This week’s guest is renowned author and 2-time Massachusets 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 unexpected mental health struggles? In addition to discussing Paul Morphy, we talk about why Charles retired at OTB chess near a peak rating of 2500 USCF, and Charles shares advice from his classic tactics manual, Forcing Chess Moves and offers some chess improvement advice. 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 him 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 1:23:00- 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

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

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

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 Rating and 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 X  https://x.com/julesgambit?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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. Its 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 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

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

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

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/what-is-conceptualization/ Follow Aiden on X here:  https://x.com/AidenAtDontMove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 books, 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 book sellers,  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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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 X: 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

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

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

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 37:15  -  (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-  -46:50  (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- 56:30- (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-  1:07:00 (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)- 1:19:00 -(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- 1:29:15 (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 - 1:44:30-  (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 If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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

This week the Adult Improver Series returns 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 include Introduction 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

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

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

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

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 Sign up for Noel’s chess improvement blog here: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter/ 0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses include Introduction 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!  Sign up for his blog here: 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

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 to GM Friedel’s course, Endgame Labyrinths is 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! 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 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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. During our 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! 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 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: Chessable course YouTube Blog LiChess Coaches Page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! 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 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 X: 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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Champion is 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 [email protected] 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. .  Obits- 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.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcudElmRsQYTwULtd_gnFw 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 Strategy sell 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My book, Perpetual Chess Improvement, is now available from New in Chess (and should be shipping from Amazon any day now), so it was time to dedicate a podcast to discussing it in detail. Joining me for the discussion is longtime friend of the pod, cognitive scientist, author and USCF Master, Dr. Christopher Chabris. Christopher had a sneak peak at the book and shares his impressions of it and interviews me on the topics that interested him. . We discuss what I call “The Four Pillars of Chess Improvement,” how the project came about, and the key lessons I derived for improvement of my own chess game from writing it. Whether or not you are interested in reading the book, I hope you find this discussion of chess improvement worthwhile. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  03:00-Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. You can check out what is new here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ And you can check out some of my favorites here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 05:00- Book announcements  Full info on book signings and ordering signed books here:  https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/book?fbclid=IwAR0oy_PqpOhc-S7sP-mOZClmKZyhKwuWUbthSY8Um4qVp_YCJKYgL9HJiCA 07:30- Book discussion with Dr. Christopher Chabris  14:00- What is the target audience for the book?  17:00- The importance of playing serious games  25:00- Why did I write several pages about IM Levy Rozman’s pursuit of the GM title?  32:00- Why did I write a book? Did I ever want to quit this project? 42:00- How did I decide that “The Four Pillars of Chess Improvement” should be identified as these: 1) Play competitive games 2) Review them 3) Solve puzzles and 4) Find a Community? 53:00- What is my next project? Mentioned: Episode 349 with Dr. Anique de Bruin  1:01:00 Patreon mailbag: Advice for Solitaire chess  Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, my video on How to Do Solitaire Chess on LiChess Studies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8bpFF4nnPE GM Daniel King’s How Good is Your Chess  Chess Life magazine archive with Pandolfini’s Solitaire Chess: https://new.uschess.org/chess-life-digital-archives Also available as a book: https://www.amazon.com/Solitaire-Chess-Bruce-Pandolfini/dp/0812936566 1:05:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are some scientifically proven ways to improve at chess? What about unproven ways that Ben thinks are effective?” 1:13:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Which piece of advice do I think will be most helpful for my own improvement?”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Kabadayi is a cognitive scientist, a self-taught Candidate Master, and a popular and prolific Chessable author. Given his academic background, Can is especially interested in the challenges of adult chess improvement, and devotes his chess work to helping adult learners.  In our conversation, we discuss the origins of Can’s interests in chess and cognitive science, his Chessable courses, his OTB plans, and notable research related to chess and cognitive science. Can is an avid bibliophile and also shares plenty of book recommendations.  All in all, there is lots to learn from this conversation, as there is from Can’s courses and YouTube channel. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.  0:00- Can retells the story of how he got into chess at the age of 17, and how he attained a first rating of approximately FIDE 2100!  Mentioned; Capablanca’s Fundamentals of Chess  0:07- Can describes the chess scene in Turkey.  Mentioned: GM John Nunn, GM Jonathan Rowson, Instructive Chess Miniatures  11:00- Can describes how he became interested in cognitive science.  Mentioned: Fernand Gobet’s The Psychology of Chess, Thought and Choice in Chess by Adrian de Groot  Mentioned:  Take a chess cognitive test via Dr. Can’s YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyOpUyss3Sc, Think Like a Super GM  24:00- We discuss chess calculation, which is the topic of Can’s new Chessable course.  Mentioned: Under the Surface by GM Jan Markos  30:00 What are the most common types of mistakes Can sees in adult players?  32:00- More book and author recs! Mentioned: The Secret Ingredient, NM Dan Heisman  34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is it still good advice for amateurs not to study openings?”  41:00- Patreon mailbag question: “All things being equal, what is the best age to start playing chess?”  Mentioned: Can’s Reddit Q and A, YouTube video: How good can I become if I start chess at age 30?, Episode 346 with NM Todd Bryant  49:00- Does Can have any plans of returning to competitive chess?  Mentioned: Episode 309 with Dr. Joel Sneed  Thanks to Can for joining me! Be sure to sub to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.CansClinic Can’s Chessable page: https://www.chessable.com/author/Can_Kabadayi/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess, we look at chess study from a different angle- what does the science of learning teach us about how best to study chess? Joining us to discuss it is an expert in the field, Dr. Anique de Bruin of Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Dr. de Bruin researches the topics of deliberate practice and desirable difficulty and researched and wrote about chess skill acquisition both in her dissertation and in an essay she wrote called “Helping Chess Players Improve” for the book The Chess Instructor 2009. In our conversation, Anique highlights noteworthy research around chess and deliberate practice, shares advice for chess instructors and self-motivated students, and discusses what her research revealed about gender and chess. This was a fascinating conversation that helped me refine my thinking about how to best teach and study chess independently. Timestamps of the topics discussed are below.  Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check our their new courses here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ And some of my favorites here:  https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 0:00- As a researcher without a chess background, what initially got Anique interested in researching chess?  Mentioned: KPrime Podcast Episode 3 with Anique de Bruin 16:00- Is it necessary for deliberate practice to be “unenjoyable?”  18:00- Did the publication of Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell alter the nature of Anique’s research? 20:00- What did Anique’s research and gender reveal about gender and chess? 26:30- Patreon mailbag question: What books does Anique recommend to learn more about the science of learning?  Mentioned: In Their Own Words: What Scholars and Teachers Want You To Know about How to Apply the Science of Learning in an Academic Setting (free download)  https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/itow Why Don’t Students Like School   Make it Stick: The Science of Learning  28:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the biggest thing chess coaches get wrong?  32:30- Patreon mailbag question: Is their evidence to support the contention that chess players do better academically?  35:00- Anique discusses her recent research relating to self-regulated study “desirable difficulties” 43:00- If Anique could do a research study about any chess topic, what would it be?  45:30- Anique gives her parting advice for self-directed adult chess students.  Thanks to Dr. de Bruin for a fascinating interview! Her contact info is on her bio page with the University of Maastricht: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/abh-de-bruin If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  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 Chess by 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 Improvement here (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 help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  Note- The Chessable Contest Launches September 1, and the link for the contest will be added to this note when its live! 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  Sign up for my newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest here:  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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, The Chess That Was  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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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/  Sign up for Patreon here 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

