Perpetual Chess Podcast

Michael Ross Franco is a 28 year old Applied Mathematics Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley who is also an accomplished chess improver. As Michael tells us, his interest in chess was sparked when he was looking for an engaging hobby while fighting leukemia in 2013. He started following the 2013 Carlsen-Anand World Championship match, and his interest has blossomed from there. Michael’s chess rating has also blossomed, as he has slowly climbed from beginner level to a 2300 peak Lichess Rapid Rating in the subsequent 8 years. In our interview, Michael details the books, experiences and lessons that have influenced him along the way. Please read on for lots more details and any relevant links. 0:00- Michael shares the unique story of how in 2013, the leukemia diagnosis left him looking for an engaging hobby, which turned out to be chess. Michael followed the 2013 Carlsen-Anand match and developed a particular affinity for Magnus Carlsen. Mentioned: Chess Network YouTube Channel, PowerPlay YouTube Channel 10:30- Michael began his chess climb with about an 1100 LiChess rating. Which books helped him ascend from there? Mentioned: A First Book of Morphy, How to Reassess Your Chess 19:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them Here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well! 20:15- How did Michael approach game analysis and learning from his games when he was climbing from Lichess 1100 to 2000 or so? Mentioned: Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces by GM Igor Stohl 25:30: Once he started grad school, Michael was able to take advantage of an IRL chess club at University of California-Berkeley. What lessons did he learn from face-to-face games with stronger players? Mentioned: Chess Club at Berkeley 30:30- What was Michael’s approach to studying openings? 34:00- When did Michael play his first tournament? What does he advise other online players who are new to tournaments? 43:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 43:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 44:30- Michael shares some more book recommendations. Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating, Essential Chess Sacrifices, Thinking Inside the Box, Winning Chess Middlegames, Chess Structures, James Altucher interview with GM Judit Polgar, Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos 49:00- What was Michael’s approach to studying tactics? 54:30- Michael shares the various online resources he has joined: Mentioned: IM Andras Toth Twitch channel, Chessbrah Twitch channel, Morphy Chess Club Discord, GM Jesse Kraai The Plus Minus Equal of Chess Improvement 57:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Has Michael’s mathematical background helped him succeed at chess?” Michael also gives some background on his academic/professional career. 1:02:00- What are Michael’s 3 biggest chess improvement tips? Play longer games and analyze them in depth. Play higher-rated people Enjoy the game, expand your chess culture! 1:05:00- Thanks so much to Michael for sharing what he has learned about chess improvement. You can reach him via his Lichess account, NoseKnowsAll, here: https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Programming Note- this podcast is also being published in video format on Tryfon’s YouTube channel-link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw1o0opNJ-s Tryfon Gavriel, better known as “KingsCrusher” was one of the trailblazers of “Chess YouTube” and still uploads regularly to his following of over 110,000 subscribers. Tryfon launched his channel on a whim in 2007, and spent years as one of the most popular chess channels in the world. It was fun to hear Tryfon take us through those early days of online chess content, which feel like so long ago. As we discuss, Tryfon also has a keen knowledge of chess history, with a special interest in Bobby Fischer, Paul Morphy, and Mikhail Tal. Tryfon shares what makes these players so special and how we can apply lessons from their games. Tryfon is a bullet chess specialist who believes that studying these greats has even helped him at the fastest time controls. It was fun to talk chess history, chess content history and get some improvement tips from one of the original chess content creators! Timestamps and lots more details below. 0:00- We discuss the early days of Tryfon’s YouTube channel in 2007 and his website Chessworld.net! Mentioned: Veratasium YouTube algorithm, Chess on the Web by Sarah Hurst, Richard Palliser and Graham Brown, Sam Copeland’s TIme Lapse Video of the Most Popular Chess YouTubers, Agadmator, MatoJelic, GothamChess, ChessNetwork, 21:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 21:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 22:00- From the Patreon mailbag: “Tryfon’s two most popular videos are about Bobby Fischer, and Tryfon is a big fan. What books has he read about Bobby Fischer?” 