses short-term and long-term plans that the organization is undertaking Carol and Mike discuss the role that the USCF plays with an American in the upcoming World Chess Championship Mike and Carol discuss some changes that they are implementing at future scholastic tournaments in light of a recent controversy. We also got some book recommendations and discussed the overall health of the USCF. Thanks to Carol and Mike for an insightful and fun interview. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.70 - Grandmaster Akshat Chandra May 08, 2018

This week’s guest is talented 18 year old GM Akshat Chandra. The former US Junior Champion spent some of his formative scholastic years in both India and the U.S., so he was able to offer some perspective on the differences between the two chess cultures. He also shared some insight about things that contributed to his swift improvement In chess, and shared his thoughts about the upcoming World Championship match. Last but definitely not least (13:00), we discussed the recent controversy that surrounds Akshat, as he finds himself defending against allegations of using engine assistance in online play. In a recent blog post, Akshat gave background information, about chess.com closing his account due to allegations of impropriety, and flatly denied these allegations. Subsequently he agreed to come on the podcast to discuss the issue with me. There has been a lot of public discussion of this controversy, such as in this chess Reddit thread In our conversation, Akshat tells his side of the story. This was a tough conversation to have and to summarize, so I encourage you all to listen to it yourself. Thanks to Akshat for joining me . You can follow him on twitter here, and check out his twitch streams here. To support the podcast, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.69 - International Master Kassa Korley May 01, 2018

My guest this week is 24-year-old IM Kassa Korley. Kassa is a strong young chess player, a YouTube steamer, a Duke University graduate, and he also works for a tech education startup. During our conversation he answered the following questions: Why does Kassa hate draws, what does he do to avoid them? How is Kassa's chess game progressing? He was the youngest African-American National Master in US history in 2008. Is his long-stated dream to become the 2nd African-American GM still alive? What was it like studying and playing chess in Denmark, of which he is also a citizen? What modern elite chess player shaped Kassa's game the most? What advice does he have for self-directed players looking to improve at chess? How and when did he meet and play blitz with Magnus Carlsen Thanks to Kassa for joining me, you can follow him on YouTube here, and reach him via email here. This episode is brought to you by Silver Knights Enrichment, if you are interested in working for them, check out their current opportunities here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.68 - US Chess Director of Publications Dan Lucas Apr 24, 2018

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the Director of Publications for the US Chess Federation, Dan Lucas. Dan has just launched a great chess podcast of his own which Perpetual Chess listeners are very likely to enjoy, "Cover Stories with Chess Life."We discussed: - What inspired the USCF’s new podcast? - How did Dan become the editor of Chess Life magazine, the USCF’s flagship magazine?-What does he look for in quality chess journalism? - What book about chess that is not a “chess book” altered the trajectory of Dan’s career? - You can email Dan here. - To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.67 - Grandmaster Vidit Gujarathi Apr 17, 2018

This week it is my honor to talk with India's 3rd highest rated player, twenty-three-year-old rising star, GM Vidit Gujrathi. Gujrathi is at the forefront of India's torrent of chess talent, and is coming off a year in which his rating increased significantly. His recent highlights include a comfortable victory in the prestigious Tata Steel Masters' section and a feisty draw with Black vs. Magnus Carlsen at the Isle of Man tournament. In our conversation, we discuss those events, as well as the plans Vidit is making to try to ascend to another rung on the Fide top 100 ladder. We also discuss: How Vidit has worked to overcome slumps His thoughts on the World Championship How he rates India's chances in the 2018 Chess Olympiad. Whether GM Anish Giri gave him any twitter lessons when he worked as Anish's second. Thanks to Vidit for joining me, you can track his progress on his Facebook page. To support Perpetual Chess, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.66 - Silver Knights Chess Founder Adam Weissbarth Apr 10, 2018

My guest this week is Adam Weissbarth, a USCF National Master and the founder of Washington, D.C.- based Silver Knights Enrichment program. With 14 full-time employees, and more than 5,000 students participating in Silver Knights classes per week, Silver Knights is one of the largest providers of afterschool chess instruction in the United States. In our conversation, we discuss Adam’s modest beginnings as an independent chess teacher. He talks about the planning and the detail that went into the growth of this large and impressive organization. Spoiler alert- there was a TON of hard work and hustle involved. In addition to discussing the history of the business, Adam shares some chess improvement advice, gives some recommendations and weighs in on the potential impact that the upcoming World Championship could have on the popularity of chess You can email him here. To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.65 - Grandmaster Yaroslav Zherebukh Apr 03, 2018

In the midst of a very busy month of high profile competitive chess, talented young GM Yaroslav (“Yaro”) Zherebukh joined me for a fascinating conversation. Yaroslav talked about his upcoming events: the collegiate chess final 4 (our interview was recorded before it took place), the Pro Chess Leage live finals, and last but definitely not least, the upcoming US Chess Championships. Yaro started strong in last year's U.S. Championship, highlighted by a round 7 win over Fabiano Caruana, so he shared some lessons that he learned from that tournament. Naturally, Yaro also weighed in on the candidates and handicapped the World Championship in November. He looks forward to a highly competitive match. Thanks to Yaro for taking time from his busy schedule. You can contact him via chess.com here. To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.64 - Grandmaster Melikset Khachiyan Mar 27, 2018

