Perpetual Chess Podcast

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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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. Spotify playlist for other book reviews: https://spotify.link/Sx2hLmiTiDb Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Among countless other instructive courses, Strategic Chess Exercises is available via Chessable: https://www.chessable.com/strategic-chess-exercises/course/16565/ 0:00- For what levels are these books best suited? 0:03- Why does Michael love the book Strategic Chess Exercises ? What is its format? Mentioned: Available on Chessable and Amazon, Michael’s appearance on Chess Journeys (Episode 102) 14:00- What are my quibbles about this high-quality book? 20:00- We discuss Think Like a Super GM by GM Michael Adams and Phillip Hurtado Mentioned: Thought and Choice in 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 volunteer to potentially co-host a book discussion, you can do so via the form here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/co-host If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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. The Chessable Contest Launches September 1, here is all the info you need: https://www.chessable.com/create/ 0:02- Maaike joined me shortly after returning from The Czech Open in Pardubice. For prospective tournament players, she discusses what she liked and disliked about the tournament, and she assessed her own performance. Maaike had to withdraw from the tournament due to sickness, so she was unable to finish the tournament. Mentioned: CM Vjekoslav Nemec, More Czech Open Info here: https://www.czechopen.net/en/, Sunway Sitges, Reykjavik Open 11:00- Maaike plays in the Dutch Chess League and the English 4NCL League as well. She discusses the formats of these leagues. 15:00- What are Maaike’s current objectives with her chess game? 19:00- Maaike discusses her work at Chessable and the annual “Create Your Own Chess Course” contest. Upon context launch on September 1, there will be more info at this link: https://go.chessable.com/create/ Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual, Visualize by Benedictine, CM Can Kabadayi’s Chessable Courses, GM Maurice Ashley’s Secrets of Chess Geometry, Maaike’s How to Create a Chessable Course Video 31:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the best practices of the most accomplished Chessable users?’ Mentioned: NM Han Schut, NM Todd Bryant, Perpetual Chess Improvement, Available November 1!, Alex Crompton’s Blog Post, EP 256 with Alex Crompton 35:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What changes have taken place at Chessable since it was acquired by Chess.com?’ 40:00- What was it like growing up vis-a-vis The Chess Steps system in The Netherlands? Mentioned: EP 335 with Matthew Ball and WIM Natasha Regan 43:00- Maaike shares her memories of playing on the Dutch National Team at the Olympiad. 47:00- If Maaike were to emphasize improving her chess game, what would she prioritize? 50:00 Maaike’s fondest and least fond chess memories! 51:00- Thanks to Maaike for joining the pod! If you have questions about the Chessable contest, email hello at chessable dot com Or post in the Chessable forums: https://www.chessable.com/discussion/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate You can pre-order my forthcoming book here: https://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Chess-Improvement-Practical-World-Class/dp/9083336549/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32H1VUUP9AHO8&keywords=perpetual+chess+improvement&qid=1692411671&s=books&sprefix=perpetual+chess+%2Cstripbooks%2C119&sr=1-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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, Games and Goals by IM Atle Gronn. It should be available in English in 2024 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 10:00- Jim discusses the Columbia University Chess Team, which won the intercollegiate championship. CORRECTION- When discussing the Columbia University chess team, Jim notes that he regrets not mentioning that Ralph Italie and Ed Sher also both performed substantial service for the team. 12:30- Did Jim ever consider becoming a chess professional? 15:00- Jim reminisces about a few tournaments including the World Junior Championship in Copenhagen in 1953 and Portoroz 1958, an Interzonal tournament, featuring Fischer, Tal and many others. Mentioned: Boris Ivkov, Penrose, Reshevsky, Penrose 22:00- What are Jim’s first memories of Fischer? Mentioned: Fischer-Sherwin 1958 32:00- Jim shares his recollections of Fischer-Spassky 1972, as well as his own games against Fischer. Mentioned: Sherwin-Fischer Log Cabin Open 1957, Fischer-Sherwin 1957 37:00- What does Jim recall about his games with Tal and Petrosian? 40:30- Does Jim ever review his old games? Does he use an engine? 43:30- Jim’s Memories of the legendary tournament in Lone Pine 1976, featuring Petrosian and Smyslov.. How did his blitz battles with a young Yasser Seirawan go? 47:00- Did Jim know the well-known authors like Fred Reinfeld, Al Horowitz and Irving Chernev? 