28:00- What sparked Tryfon’s interest in writing a LiChess blog? 30:00- What captivates Tryfon about Fischer, Morphy and Tal? 39:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Will the King’s Gambit ever feature in elite chess again?” This segues to a discussion of other openings that are underrated for club players Mentioned: Chris Callahan’s Twitter thread on how openings perform at different levels, Episode 221 with Chris Callahan 46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them Here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well! 46:30- Tryfon offers many chess courses on Udemy, including its most popular chess course, what was the inspiration for branching out from YouTube? Mentioned: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 53:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What tips can we share for a 1200 player working to improve calculation and visualization skills?” Mentioned: Peter Giannatos’ Everyone’s First Chess Workbook, Benedictine’s Visualization Series, Chess Steps 2: Thinking Ahead, IM Ken Regan paper- Intrinsic Ratings Compendium 1:12:00- As a top junior, Tryfon played Demis Hassibis of DeepMind as a kid. How was Demis’ game? 1:18:00- Thanks so much to Tryfon for joining the show. Here is out to keep up with him. YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/user/kingscrusher Udemy Courses- https://www.udemy.com/user/tryfon-gavriel/ Twitter-https://twitter.com/kingscrusher?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Lichess- https://lichess.org/@/Kingscrusher-YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chess Books Recaptured is back for another monthly book review/recap. This month I am joined by UX designer and recently-minted chess enthusiast, Jessi Shakarian to discuss the 1921 classic, Chess Fundamentals by former World Champion, Jose Raoul Capablanca. Jessi provides the perspective of someone new to chess who was looking to learn some basics from one of the all time greats of the game. I try to give some historical perspective on the book, as well as to detail why this did not turn out to be my favorite book, despite its being written by one of my favorite players. Of course, there are still many useful insights and beautiful chess moves in the book, and we try to share a few highlights in our conversation. As always, you can find more details and timestamps below. 0:00- We introduce this month's guest co-host Jessi Shakharian. Jessi shares a bit about her background and her recent deep dive into the chess world, and chess books in particular. 3:45- Patreon mailbag question- “What approach has Jessi taken to reading chess books?” 8:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What tips can Ben share for how to analyze games? Mentioned: How to Chess” interview with GM Davorin Kuljasevic 10:00- We discuss Jose Raoul Capablanca’s background and the context of the book’s publication in 1921. Mentioned: GM Mikail Botvinnik, LiChess study with Chess Fundamentals, GM Nick DeFirmian’s Chess Fundamentals Revised Book Recap #18 of My System with IM Christof Sielecki, Everyman’s Chess Fundamentals, Martin Justesen’s new version of Chess Fundamentals 17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out whats new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 18:00- What do we think of Capablanca’s famed “learn the endgame first” philosophy? What are the pros and cons of the book itself? Jostein Langstrand’s Review of Chess Fundamentalsi, Edward Winter’s Capablanca: A Compendium 30:00- What insights does Capablanca share about the relative value of the chess pieces, especially about how the bishop compares to the knight? 39:00- Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel here. 39:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30% 40:00- What did “Friend of the Show” Fred Wilson think of this book? What alternative books might we recommend? Mentioned: Fred Wilson books in NYC, Episode 86 with Fred Wilson, Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, A First Book of Morphy, Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings, Logical Chess Move by Move, Make it Stick, Episode 242 GM Surya Ganguly, How Grandmasters Memorize Opening Variations by GM Avetik Grigoryan 55:00- What grade would we give Chess Fundamentals? Mentioned: Episode 240 Pawn Book Championship with Neal Bruce 58:00-Coming next month- Chess is My Life with John Fernandez Thanks to Jessi Shakarian for helping out this month! I will be making another donation to Chess in Slums on her behalf. You can follow her on Twitter here. 1:00:00- Blindfold Puzzles! Puzzle #1- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. e5 Ne4 6. d3 Bc5! 