This week's conversation is with renowned chess trainer, Grandmaster Melikset Khachiyan. Melikset has had many incredibly accomplished chess students, but his most accomplished of all is undoubtedly GM Levon Aronian. Because Melikset knows Aronian well, he talked about the special qualities of Levon's talent, and what has gone wrong for him at the 2018 FIDE Candidates tournament. After that we delved into GM Khachiyan's own approach to chess improvement. He told me how he managed to climb out of a slump, revealed the name of a favorite endgame composer is, and he recommended a handful of chess books. Along the way, Melikset told some amazing stories. What was it like to study under former World Champion Tigran Petrosian? How did he end up in a hotel room drinking whiskey with Boris Spassky? How did he make his way from Armenia to the US? You will hear the answers to these questions and much more in this interview- I think you will enjoy it! GM Khachiyan can be reached via email here. To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.63 - International Master Asaf Givon Mar 22, 2018

My guest this week is 23 year old Israeli IM Asaf Givon. In addition to being a 2480 FIDE rated player, Asaf is a YouTube streamer and highly regarded chess instructor. In our conversation, Asaf gave a lot of advice on how listeners can improve their own chess games. We also touched on the ongoing FIDE Candidates tournament, talked about the storylines emerging from it, and the likely opponents of Magnus Carlsen in the next World Championship match. Asaf also gave some perspective on chess in Israel and assessed the opportunities for a chess professional there. Lastly, Asaf told a great story about the experience of playing and analyzing with GM Michael Adams. Asaf can be reached via his Youtube channel as well as through lichess and chess.com. To support the podcast go here. . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.62 - Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson Returns Mar 06, 2018

This week marked the triumphant return of the hilarious and informative GM Jan Gustaffson to Perpetual Chess. Jan was one of my first guests on this podcast, and it was fun to have him back. He and his buddy, GM Peter Svidler, are gearing up to cover the FIDE Candidates tournament for Chess24.com beginning March 10. Jan revealed his own favorite to win the tournament and gave detailed information about the playing style of every player in the field. We also talked about a variety of other topics, including his chess book and podcast recommendations, what it was like to work on Magnus Carlsen’s team, and whether or not we should be jealous of his life as a chess announcer. Be sure to watch the Fide Candidates on Chess24 Follow Jan on twitter here. To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.61 - Grandmaster Denes Boros Feb 27, 2018

My guest this week is St. Louis based, Hungarian born GM Denes Boros.Denes is a strong and active chess player, a chess reporter, and his frequent lectures at the St. Louis Chess Club are popular events. Denes is also a student of psychology, so we talked a lot about the intersection of psychology and chess. He offered suggestions for some common issues that plague tournament players, such as time-management and nervousness/anxiety issues. We also talked about the history of chess in Denes's native Hungary, about the upcoming FIDE candidates tournament), and lots more. Thanks to Denes for joining me. You can follow him on twitter here You can email Denes here. To support the podcast go here. . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.60 - John Hartmann, Book Reviewer for Chess Life Magazine Feb 20, 2018

Chess writer, teacher and book reviewer John Hartmann is not a titled chess player, but man, does he know his chess books! In our conversation, John reveals his list of "desert island" chess books and gives chess book recommendations of all shapes and sizes. We talk of chess memoirs/game collections, books about chess tactics, endgame books, and even about chess software. John also tells the unique story of how he got into chess as a somewhat troubled teen and how he became a book reviewer for the USCF's venerable Chess Life magazine. Lastly, John gives an overview of the increasingly popular Chess Steps curriculum and all of the details about why he finds it so helpful for his students and his chess study. You can check out John's reviews here and contact him here . You can view his full list of recommendatons here. To support the podcast go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.59 - Mark Crowther, founder of The Week in Chess Feb 13, 2018

Mark Crowther is the founder, editor, and writer behind the indispensable online periodical The Week In Chess (TWIC). In our conversation, we talked about Mark’s origins, TWIC’s humble beginnings, and how he manages the workflow of writing about and publishing a relentless torrent of chess games played by top players. Mark and I also talked about the chess world more broadly. He shared a rumor he recently heard about the next FIDE election and discussed his own chess playing, plus shared book recommendations. Thanks to Mark for joining me in a great conversation. You can follow him on twitter here, or read and support The Week in Chesshere. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.58 - Grandmaster Elshan Moradiabadi Feb 06, 2018

This week GM Elshan Moradiabadi joined me. In addition to being a former champion in Iran, Elshan is a chess trainer and author. During our interview, Elshan explained why he and his fiance, WGM Sabina Foisor, have relocated to North Carolina and how they are enjoying life there. We also discussed Iran's unique chess history- chess was banned there from 1980 to 1999. Elshan shared the prevailing theories on the reasons for Iran's chess ban. He also explained how he was able to ascend to the GM level, despite his native country's checkered chess history. Before I let him go, we touched on some perennial Perpetual topics, such as his experiences at chess Olympiads, the role of luck vs talent in chess, book recommendations, and his favorites in the upcoming Candidates tournament. Thanks to Elshan for a great talk. You can email him here. If you enjoy this podcast, you can support it here. To take the Perpetual listener survey, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.57 - Grandmaster Pascal Charbonneau Jan 30, 2018

