EP.202 - Dr. Frank Brady
This week we are joined by top chess player, trainer and author GM Wojciech Moranda. GM Moranda is one of the highest ranked and most accomplished players in Poland, with a FIDE rating of 2618 and many tournament victories. Wojciech has also been a frequent competitor in the Pro Chess League, where he has beaten the likes of GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Alexander Grischuk. As a trainer, GM Wojciech has worked with both amateur adults and with top young players in conjunction with the National Youth Chess Academy of the Polish Chess Federation. GM Moranda is a chess bibliophile who has developed a unique chess instruction style, which is on display in his excellent new book, Universal Chess Training, recently published by Thinkers Publishing. We talk about the book as well as chess improvement more generally, including getting Wojciech’s takes on the age old questions of what to study, how to study, and how much to study. If you are looking to improve your own game you are assured to pick up something both from Wokciech’s book, and from our conversation. Please continue reading for timestamps and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We begin by discussing GM Moranda’s new book from Thinker’s Publishing, Universal Chess Training. GM Moranda shares how he decided on the unique presentation style of this book, and what he likes and dislikes about other recent chess books. Mentioned: Reshevsky-Petrosian 1953 (25...Re6), Jon Edwards, My Great Predecessors, Kasparov-Topalov 1999, Episode 199 with Dr. Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. One of their latest offerings is a Lifetime Repertoires course on the Taimanov Sicilian by GM Harikrishna. Check it out here:https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-taimanov-sicilian/course/45749/?utm_source=chessable&utm_medium=tw 25:30- GM Moranda answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about whether playing blitz and rapid is bad for one’s chess development. Mentioned: Lichess.org, Episode 200 with GM Boris Gelfand, GM Alireza Firouzja 34:30- We discuss how much one should study, and how one should allocate chess study time. Mentioned: Applying Logic in Chess by IM Erik Kislik 41:00- Are the rumors true that GM Moranda has a law degree? How did Wojciech get into chess? Mentioned: FM Kamil Plichta 48:30- GM Moranda answers another question relating to the state of the chess culture in Poland. Mentioned: GM Jan Krzysztof Duda, Paul Morphy, The Queen’s Gambit Series 56:30- What are GM Wojciech’s favorite chess books? Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation Series, Beyond Material, GameChanger 1:03:00- GM Moranda has some experience teaching blindfold chess and visualization. What advice does he usually give his students? 1:19:00 Thanks so much to GM Moranda for sharing his chess wisdom!You can reach him via email at [email protected] check out a teaser of Universal Chess Training here:https://thinkerspublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Teaser-PDF-Wojciech-Moranda-Universal-Chess-Training-1.pdfand you can buy it here:https://thinkerspublishing.com/product/wojciech-moranda-universal-chess-training/Its also available from Forward Chess here: https://forwardchess.com/sample/universal-chess-training See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Perpetual Chess Podcast · Ben Johnson
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Show Notes
Dr. Frank Brady has led a long and distinguished career both in and out of the chess world. Before retiring, he was the Chairman of the Department of Mass Communications, Journalism, Television and Film at St. John’s University. Frank is also the Founding Editor of Chess Life Magazine, and is well known for writing multiple books about Bobby Fischer, who Frank knew since Bobby’s teenage years, and about whom he is a leading authority. Dr. Brady is best known for his best-selling and brilliant 2011 biography of Fischer, Endgame: Fischer’s Rise and Fall from Remarkable Prodigy to the Edge of Madness. In our conversation, Frank shares many personal recollections about his interactions with Bobby, including a first-hand account of what it was like to be at the famed Fischer-Spassky Match of the Century in Reykjavik in 1972. Frank contextualizes the brilliance and the faults of Bobby Fischer, and tells some great stories from his personal experiences. You will not want to miss this first hand account of chess history! Please read on for more details, relevant links, and timestamps.
For more detailed show notes, go to:
www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/11/17/episode-202-dr-frank-brady
02:00- What was it like to attend the “Match of the Century” between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in person in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1972?
10:30- Frank discusses the question of whether Bobby knew who his father was, and whether he was aware of his Jewish heritage.
18:30- How would Frank describe Bobby’s personality?
28:00- What chess improvement advice did Bobby Fischer give to Frank Brady?
32:30- Does Frank think that Bobby Fischer had Asperger’s Syndrome? How did Frank find out Fischer’s IQ?
40:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. If you would like to learn about the chess brilliance of Bobby Fischer utilizing their patented Movetrainer technology, you can check out GM Garry Kasparov’s My Great Predecessor’s Volume 4, among other books and courses:
https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-4/course/29726/
41:00- Frank answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to the history of The Log Cabin Chess Club.
47:00- What were Bobby’s political views before they became more radical? When was Bobby’s chess peak? Does Frank think that Bobby was clinically insane?
52:00- What did Bobby’s Icelandic friends from his later years think of Bobby?
53:30- Douglas Griffin asks Frank whether he is aware of Fischer being particularly influenced by GM Isaac Boleslavsky.
56:00- What were Frank’s interactions with GM Boris Spassy like?
1:00:00- Frank's encounters with famed artist Marcel Duchamp
1:04:00- Frank still plays the occasional tournament chess game, and he is in great health as an 86 year-old. What health advice can he share?
1:05:30- As an expert on film and chess, Frank compares the smash-hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit as it compares to other representations of chess in film/on television.
1:10:00- To what does Frank attribute the success of Endgame outside of the chess world?
1:17:00- Whom does Frank think I should interview?
1:19:30- More discussion of The Queen’s Gambit.
1:25:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Brady for an amazing interview! You can reach him via email at bradyfm at msn.com
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