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/  Sign up for the Perpetual Chess Linkfest- https://benjohnson.substack.com/ 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

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

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

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

This month, The Adult Improver Series welcomes Ben Hunt of the Chess Boot Camp YouTube Channel. Through his channel and a Chess.com forum, Ben has built a community around helping players rated 500-1200 improve. Ben started pursuing chess seriously in 2019 and shares tons of helpful reflections including his favorite content creators, the challenges of transitioning to OTB, and what he has learned from creating a YouTube channel geared towards fellow chess amateurs. Ben’s enthusiasm for chess is contagious, and I really enjoyed hearing his perspective.  0:00- Thanks to recent Patreon subs, if you would like to join the community you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Sub to the Perpetual Chess linkfest here: https://benjohnson.substack.com/ 02:00- Ben got very interested very quickly in chess in 2019- what precipitated that?  Mentioned: Chess.com Lessons  07:00- Who are Ben’s favorite chess content creators? Mentioned: Ginger GM, IM Alex Banzea, GM Daniel Naroditsky, St. Louis Chess Club, Jonathan Schrantz, IM John Bartholomew 10:00-Patreon mailbag question: “What is the goldfish method?” Why does Ben sometimes struggle to implement it?”  Mentioned: Ben’s Goldfish Method Video, Move First Think Later, Chess Steps Method  17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 18:30- What has it been like for Ben to try out OTB play in the UK? 23:00- Ben discusses his opening repertoire a bit as we discuss whether openings are overemphasized for club players.  Mentioned: IM Andras’ Toth’s The Beginners 1. D4 Repertoire, SImon Williams’ The British Grand Prix, The Dvoretsky Endgame Manual, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, 100 Endgames You Must Know  34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What advice does Ben give to those who are struggling translating increased knowledge to an OTB performance above the 1000 level?” 42:00- What is Ben’s tactics regimen?  Mentioned: Chessbootcamp.club, The Woodpecker Method, Book Recap #6: The Woodpecker Method  50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 51:00- What kind of material does Ben present on his YouTube channel?  55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are Ben’s chess goals?”  1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: “When you are showing a tactical puzzle, how important is it to show the moves that preceded the puzzle?” 1:05:00- What are Ben’s interests outside of chess?  1:07:00- As we say our goodbyes, Ben gives 3 tips for getting to 1000.  Thanks to Ben for joining! Here is how to keep up with him: Chess.com profile https://www.chess.com/member/benhunt72 Chess Bootcamp YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessBootCamp Chess Bootcamp Live  https://chessbootcamp.club/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

The Perpetual Chess Book Review Series Chess Books Recaptured  returns to discuss the award winning book, San Luis 2005 by 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

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

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 Legends is 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

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

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

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

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

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: YouTube: Twitch: Twitter:  Merch Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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 Recaptured returns, 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 Later by 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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-   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- 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?  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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: Chess Dojo Discord Twitter Chess.com Lichess   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss an excellent game compilation book, The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games by 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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 [email protected] (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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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  21:00- 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%.  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

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

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

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

Chess Books Recaptured is 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 Journeys on your favored podcast app. Chess Journeys Episode 28 with Neal Bruce. Follow Kevin on Twitch  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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:  FM Doug Eckert  NM Evan Rosenberg FM Dalton Perrine Twitter: Evan Rosenberg Dalton Perrine 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  Sign up for Martin’s newsletter here. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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