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is two- time Canadian Chess Champion turned hedge fund analyst, GM Pascal Charbonneau. In our conversation, Pascal tells us how chess helped him break into the finance industry, and he gives advice for anyone contemplating such a transition. He also looked back fondly to a time when he was more active in chess, and talked about what he misses most. Pascal has so many chess stories and accomplishments to share. He has beaten Vishy Anand in a classical game and has spent time with legends like GMs Karpov and Aronian. He also talked about how he finds time to play in The Pro Chess League as a working dad. Thanks to Pascal for a great talk, you can email him here. If you enjoy this podcast, you can support it here. To take the Perpetual listener survey, go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.56 - Grandmaster Pepe Cuenca Jan 23, 2018

My guest this week is Spanish Grandmaster/chess24 streamer/civil engineer Pepe Cuenca. As a chess streamer, Pepe has an inimitable and energetic style. Pepe talked about how he cultivated that style and what his not-so-secret ingredient is (Red Bull). He also recapped a recent tournament he competed in in Argentina and gave the rundown on the Spanish chess scene. Lastly, Pepe gave us some helpful recommendations. He told us which International tournaments we should attend, which chess books to read, and he helped us handicap the Candidates tournament. Follow Pepe on twitter here, or Facebook here. If you enjoy this podcast, you can support it here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.55 - International Master Greg Shahade Returns Jan 15, 2018

This week marks the return of the very first Perpetual Chess guest, IM Greg Shahade. With the Pro Chess League set to resume Thursday, January 18, Greg told us about the changes that he and the Chess.com team have cooked up with the goal of improving the viewer experience. He also reeled off the names of some of the top players slated to play this year (Carlsen, Anand, MVL, Caruana, among others). Greg talked about the rules that are in place to incentivize teams to recruit top players, including strong female players. Greg also named a few favorite chess books and relayed advice that he absorbed in his younger days when he took a few lessons with the legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky. Lastly, Greg and Ben reminisced about the time Greg had a chance to play Garry Kasparov in a simul in 1997. Be sure to tune in to watch the Pro Chess League starting Thursday, January 18 on chess.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.54 - International Master John Donaldson Jan 09, 2018

My guest this week is renowned chess author, International Master John Donaldson. Along with his co-author, IM Eric Tangborn, IM Donaldson recently completed and released a 5 volume biography of Bobby Fischer. So naturally, John and I did a deep dive on the life and legacy of chess legend Bobby Fischer. John tackled several unanswered questions about Fischer's life that drove him to undertake this project. He also shared some memories about the recently deceased grandmaster Bill Lombardy, with whom John spent some time shortly before he died. Following that, we discussed the venerable Mechanic's institute Chess Club in San Francisco, where John is the Director of the Chess Room. Along the way John gave some detailed and practical chess improvement advice and book recommendations. Thanks to John for joining me. You can buy his books here, and he can be emailed here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.53 - Grandmaster Nils Grandelius Dec 26, 2017

This week I enjoyed talking with Sweden's highest rated chess player, the impressive young Grandmaster Nils Grandelius. Despite his being only 24 years old, Nils has had a wealth of experience in the chess world, including having played and held his own against such titans as Carlsen, Caruana, Kramnik, and Anand. Nils discussed those experiences with us and talked about what he thinks he needs to improve to ascend toward that level. He also shared some behind-the-scenes details about what it was like to work as part of Magnus Carlsen's team in the last World Championship match. Before we ended our conversation, Nils touched on his affinity for playing bughouse and named some of the world's best bughouse players, and shared his upcoming tournament schedule. Thanks to Nils for a great interview. Follow him on twitter here. If you enjoy this podcast, you can support it at Patreon or by buying chess improvement videos at ChessUniversity.com using the promo code "PERPETUAL." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.52 - GM Ben Finegold Returns Dec 19, 2017

To mark the one year anniversary of Perpetual Chess, Ben Finegold returned as our first repeat guest. When Ben first talked with us in January 2017, he talked about plans for The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta, and in the past year GM Finegold and his wife, Karen Boyd, have seen the club go from dream to reality. Ben shared the surprises and successes that they have encountered during the club's first year. We also talked about the chess world more broadly, as Ben discussed the FIDE Candidates' Cycle (and why he picks Wesley So to win every event), and his plans for the upcoming Pro Chess League. He also told some great stories, old and new, from his chess travels. Follow Ben on twitter here, watch his YouTube lectures here. If you would like to donate to Perpetual Chess you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.51 - IM Andrey Ostrovskiy Dec 12, 2017

IM Andrey Ostrovskiy joined me this week for an insightful conversation. We started off discussing the biggest news in the chess world, as Andrei gave his perspective on what Alphazero’s landmark success means, and doesn't mean. We then dug into Andrey's background. Andrey talked about why he made the move from his native Ukraine to Germany a few years ago and transitioned from his family business to working as a chess professional. Andrey was also happy to share some ideas about improving one's calculation and chess-playing skills. Lastly, Andrey answered a long-festering question of mine about how players of his caliber can tell when an opening line has become obsolete. Thanks to Andrey for joining me. Check out his YouTube channel here,and follow him here on Twitter. If you enjoy this podcast, you can support it at Patreon or by buying chess improvement videos at ChessUniversity.com using the promo code "PERPETUAL." The game analysis video we discuss in our interview is here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.50 - Jennifer Shahade Dec 05, 2017