7. dxe4 Black to move and win For the answer, go to #1 here Puzzle #2- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Bc4 Ng4 7. O-O Qh4 8. h3 Nxf2 9. Qf3 Nxh3+ 10. Kh1 Black to move and force mate For the answer, go to #2 here * Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave is a 3 time champion of France, 2 time Sinquefield Cup winner, and perennial top 10 player in the world. Maxime joined me from his home in Paris while on a brief break from a hectic tournament schedule. In addition to some events in St. Louis, Maxime recently played in FIDE World Cup in Russia, and won the Zagreb Grand Chess Tour event in July. Maxime was very candid in our conversation as he discussed his recent successes, his 2nd place finish in the 2020-2021 Candidates Tournament, his thoughts on the World Championship match, and his opinions on the formats and qualification criteria of various important tournaments. It was amazing to hear the honest reflections of a chess player who is amongst the best in the world and still working to get even better! Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by discussing Maxime’s recent travels and chess events. Mentioned: MVL interview with Agadmator, FIDE Candidates, FIDE World Cup, FIDE Grand Swiss in Riga 11:00- Does Maxime feel that his OTB game has been progressing? Which upcoming tournaments are his biggest priorities? Mentioned: GM Ian Nepomniatchi, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, GM Sergei Karjakin, GM Teimour Radjabov, 2022 FIDE Grand Prix 20:30- Patreon mailbag question: How does Maxime feel about the current rules for qualifying for the FIDE Candidates tournament and the formats for FIDE’s other major events. 27:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 27:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 31:30- Maxime has several GMs on his team, as well as a performance coach. What do they work on? How did he feel that GM Ian Nepomniachtchi handled his nerves in the Candidates? Mentioned: MVL In Conversation with GM Surya Ganguly 37:30- What are Maxime’s thoughts on the upcoming World Championship match? 41:30- How much does Maxime discuss match preparation strategy with other elite players? 42:00 Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out whats new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast! 47:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Maxime’s training regimen? Mentioned: Maxime’s blog post and video is here. 49:00- Patreon mailbag questions: How does MVL’s prep regime change for an open tournament as compared to a closed? Has his prep routine changed as he has gotten stronger? Mentioned: GM Etienne Bacrot 58:00- Is Maxime in favor of OTB playoff matches for the FIDE Candidates and FIDE Grand Swiss? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade 1:02:00- Has Queen’s Gambit changed chess at the elite level? GM Anish Giri interview with IM Levy Rozman, Twitch Streamer, NM Kevin Bordi aka Blitzstream 1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: why did Maxime decide to pursue a degree in Mathematics? 1:15:00- Is MVL inspired by the longevity of his favorite tennis player, Roger Federer 1:17:00- What are Maxime’s thoughts on GM Alireza Firouzja joining the French team? 1:19:00- Maxime is famous for his devotion to the Najdorf and the Grunfeld defenses. Is it a philosophical or practical choice to frequently play those openings? Mentioned: GM Wesley So 1:23:00- Thanks so much to Maxime for joining the show. You can read his reflections on his blog here: https://www.mvlchess.com/en/#panel1 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

21 year old GM Andrew Tang (aka “PenguinGM”) is a former National High School champion chess player, popular Twitch streamer and Princeton University student. He is best known as one of the strongest “bullet chess” players in the world. Andrew is quite possibly the fastest moving Grandmaster in the world and has had many epic online battles with other elite bullet players like GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Daniel Naroditsky, and GM Alireza Firouzja. In our conversation, Andrew shares some great stories from his bullet battles, and talks about the origins of his chess skills. Other highlights of the interview include the lessons he learned from his childhood coach IM John Bartholomew, the feeling of playing GM Magnus Carlsen in person in the World Blitz championship, and his professional plans when he finishes college. This was a fun conversation with a very talented young man. More details and timestamps below. 2:00- How is Andrew so fast at chess? When did he realize he was good at bullet? What kind of mouse does he use? Mentioned: IM Ali Mortazavi, Azio Exo1 Gaming Mouse 10:00- Does Andrew play video games? Mentioned: Video of Andrew playing 2D Aim, Cloud9 Gaming 12:00- How did Andrew learn to convert winning endgames so quickly? Mentioned: GM Daniel Naroditsky 13:30- Who, in Andrew’s opinion, are the best bullet players in the world? Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Daniel Naroditsky, FM OrangeGhost (not OrangeCrush, as I said) 16:15- How does GM Andrew Tang describe his exchanges with GM Magnus Carlsen ? Mentioned: FIDE World Rapid and Blitz, Watch Andrew’s OTB Blitz Match with Magnus here 20:00- What are Andrew’s goals in Classical chess, if any? What are his professional plans for life after college? 23:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 24:00- Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 25:00- How seriously does Andrew take his blitz game? How did he develop his tactical vision? Mentioned: Episode 164 with IM John Bartholomew 29:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Do you have any advice for getting better at time management in blitz?” 33:00- Does Andrew plan on playing in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz if it happens? 39:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 40:00- Who is the strongest player Andrew has ever played in classical chess? Mentioned: GM Le Quang Liem, GM Wesley So, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Nikola Mitkov 44:00- What was it like to have IM John Bartholomew as a coach? 47:30- What are Andrew’s most memorable online bullet escapades? 51:00- Quick hitter round. Andrew answers Twitter questions relating to browser tabs, playing chess against prisoners, blindfold chess, and his upcoming schedule. Mentioned: Video of GM Andrew Tang playing blindfold UltraBullet 1:10:00- Thanks to Andrew for coming on the show! Here is how to keep up with him: Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/penguingm1 YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcJxY7NovRrYCsxyl6qaFLA Twitter- https://twitter.com/penguingm1 Email- Penguingm1 at gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Anna Muzychuk is the winner of 3 FIDE World Championship events, and is consistently amongst the highest-rated woman players in the world. In 2012, Anna made history when she became the 4th Woman in history to cross the 2600 FIDE rating. After a lull during the Covid-quarantine, Anna has been actively competing again, and she made a deep run in the FIDE World Cup. Anna came in 4th place in this prestigious event, which earned her a coveted spot in the 2022 Women’s Candidates Tournament. The winner of that Candidates Tournament will challenge GM Ju Wenjun for the Women's World Championship title. As we discuss, Anna’s schedule of competitions is generally packed, but the Covid quarantine gave her a chance to try out commentating, Twitch streaming and even organizing a tournament, with her sister GM Mariya Muzychuk. We discuss which new hobbies Anna is likely to stick with, as well as her thoughts on many recent and upcoming events, and, of course, Queen’s Gambit. As always, timestamps and the details of all that we covered can be found below. 0:00- We discuss the recent FIDE Women’s World Cup and the 2022 Candidates Tournament for the Women's World Championship. Mentioned: GM Ju Wenjun, GM Tatev Abrahamyan 13:00- Anna’s training regimen Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, Theory and Practice of Chess Endings by GM Alexander Panchenko, the books of GM Jacob Aagaard, Chess Calculation Training: Middlegame by GM Romain Eduoard,and Learn from GM Michal Krasenkow . 19:00- What is it like to frequently play her friends and her sister in Elite Women’s events? Mentioned: GM Mariya Muzychuk, IM Elisabeth Paehtz, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina 23:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel here. 24:00- Anna’s upcoming tournament schedule. 28:30- Patreon mailbag question: “How have you balanced competing and preparing for top women events with trying to improve your chess level by playing significantly stronger opponents? Mentioned: 2021 European Club Cup 31:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What has led to her decisions regarding which country to represent?” Mentioned: Boris Kutin, GM Levon Aronian, GM Alireza Firouzja 38:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com More info on the How to Chess podcast here: https://howtochess.com/ 39:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 40:00- Anna and Mariya’s parents are both professional chess trainers, Anna shares a bit about the way she and her sister were taught as kids. 48:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How should club level players approach game analysis?” 55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is the key to calculating at an elite level?” 