50:00- Jim discusses his time supporting American professional chess as head of the American Chess Foundation. Mentioned: GM Boris Gulko, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Judit Polgar, Allen Kaufman 57:00- How are Jim’s chess skills at age 89? How does he keep up with the game? 1:03:00- Jim recalls the only game in which he beat GM Andy Soltis, where Fischer joined the post mortem analysis. 1:09:00- What were Jim’s closest friendships in the chess world? Mentioned: IM Donald Byrne, GM Larry Evans, Dr. Edward Lasker, GM Arthur Bisguier, GM Edmar Mednis, Dr. Eliot Hearst 1:11:00- Which is Jim’s favorite of his games? Mentioned: Sherwin-Gligoric 1958 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is Author and Data Scientist, GM Vinay Bhat. Vinay was one of the top chess prodigies in modern US History. He amassed many scholastic titles and held the record of the youngest ever US National Master before Hikaru Nakamura broke his record. Despite Vinay’s extraordinary chess success, he always maintained many interests and put a particular emphasis on his school work, and then his career. Now 38 years of age, Vinay has written an excellent new book with Quality Chess, How I Became a Chess Grandmaster. Part memoir, part chess manual, in the book, Vinay reflects on his career, annotates memorable games, and takes a big picture look at the study choices and decisions he made over the years, including the tough decision to walk away from chess as a profession. Vinay places a particular emphasis on the few steep plateaus he faced in his development. In our conversation, Vinay reflects on his career and shares plenty of chess lessons and memorable anecdotes. A Bay Area native and resident, Vinay has gotten to know many people who will be familiar to Perpetual Chess listeners. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed. 0:00- My Recommended Chessable Courses: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ Check out ChessDojo’s 1.e4 Repertoire for White here: https://www.chessable.com/chessdojos-1e4-repertoire-for-white/course/150049/ 0:02- As Vinay reflects on his chess career, how does he reflect on his first real plateau, which occurred around 2200. Mentioned: The Best I Saw in Chess by IM Stuart Rachels, GM Gregory Kaidanov, Episode 295 with GM Gregory Kaidanov 13:45- What is Vinay’s advice for when an opening change might be in order? Mentioned: Vinay’s Chessbase India interview with IM Sagar Shah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4IIiYe5Vb8 20:00- What conclusions does Vinay draw from reflecting on his whole chess career? Mentioned: Savely Polovets 24:00- How did Vinay utilize one page writeups in his opening prep? 28:00- Vinay shares his thoughts on various players he knows and has met, including GM Sam Shankland, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Eduard Gufeld, the RZA from Wutang Clan, Mentioned: Joe Lonsdale Jr., Peter Thiel, The GZA, Josh Waitzkin 45:00- What were Vinay’s first impressions of Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana? 47:00- What was it like to live in the “chess house” with IM David Pruess and GM Jesse Kraai? 49:00- Vinay is an avid reader and discusses some of his favorites. Mentioned: ChessDoJo video- The Best Chess Books , New York 1924, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, How Not to Play Chess, The Books of Irving Chernev 57:00- What have Vinay’s interactions with GM Viswanathan Anand been like? What about Spassky, Kasparov and Karpov? 1:01:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: As a data scientist has Vinay discovered any useful statistical patterns in his play? 1:05:00- What does Vinay think of the acceleration of Chat GBT and similar products? Could it have a further impact on the chess world? 1:10:00- Vinay reflects on the difficult decision he made not to pursue professional chess. 1:15:00- Is there anything Vinay wishes he could have done differently? 1:18:00- Thanks so much to Vinay for joining the show! Here are the links for his excellent book: Check out the book here: Quality Chess https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/436/how_i_became_a_chess_grandmaster_by_vinay_bhat/ Free Excerpt of the Books: https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIbecameaChessGrandmaster-Excerpt.pdf Forward Chess https://forwardchess.com/product/how-i-became-a-chess-grandmaster?section= Vsbhat02 at gmail If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns to hear some more reflections from an accomplished chess amateur. This week we are joined by John Neely. John started competitive chess at the age of 36 in 2011 and has had a long road to the ECF equivalent of about 1800. John has put in plenty of hours, both as a student of the game, an OTB competitor, and as a Chessable community author who created the popular series Visualize. In our interview, John reflects on the lessons he has learned in his years of studying chess. John is pleased with his approach in some aspects of his study, but he also thinks he could have done a few things differently. Finally, we discuss John’s new project, as he is taking a break from competitive chess in order to work on a series of mystery novels. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below. 