It was my pleasure to interview my longtime friend, two-time US Women's Champion Jennifer Shahade this week. Jenn is a well-known chess player and announcer, but she stays busy with many other roles as well. Her popular books, Play Like a Girl and Chess Bitch aim to attract more women to chess. She is also the Mind Sports ambassador for PokerStars, editor of the US Chess Federation website, and a board member of the World Chess Hall of Fame. We had a fun, wide-ranging talk about how Jenn juggles her many roles, as well as her most important role of all- the mother of almost -1 -year-old Fabian. Jenn and I traded stories about her growing up in a game-centric household, and about her ascendance in chess and poker. When I asked Jenn whether she'd be writing another book, she did not dodge the question. Tune in to hear what she said. You can find Jenn on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to tune it in to watch Jenn and GM Yasser Seirawan and the rest of the team announce the The London Chess Classic. If you enjoy this podcast, you can support it at Patreon or by buying chess improvement videos at Chessuniversity.com using the promo code "PERPETUAL." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.49 - Woman Grandmaster Tatev Abrahamyan Nov 21, 2017

WGM Tatev Abrahamyan was my guest this week on Perpetual Chess. Tatev recounted the challenges of moving from Armenia to Southern California with her family at the age of 13. Tatev's family moved for economic and professional reasons, but the young chess talent quickly made a mark on the American chess scene while slowly acclimating to American culture and language. After overcoming the culture shock, Tatev has built a nice life for herself as a chess professional who plays, teaches and reports on chess events all over the world. She gave us some simple advice for improving at chess, discussed the past and future of the U.S. Women's Chess Championship and, of course, we talked about penguins. Follow Tatev on Twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.48 - Jonathan Corbblah Nov 14, 2017

In addition to being an USCF expert, chess teacher, and blitz specialist, Jonathan Corbblah is a game show wizard! He has appeared on 12 game shows and is a Jeopardy champion. In our interview, Jon tells us how chess helped inform his knowledge of trivia and how chess players can improve their trivia games. Jonathan also has many funny stories to tell about his brushes with fame in New York City. Among other adventures, he has played basketball with Magnus Carlsen and slow chess with George Soros. Lastly, Jonathan leaves with an impassioned defense of his controversial "never resign" policy. You may not always agree with him, but you will definitely be entertained. Get in touch with Jonathan on Facebook or chess.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.47 - Grandmaster Cristian Chirila Nov 07, 2017

GM Cristian Chirila is a chess player, journalist, coach and commentator. He talked with me about why he believes that's its necessary for a modern chess professional to wear many hats, and about what he likes about each of the roles that gen plays. Cristian also discusses his youth in Romania and tells what it was like to move to Texas to attend college. Cristian also pulls back the curtain on what it was like to attend the Chess Olympiad in 2016 in order to assist GM Eric Hansen. Lastly, we talk about Cristian's current goal for his own play, and discussed his training methods. Follow GM Chirila on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.46 - International Master John Watson Oct 31, 2017

IM John Watson has over 30 chess books under his belt, and several of them are widely considered classics. In addition, John is a renowned chess teacher and player. In our interview, we discussed numerous interesting topics, including John's recent trip to play in the Isle of Man Tournament, tales from his glory days on the chess circuit (including Mikhail Tal's drinking habits), and John reveals what it felt like to look at a chess board for the first time after suffering a stroke. You can email John here, and you can watch his Internet Chess Club/Youtube show, "Ask the Master" on Tuesday's at 6 here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.45 - International Master Sagar Shah Oct 24, 2017

IM Sagar Shah is best known in the chess world as a reporter for and co-founder of Chessbase India. Sagar travels the world and covers many of the top tournaments. In this role, he watches the world elites up close, and in our talk, he shares some observations from this unique perspective. Additionally, Sagar has his ear to the ground in the Indian chess world, so he tells us which Indian talents to watch for, and tells us what factors have contributed to the many recent successes of Indian chess players. We also talk about assorted topics such as Sagar's own chess ambitions, and the highlights of the recent "teaching tour" of India conducted by renowned chess trainer, GM Jacob Aagard (and arranged by IM Shah). You can read IM Shah's excellent work on Chessbase India, or email him here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.44 - Grandmaster Jesse Kraai Oct 17, 2017

As GM Jesse Kraai tells us, he has completed 3 "major projects" in his life: earning a Ph.D. in Philosophy, writing a chess novel, Lisa, and of course, earning the Grandmaster title. These projects have taken him to many different places and given him perspective on lots of topics. These topics include: chess improvement (obviously), what its like to live in a "chess house," and which tv shows to watch, among many others. Follow GM Kraai on twitter here, check out his blog here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.43 - Grandmaster Loek Van Wely Oct 10, 2017

Loek Van Wely is the 8 time Dutch National Champion, and he has played against and analyzed with many of this era's greatest chess players. Which one of them impressed him the most? He answers that question when he joins the podcast this week. We also talk Dutch chess history, tales from his chess travels, and Loek discusses what it was like to work with GM Kramnik, as he reflects on his life, career, and the current chess landscape. You can contact Loek via Facebook here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.42 - James Altucher Oct 03, 2017