57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What did Anna think of Queen’s Gambit? Did Beth Harmon’s life resemble Anna’s in any way?” Mentioned: GM Garry Kasparov visits US Chess Girls Club 1:06:00 -Anna famously refused to play in the 2017 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz in Saudi Arabia when she would have been required to wear a hijab and an abaya during the tournament competition. Patreon mailbag question: “Does she think that her stance helped change things?” Mentioned: Anna’s Facebook Post is here 1:11:00- Anna discusses the first annual Muzychuk’s Sisters Cup, in Ukraine. Mentioned: Read more here 1:14:00- What are Anna’s plans for her Twitch channel? Mentioned: Challenger’s Chess Cup 1:22:00- Thanks to Anna for joining the show! Here are the best ways to keep up with her. Twitch channel- https://www.twitch.tv/annamuzychuk Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/anna.muzychuk.9, Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/anna_muzychuk.official/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Surya Ganguly is one of the top players in India, and was the India national champion for 6 consecutive years starting in 2003! He has won countless medals in National team events, and was the Asian champion in 2009. GM Ganguly also works actively as a trainer, and most notably, worked on the preparation team of of GM Viswanthan Anand for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 World Championship Matches. Given this unique experience, I couldn’t wait to hear GM Ganguly’s insightful reflections on the upcoming World Championship match. GM Ganguly is also an active trainer for us non-World Champions, and in fact, has recently released his first Chessable course, Lifetime Repertoires: Nimzo/Semi-Tarrasch. Last but not least, Surya is a founding trainer of ProChessTraining.com. This experience informs Surya’s ability to share some useful tips for young chess talents and adult improvers alike. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- World Championship Match Talk! As a former member of GM Anand’s World Championship team, what would a prep team’s routine look like 100 days before the match? Mentioned: The Anand Files, Mind Master, Episode 156 with FM Michiel Abeln, Episode 177 with GM Peter Heine Nielsen, Surya’s YouTube show, In Conversation with GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Peter Leko, Challenger’s Chess Tour with Kramnik and Polgar 23:00- Patreon mailbag question- Does Surya think that his past work on World Championship Teams makes him more likely to be hired on another team? 25:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 26:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 27:00- What does Surya mean when he says, in his new Chessable course, “Memorization without understanding is a sin.” Mentioned: Lifetime Repertoires Nimzo and Ragozin 38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 38:30- What is the vision behind ProChessTraining, which Surya has launched with GM Ramesh R.B. and GM Magesh Panchanathan? 51:00- How does Surya advice to budget one’s chess study time? 58:00- When Surya was 9 years old, Surya worked on the demonstration board when GM Anand came to Kolkata for an elite tournament. What does Surya remember about this experience? Mentioned: GM Luke McShane, GM Levon Aronian, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Etienne Bacrot, GM Ruslan Ponomariov, GM Sergei Azarov, GM Mark Paragua, GM Paco Vallejo 1:01:00- Surya tells a memorable story of playing a 13 year old Magnus Carlsen in 2004. Mentioned: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1283190, GM Yevgeniy Vladimirov 1:05:00- Patreon mailbag questions: How are Surya’s ping pong skills? Who is his favorite player other than Anand? Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer 1:07:00- GM Ganguly did not have a coach until he was already a titled player. What was it like to workwith legendary GM Alexei Shirov? 1:10:00- Thanks to GM Surya Ganguly for joining us. You can root for him in the following upcoming tournaments Sharjah Masters 2021, Bundesliga, and the FIDE Grand Swiss. Here are the other links you might find helpful: Pro Chess Training: https://prochesstraining.com/ Surya’s Chessable Course: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-nimzosemi-tarrasch-part-1/course/66522/ Surya’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/suryachess64?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Surya’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suryasekharchess/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess, we have two interviews in one for you! Return guest, FM Peter Giannatos, who many know as the founder and head of the award-winning Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy, is also an extremely accomplished adult improver, and in the first half of this interview, Peter shares many inspirational words and his best chess improvement advice. As we discuss, in the past decade, Peter has made the difficult climb from 2100 to 2390 USCF! Peter has also improved his blitz game, but, as Peter explains, he does not think that requires the same skill set as playing slower tournament games. In the second half of the interview we turn our attention to Peter's new book and Chessable course.. It is a great resource for newer chess players and chess teachers. Last, but definitely not least, we discuss the current system for players seeking to earn the Grandmaster title. There has been a fair bit of conversation and controversy on this topic of late, so it was great to have one of the world’s leading organizer’s of “norm tournaments' ' help us separate fact from fiction. 