0:00- Be Sure to Sub to the Free Newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest! https://benjohnson.substack.com/ 0:01- Thanks to recent Perpetual Chess Patreon subs, you can join the community here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess 0:02- My Recommended Chessable Courses Fire on Board GM Niclas Huscenbeth;s 1. E4 Repertoire Benedictine’s Chessable Courses 03:00- John Neely joins the show! He begins by discussing how he got into competitive chess at age 36 in 2011. 12:00- What did John do to improve his game? Mentioned: Dan Heisman’s YouTube channel, ChessTempo Tactics Trainer 16:00- How do team leagues work in Great Britain? 21:30- When John was playing online games as a training method, did he feel like they worked as well as training by playing OTB League games? 26:00- How did John come up with the idea for his Visualize series on Chessable? https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/, Episode 327 with Geert van der Velde 35:00- John shares his approach to analyzing his games Mentioned: How to Batch Analyze Your Games, Blunder Busters 44:00- What would John do differently if starting serious chess all over again? Mentioned: Silman’s Endgame Course, Alekhine’s Best Games of Chess 50:00- How did John get into writing mystery novels? Mentioned: Lavender and Brown: York Mysteries 56:00- What was it like to play GMs like David Howell, Luke McShane, GM Simon Williams and Mickey Adams in simuls? If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Wojciech Moranda is an insightful author, trainer, and one of the top players in Poland. He rejoins Perpetual Chess this week to do a deep dive on all things related to chess improvement. Wojciech answers questions related to memorizing and annotating games, improving at positional chess, the value of playing compared to reading, plus many more questions that can help your game and study routine. In the second half of the interview we expand our conversation to discuss Wojciech’s excellent new book Supreme Chess Understanding, Wojciech discusses his experience coaching IM Levy Rozman, he shares advice for becoming a chess trainer, and of course, shares his thoughts on Nepo-Ding. I always learn a great deal when speaking with Wojciech, and this week’s pod is no exception. You can find timestamps for the many topics discussed below. Wojciech’s Prior Appearance, Episode 203 Universal Chess Training Supreme Chess Understanding 0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ Stomp the Stafford Gambit Shankland’s Neo-Catalan 2 03:00- Chess Improvement Q and A begins- Is it worthwhile to memorize complete games as a chess improvement method? Mentioned: Rapid Chess Improvement, Book Recap #6- Woodpecker Method/Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce 08:00- Is it worthwhile for amateurs to annotate GM games as an improvement method? Mentioned: Zurich 1953, San Luis 2005, The Power of Defence and the Art of Counterattack in 64 Pictures, The Road to Chess Improvement 18:00- Wojciech shares his thoughts on the AI revolution 22:00- How should a 1600 level player with little opening knowledge approach learning them? Mentioned: Everyman Move by Move Series 27:00- Should a lower-rated player study imbalances? (The topic of Wojciech’s new book) 33:00- What method is the most effective for getting better at positional chess? Mentioned: GM Johan Hellsten’s Mastering Chess Strategy (on Amazon) (and on Chessable) 38:00- What are the traits of Wojciech’s most successful students? 45:00- What are the most common mistakes that Wojciech sees students making in different phases of the game? (Openings/Tactics/Endgames) Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know (on Amazon) (and on Chessable) 51:00- Should Dr. Kevin Scull of Chess Journeys stop reading chess books and play more in order to improve? 1:00:00- We discuss Supreme Chess Understanding. How does Wojciech find so many original and creative puzzle positions? Mentioned: Available on Forward Chess, Free Preview of the Book via Thinker’s Publishing 1:08:00- What are the “three types of chess players” when it comes to sacrificing material? Mentioned: Beyond Material (on Amazon) (and on Chessable) 1:12:00- What was it like to coach Gotham Chess? 1:20:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What resources would Wojciech recommend for someone thinking of becoming a chess trainer?” Mentioned: WFM Michalina Rudzińska, Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos, Episode 66 with Adam Weissbarth, The Chess Instructor 2009, Chess Training for Budding Champions by IM Jesper Hall, How to Study Chess on Your Own, For Friends and Colleagues by IM Mark Dvoretsky, Thinking Inside the Box by GM Jacob Aagaard , Chess for Educators by Karel van Delft 1:42:00- Wojciech’s World Championship Thoughts Mentioned: Sean Ingle’s story on Nepo’s Missing Sleeping Pill, written for The Guardian 1:47:00- Thanks to Wojciech for joining the pod! You can contact him via his Lichess and his Chess.com Coaches Pages: https://lichess.org/coach/gmmoranda https://www.chess.com/member/gmmoranda If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here. https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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 podcastchoices.com/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