James Altucher is a best-selling author, successful entrepreneur, popular podcast host, and most recently, aspiring comedian. Of most importance to Perpetual Chess is his title USCF Chess Master. We asked him to join us because we wanted him to tell his own chess story and talk about the significance of chess in his own life. Of particular interest to James is the debate about whether talent or hard work is more determinant of success in chess and in other challenging pursuits. He shares his opinions on this matter, and he also talks podcasts, poker, Jim Cramer, the crafting of a comedy act and much more. You can follow James Altucher on twitter here and visit his website here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.41 - Grandmaster Judit Polgar Sep 26, 2017

GM Judit Polgar needs no introduction to the Perpetual Chess audience, but here's one anyway. Chess legend Judit Polgar joins me this week to tell us what she has been up to since retiring from tournament chess three years ago. As Judit shares, she has been keeping busy with family, chess education initiatives, and with organizing the upcoming Global Chess Festival on October 14, 2017, in Budapest, Hungary. We also talked about today's top players, the FIDE World Cup, and why she thinks top level chess is a different game from when she was competing actively. Follow Judi Polgar on twitter, here, To buy Judit's excellent books- go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.40 - Grandmaster Robert Hess Sep 19, 2017

GM Robert Hess is this week's guest on Perpetual Chess. Young GM Hess already has loads of experience as a chess competitor, announcer, and coach. (He coached some of the most talented youth for the U.S. as well as the women's Olympiad team.) We talk about all of these things, as well as the FIDE World Cup, sports, and whether or not he was a "rival" of Fabiano Caruana when they were both top scholastic players from New York. Follow GM Hess on twitter here, and on chess.comhere. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.39 - Coach Jay Stallings Sep 12, 2017

"Coach Jay" Stallings has taught over 35,000 students to play chess over the past 23 years. Jay takes us back to the beginning (1994) when you counted full-time chess coaches nationwide on your fingers. Jay shares with us many of the teaching tricks and recommendations for improvement that he has gleaned from years of experience as he has refined what ultimately became Coach Jay's Chess Academy. He also assesses the general state of the chess world; discusses some of his current projects, including a Kickstarter project aimed at sharing his educational materials and promoting chess; and the Sean Reader Fund, which, among other programs, provides financial assistance to those who love chess but can’t afford tournaments and classes. Thanks to Jay for sharing his enthusiasm for chess, contact Jay here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.38 - Grandmaster Danny Gormally Sep 05, 2017

GM Danny Gormally joined me to recap his experience at the recent British Chess Championships. In addition to discussing his near-miss there, Danny also reveals which GMs could be found at the pub after the rounds and analyzes the impact such unseen factors can have on one's results. He also talks candidly about the challenges of playing chess for a living with a FIDE rating around 2500. Lastly, GM Gormally gave his perspective on the upcoming Candidates cycle for the World Championship and had some names to watch in the FIDE World Cup and beyond. Follow Danny on twitter here, and buy his book here. Lastly, due to popular demand from you, I have started a patreon page which will allow those of you interested in supporting the show monetarily to do so. As a bonus, anyone who signs up for the $2 a month plan, will be part of an exclusive email list where I’ll let you know the guest ahead of time, and you’ll be able to submit questions that I'll include in the episode. If you’re interested, please head to https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.37 - Fide Master Alisa Melekhina Aug 29, 2017

Alisa Melekhina is a practicing lawyer who has managed somehow to write a book while working long hours at a major law firm. We talk about her book, Reality Check, which details the parallels between the worlds of chess, business, and law. We also discussed Alisa's scholastic chess career, women's chess titles, and how her Eastern European heritage affects her psychology during tournament chess games. Check out Alisa's website here, follow her on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.36 - IM Eric Rosen Aug 15, 2017

This week IM Eric Rosen joined me to give a report from the 2017 Sinquefield Cup, where he has been doing some reporting. I also asked him to recap his epic Summer Chess Europe trip. We also talked about Eric's favorite podcasts, some ways to improve your chess game, and the secrets of the robust scholastic chess scene in the state of Illinois (which I kept calling Chicago for some reason. :-) ) . Thanks to Eric for a great conversation, follow him on twitter here, check out his website and blog here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.35 - Writer Sean Williams Aug 08, 2017

On the heels of his terrific profile of GM Levon Aronian in the New Yorker, freelance writer Sean Williams joined me from Berlin to talk more about his subject. I was interested in hearing how this profile came to be published in one of my favorite magazines, and in hearing more behind the scenes details from this excellent writer. He also gave us some writing tips and reading recommendations. Follow Sean on Twitter here. Read his Aronian profile here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.34 - Woman International Master Fiona Steil-Antoni Aug 01, 2017

I caught WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni just before she hopped onto her next plane for a chess tournament in Sicily. We discussed the production of Fiona's excellent travel/chess vlogs, and she shared insights into the chess culture in her native Luxembourg. Fiona also dissected her own chess game and recounted the ups and downs its had recently. Fiona is well-traveled and has lived in several European cities, so she also shared her favorite European tournaments to visit as well as a favorite non-chess destination. Follow Fiona's adventures on Facebook and twitter. Watch her vlogs on her Youtube channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.33 - Rex Sinquefield Jul 25, 2017