0:00- Peter shares his beginnings in tournament chess and discusses the 2 major rating plateaus he faced (Approximately 1600 and 2100 USCF) Mentioned: Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos, Episode 151 with JJ Lang, Matthew Noble, On the Origin of Good Moves, A First Book of Morphy, NM Dominique Myers, Noel Studer’s Blog 16:45- Peter talks about how his chess evolved in his 20s and the ways that GM Ben Finegold and GM Alexander Shabalov helped Peter improve Mentioned: Episode 239 with GM Jan Markos, 26:30- How do adult improvers approach chess improvement differently from kids? Mentioned: #chesspunks, Neal Bruce 33:00- How did Peter change his opening repertoire once he started working with GM Alexander Shabalov? 37:45- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 38:15- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 40:00- How many hours per week did Peter study while his rating was climbing? Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, Perfect Your Chess 48:00- How does Peter adapt his game for speed chess? Mentioned: Simple Chess, How to Reassess Your Chess 57:00- Recommendations for players rated below 1600 Mentioned: Step 2 Thinking Ahead, Forcing Chess Moves 1:05:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 1:06:30- Peter’s improvement bullet points Play Stronger Players Be willing to change things up and exit your comfort zone Work hard! Do 10-15 minutes puzzles that push yourself (my addition)- find a training partner 1:14:00- We discuss Peter Giannatos’ new book and Chessable course Everyone’s First Chess Workbook, Mentioned: Laszlo Polgar’s Chess, Al Woolum’s Chess Tactics Workbook, Chess Steps Books 1:21:00- We discuss a recent, somewhat controversial New York Times article about how title norms are achieved. Link for the article here Mentioned: GM Abhimanyu Mishra, GM Sergey Karjakin, GM Bobby Fischer, GM Judit Polgar Ian Nepomniatchi’s tweet is here, IM Nikolas Theodorou, GM Nigel Short, IM John Bartholomew . Chess for Charity Jacksonville 1:55:00- Thanks so much to Peter for coming on the show! Here are the links you need to reach Peter or buy his book/course: See a preview of the book here Buy the book here: Buy it in Chessable form here: Follow Peter on Twitch here: Email him here: Peter.giannatos at charlottechesscenter.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s Perpetual Chess is the much anticipated “Pawn Book Championship” with popular adult improver Neal Bruce. Neal learned chess from scratch after the age of 40, and has been consistently studying and using flashcards to improve his skills in the last handful of years. In the past year, Neal has turned his attention to better understanding pawn play and positional chess, and he has read 6 (!) different books in order to facilitate better chess understanding. We Perpetual Chess listeners are very fortunate that Neal has offered to do a podcast crowning the “champion” of the pawn books, and has also agreed to give his honest assessment of the other books. When not working on his chess game, Neal is the Chief Product Officer of a software startup and a father of 3, so we greatly appreciate his taking the time for this large project. Please read on for more details and relevant links. 0:00- The transcript of episode 237 with GM Vladimir Kramnik is here If you would like to subscribe to the Perpetual Chess Patreon page, you can do so here. 4:00- Other podcasts to hear Neal Bruce: Book Recap 6- Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement Book Recap 11- Winning Chess Strategies How to Chess with Neal Bruce Dojo Talks #24 with Neal Bruce 5:00- Which books are entrants in Neal’s “Pawn Book Championship,” and how and why did he choose them? Small Steps to Giant Improvement by GM Sam Shankland (Most appropriate for those 1700-2400 FIDE) Small Steps 2 Success by GM Sam Shankland (Most appropriate for those 1800-2400 FIDE) Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis (Most appropriate for those 1500-2200 FIDE) Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios (Most appropriate for those 1500-2200 FIDE) The Power of Pawns by GM Jorg Hickl’s (Most appropriate for those 1200-2000) Pawn Power by IM Hans Kmoch (Not recommended for any rating range) 22:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 24:00- Hans Kmoch Pawn Power 30:30- GM Andy Soltis’s Pawn Structure Chess 34:00-GM Sam Shankland’s Small Steps 2 Success https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/345/small_steps_2_success_by_sam_shankland/ Mentioned: New in Chess Magazine 38:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 39:00- Small Steps to Giant Improvement Free sample from Quality Chess here: https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/316/small_steps_to_giant_improvement_by_sam_shankland/ 