The founder of the St. Louis Chess Club, Rex Sinquefield is my guest this week. We have a timely conversation about the upcoming Sinquefield Cup, and about how Garry Kasparov's return to competitive chess came to be. We also talked about his vision for the future of chess, his favorite chess openings, finance, and baseball. To donate to the St. Louis Chess Club, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.32 - Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura Jul 18, 2017

Perennial top 10 Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura was kind enough to join Perpetual Chess for an expansive interview. We talked about Garry Kasparov's upcoming return to competitive chess and about Hikaru's experience training with Kasparov. I asked him to handicap Kasparov's chances in St. Louis, and his answer may surprise you. We also touch on a myriad of other topics of interest to chess fans, including computers in chess, Hikaru's passion for trading stocks options, and his training methods. Enjoy this ringside seat to elite level chess. You can follow Hikaru on Twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.31 - Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn Jul 11, 2017

As someone who spent formative years in both the former Soviet Union, and the US, Eugene Perelshteyn has studied with and competed against many iconic chess players and trainers. Eugene discusses the different approaches he encountered from various trainers and also discusses how he approaches helping his chess own students. We also relive Eugene's playing career highlights, which include winning the Samford fellowship in 2001. Much more recently, he had the opportunity to play Anish Giri in the 2017 Reykjavik Open. To reach Eugene, look for him on his instructional chess website, Chess Openings Explained, or message him on chess.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.30 - Grandmaster David Smerdon Jul 04, 2017

GM David Smerdon is one of those people who seems to find more hours in the day than the rest of us. In addition to being the #2 player in Australia, he recently completed his Ph.D. in economics and landed a job as an assistant professor in his native Brisbane. David also manages to stay quite active in and vocal about chess, particularly on his excellent blog. In our conversation, we discuss David's experiences representing Australia at several Olympiads, including the 2016 Olympiad in which he drew against Magnus Carlson. We also talk about gender in chess and his economic research away from the board. Naturally, I didn't let David escape without coaxing him to dish some excellent chess advice as well. David gives great tips on how to play against higher rated opponents and also offers a book recommendation. Please enjoy our interview, and then check out David's blog here, follow him on Twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.29 - Grandmaster Pontus Carlsson Jun 27, 2017

GM Pontus Carlsson speaks several languages, has lived many places, and is, of course, excellent at chess. In our interview, Carlsson discusses his ascent as a young chess talent in Sweden, race relations inside and outside of the world of chess, plus he reveals a grandmaster's secret for how to play while in time trouble. We also talk abut how GM Carlsson manages to balance a successful career outside of chess while continuing to teach and play chess. Pontus is a fascinating guy. Enjoy the conversation, then visit his webpage. He can be reached on Twitter, Facebook or by e-mail. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.28 - International Master David Pruess Jun 20, 2017

IM David Pruess has been a fixture on the US Chess Scene throughout the 2000s. In our interview, we talk about David's early chess days in the Bay Area, his ideas for improving your tactics, and his complicated history as an early employee with chess.com. David also tells us about his new job, and why he chooses to pursue a career outside of the chess world in addition to teaching chess and chess announcing. Thanks to David for the thoughtful and candid interview, ping him on chess.com here and follow him on Twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.27 - Grandmaster Sandro Mareco Jun 13, 2017

Grandmaster Sandro Mareco is the highest rated chess player in Argentina and is currently #89 in the world. GM Mareco gives the unique perspective of a top Grandmaster who brought his rating from 2200 FIDE at age 18 to its current standing at 2659 at age 30. Sandro also tells us which up and coming South American players to watch, discusses his work as a chess trainer, and reveals why he should be nicknamed "the Argentinian Turtle." To reach Sandro you can e-mail him here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.26 - International Master John Bartholomew Jun 06, 2017

Just 2.5 years after posting his first Youtube video, IM John Bartholomew has become one of the most popular chess YouTubers in the world. John reveals his original motivation for starting his channel and talks about its phenomenal growth to over 38,000 subscribers. He also analyzes the impact his popularity has had on his chess teaching business. We also discuss chessable, the chess training website that he co-founded. Other topics convered include John's influences, his chess playing career, and why he decided to drop out of law school after a semester. Subscribe to John's youtube channel here,follow him on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.25 - Thibault Duplessis (founder of LiChess.org) May 24, 2017

Thibault Duplessis is a 31-year-old computer programmer, world traveler, and the creator of one of the world's most popular chess servers, LiChess.org. Thibault tells us of the origins of LiChess, the driving philosophy that led him to create it and about his background in both programming and chess. We also discuss the issue of cheating in online chess and Thibault's vision for the future of LiChess.org. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.24 - International Master Luke Harmon-Vellotti May 16, 2017

For an 18-year old, IM Luke Harmon-Vellotti is rather ridiculously accomplished.. In addition to countless chess achievements, he will graduate from UCLA with a double major and was recently hired by Google for a highly coveted job as a programmer. During our interview, Luke talks about the rigorous interview process at Google, discusses the similarities between chess and computer programming and, of course, reflects on his chess career and how his new job will impact his pursuit of the Grandmaster title, Read all about Luke's new gig here, and reach him on his website here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.23 - Grandmaster Mesgen Amanov May 09, 2017

Although just 30 years old, GM Mesgen Amanov has many great stories to tell. In our interview, Mesgen tells the remarkable story of his emigration to the US after growing up in Turkmenistan. He also recounts how he got the idea for his successful chess education site, improvemychess.com. In addition, GM Amanov reveals his unique college major, tells some GM drinking stories, and gives some helpful chess improvement tips. To reach GM Amanov go to improvemychess.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.22 - Woman Grandmaster Sabina Foisor May 02, 2017

Fresh from an emotional victory at the US Women's Championship, WGM Sabina Foisor joined me to discuss her impressive victory. Sabina's mother, WGM Cristina Foisor, passed away at the beginning of the year, so it has been a trying year for Sabina. Sabina talked openly about her mother's legacy and the loss that Sabina and her loved ones have endured. She also discussed how her mother's passing affected her tournament preparation and gave her perspective while she competed for the title. We also talked about the 2017 Women's World Championship in Iran, cooking, growing up in a chess family in Romania, and Sabina gave a few chess book recommendations. Follow Sabina on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.21 - IM-Elect David Brodsky Apr 25, 2017

14-year-old David Brodsky has been piling up the norms lately and has recently achieved the final norm necessary to earn the International Master title (pending 20 more FIDE rating points and FIDE approval). We talk about the secrets of his chess success, how he developed his ability to write about chess, how math competitions compare to chess tournaments, and the differences between the FIDE and the US Chess rating scales. Read all of David's excellent tournament recaps and chess advice on Chess Summit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.20 - GM Timur Gareyev Apr 18, 2017

This week GM Timur Gareyev, aka The Blindfold King, joined me. Timur has rightfully been getting a lot of media attention due to his mind-boggling feats in blindfold chess, but he has a lot of other interests as well. Timur's hobbies range from skydiving to yoga to traveling to poker. Naturally, we talked a bit about his incredible, record-breaking 48 board blindfold simul, but we also talked about his many travel plans, his business ideas, his chess beginnings in Uzbekistan, and many other topics. Timur is a fascinating guy and I can't wait to see what projects he undertakes in future years. Follow his exploits and contact Timur on blindfoldking.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.19 - Macauley Peterson and IM Lawrence Trent, Hosts of The Full English Breakfast Apr 11, 2017

In addition to hosting the excellent chess podcast The Full English Breakfast, both Macauley Peterson and IM Lawrence Trent have had eclectic and interesting careers in chess. Macauley Peterson has been writing about, and reporting on chess for a long time and most recently has been the Content Director of Chess24. We talk about his various adventures in the world of chess media, as well as his recent profile of Fabiano Caruana in Chess Life. Mr. Trent shares what he learned from being the manager of an elite player, and reveals the "real job" that prepared him for his roles as a chess announcer and chess manager. Follow Lawrence on twitter here, follow Macauley here. Listen to and support The Full English Breakfast via Itunes or here. Watch Lawrence's chess videos on chess24.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.18 - IM Danny Rensch, Chess.com Vice President Apr 04, 2017

Danny Rensch, International Master, and Chess.com VP stopped by to talk all things chess.com. We previewed the upcoming Speed Chess Championship, and reviewed the good and bad of the Pro Chess League's successful first season. We also talked about Danny's dormant chess playing career, shark tank, and how a high school dropout learned to navigate the business world. This was a fun and inspiring glimpse into the future of chess. Follow Danny on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.17 - International Master Michael Rahal Mar 28, 2017

International Master Michael Rahal has been teaching chess in Barcelona for 25 years and competing in chess since his childhood in England. Rahal breaks down the chess scene in Spain and tells stories of crossing paths with chess elites like Kramnik, Anand, and Svidler. Michael also reveals his persuasive theories on why chess is flourishing in China and India, and why watching television series are so popular with upper echelon chess players. You can watch IM Rahal's videos on ICC and follow him on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.16 - IM Greg Shahade Returns for a Pro Chess League update Mar 23, 2017

With Chess.com's Pro Chess League headed into its Final Four this weekend, Greg fought through sickness to give us a quick rundown of the teams and players that will be playing this weekend, including Carlsen, So and Caruana. Greg also reflected a bit on the first season of the Pro Chess League and touched on his forthcoming chess book and on the upcoming US Championships. For more coverage of the Pro Chess League final 4 head over to chess.com and enjoy the extravaganza. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.15 - GM Alex Yermolinsky Mar 14, 2017

GM Alex Yermolinksky takes us through his storied chess career which has spanned decades and has taken him from Leningrad to Rome to several different cities in the US. Yermo has crossed swords with legends like Kasparov and Kramnik, and also enjoyed a time as a dominant force on the US Chess tournament circuit. These days, he lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and focuses on family, and chess teaching. Alex is an entertaining and outspoken storyteller, so please sit back and enjoy this interview. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.14 - International Master Anna Rudolf Mar 07, 2017

International Master and Woman Grandmaster Anna Rudolf is an engaging and informative chess announcer and presenter. In our talk Anna candidly discusses her nervous beginnings in front of the camera and what she did to make herself a better presenter. We also discuss the chess culture in her native Hungary, her transition from primarily playing chess to promoting it, and what it's like to work with Judit Polgar. This was an inspiring and fun talk. Please have a listen. You can reach Anna on Facebook or twitter here, and watch her videos on chess24. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.13 -GM Peter Svidler Feb 28, 2017

It was an honor to talk to GM Peter Svidler about some of his many interests. Naturally, we talk about his illustrious chess career and his near-term tournament plans. Other topics of interest include poker, hearthstone, Norm Macdonald, Radio Jan and Russian chess. This interview was a treat for me so I hope listeners enjoy it as much as I did. Watch Peter’s videos and broadcasts on chess24.com and follow him on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.12 - US National Master Christopher Yoo and his dad, Young-Kyu Yoo Feb 21, 2017

10-year-old Christopher Yoo has been making lots of headlines lately in the chess world. He recently became the youngest USCF master in history and has also been entertaining the chess masses with his enthusiastic Pro Chess League Commentary. Christopher and his father, Young-Kyu, joined me to tell us the secrets of Christopher's early successes and his plans for upcoming tournaments. You'll want to stay tuned until the end when Christopher unveils his singing talents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.11 - Grandmaster Aleksandr Lenderman Feb 14, 2017

27-year-old GM Alex Lenderman has won prestigious tournaments ranging from the World Open to the World Youth Championship, but he still feels like his chess has room to improve. We talk about why that is the case, his plans for 2017, and of course, we dig deep on his unforgettable experience coaching the gold medal winning US Olympiad Team. We also talk intuition vs. calculation in chess, as it relates to his interesting game in London vs GM Simon Williams. The Topalov Master Class that Alex references is here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.10 - FM Kevin Bordi aka BlitzStream Feb 07, 2017

Kevin Bordi, (Blitzstream on YouTube) has quickly become the most popular chess YouTuber in France thanks to his entertaining and informative videos. In this podcast, we talk about how he built his following. Bordi lived in Moscow for 10 years, and he shares some of his observations about chess in Russia. Other topics include the Cannes team of the Pro Chess League, poker. the NFL and what he teaches his chess students. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.09 - Grandmaster Ben Finegold Jan 31, 2017

GM Finegold has been a fixture on the American chess scene for decades. In this entertaining interview, Ben reflects on his time as resident Grandmaster at the St. Louis chess club and opines on America's young chess talents. Ben also discusses his recent move to Atlanta and reveals his plan to open a chess center in his new hometown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.08 - Grandmaster Sam Shankland Jan 24, 2017

25-year-old GM Sam Shankland is already one of United States' best chess players and he hopes to achieve even greater heights in the chess world. In this interview, we discuss his Chess Olympiad successes, his study habits, his plans for 2017 and his interests away from the board. It was an honor to talk to Sam, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.07 - Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Hammer Jan 17, 2017

GM Jon Ludvig Hammer shares what it's like to be a top-level player in chess-crazed Norway. We also discuss the highs and lows of his playing career, and we're privileged to hear his first-hand perspective on what separates Magnus Carlsen from other grandmasters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.06 - International Master Christof Sielecki Jan 11, 2017

IM Sielecki (Chess Explained on youtube) started competing in chess at the relatively late age of 13 and only recently turned chess teaching into a career. In this interview, Sielecki shares freely about the beginnings of his chess playing life in central Germany and traces the growth of his hugely popular and informative Youtube channel, which is nearing 25,000 subscribers. Christof also discusses his chess philosophy and shares practical ideas of how to improve one's results. Follow him on twitter @chessexplained See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.05 - Grandmaster Simon Williams Jan 04, 2017

Simon Williams (aka the Ginger GM) is an entertaining and original chess player, educator and personality. In this fun interview we discuss his background, the chess culture in England, and detail his transition from primarily playing chess to teaching chess online. We also talk about his travels, both to international chess tournaments and to local British pubs. To find more about him go to gingergm.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.04 - International Master-elect Kostya Kavutskiy Dec 28, 2016

Fresh from earning his 3rd and final IM norm, Kostya joins the podcast to tell us about his initial introduction to chess as a young kid in Los Angeles, and then about the event that rekindled his interest in chess as a teenager. We then discuss his ascendant career which encompasses playing, teaching and writing about chess. You can read Kostya's writing on chess.com and in Chess Life and follow him here on twitter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.03 - International Master Nazi Paikidze Dec 09, 2016

While only 23, Nazi Paikidze has already achieved a great deal in chess including recently winning the US Women's championship. We talk about this experience as well as the Olympiad, and her journey from Georgia to Moscow to Las Vegas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.02 - Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson Dec 09, 2016

In addition to being the funniest person in Germany, Jan Gustafsson is a pretty good chess player. He was once among the 100 highest rated players in the world and is widely respected for his vast opening knowledge. He also co-founded the popular chess site chess24.com and frequently announces grandmaster tournaments where he provides both humor and insight into top level games. In this interview, we talk about his chess career, new fatherhood, and of course about American pop culture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.01 - International Master Greg Shahade Dec 09, 2016

Greg Shahade is an innovative and dedicated chess player, teacher and promoter. He is best known for founding the US chess school, the New York Masters, and the US chess league (now the pro chess league). In this episode, we talk about these projects and others, as well as his sometimes controversial ideas to further popularize chess. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP.00 - Welcome to Perpetual Chess with Ben Johnson Dec 08, 2016

I'm Ben Johnson and I welcome you to the Perpetual Chess podcast. In this quick-hitter I explain why I created this podcast and what my goals are for it. I hope you enjoy it. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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