43:00- The Power of Pawns by Jorg Hickl. Link with free sample from New in Chess Books here: https://www.newinchess.com/en_US/the-power-of-pawns 47:00- Chess Structures Free sample from Quality Chess here: https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/235/chess_structures_-_a_grandmaster_guide_by_mauricio_flores_rios/ 51:00- In what order would Neal recommend that you read these books? Mentioned: Interview with Magnus Carlsen on Wolfgang Wee Uncut- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElHa52f_bC8&t=4725s 58:30- What lessons did Neal learn from these readings? What books are next for him? Mentioned: Mastering Chess Strategy, Mastering Positional Sacrifices, Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook, Practical Chess Exercises, Zurich 1953, New York 1924, Judit Polgar’s How I Beat Fischer’s Record, Book Recap #7 with Jen Shahade 1:04:00- Thanks so much to Neal for undertaking this massive project and sharing his findings with the chess community! You can keep up with Neal on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/NealBruceBC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This month on Chess Books Recaptured I am joined by renowned Chessable author, IM Christof Sielecki, to discuss what may be the best known chess book of all time. Aron Nimzowitsch’s My System. There was a time when My System seemed to be universally recommended as an indispensable manual for newer chess players, but in recent years, with so many excellent learning resources, it has often been criticized as well. Christof and I try to contextualize the good and the bad of My System. We discuss everything in the book from Nimzo’s famous quotes to his “dad jokes”, to what does, and does not hold up to the scrutiny of modern chess analysis. Whether you love or hate this book, we hope that this podcast can help you decide if this book is worth (re)visiting. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- Why is My System so famous? Why are there so many versions of it? Mentioned: Episode 6 with IM Christof Sielecki, Episode 153 with IM Christof Sielecki, Quality Chess’ Edition of My System, also available on Forward Chess, Chess Metrics, Chess24’s Top 50 Player of All Time Series with GM Jan Gustafsson and GM Peter Heine Nielsen 8:30- For what rating range or audience would this book be most helpful? Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, Episode 239 with GM Jan Markos 16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 16:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 17:00- How is the book structured? Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard, GM John Shaw, IM John Watson’s Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy , Johner vs. Nimzowitsch 1926 36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 37:00- How would we describe Nimzowitsch’s writing style? Mentioned: John Watson’s Review of My System, Lou Hays’ Edition of My System, Siegbert Tarrasch, Rubinstein-Duras (1908), Winning Pawn Structures by GM Alexander Baburin, 54:00- What books might we recommend as instructional substitutes for My System? Mentioned: THe Neal Bruce Pawn Book Championship is coming August 24!, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios, Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean, IM Jeremy Silman’s Books, Book Recap Podcast #13, Simple Chess, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Wily Hendricks 1:00:00- We will be back next month discussing Jose Raoul Capablanca’s Chess Fundamentals, 1:02:00- Thanks so Christof for donating his time! We close by discussing what Christof is working on next for Chessable. Mentioned: Chess in Slums Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/chess-education-in-africa Check out Christof’s whole Chessable catalog here: https://www.chessable.com/author/Chessexplained/ Check out his books here: Amazon.com: Christof Sielecki: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/ChessExplained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest today is the three-time champion of Slovakia, the highest rated player in his country and an award-winning author! Jan Markos’ 2018 book Under the Surface has been recommended on this show many times and was the winner of the ECF book of the year this year. He is out with another offering, The Secret Ingredient. Jan's new book is co-authored by GM David Navara and is also Quality Chess books. Both of Jan’s works are fantastic books which display an accessible writing style and a breadth of knowledge that extends far beyond the chess board. In our conversation, we discuss many of the ideas presented in these books, as well as a bit about Jan’s own competitive career, his advice for improvers, and his busy life away from the chessboard. Please read on for more details and relevant hyperlinks. 3:00- We discuss a question raised in Under the Surface. “What do Grandmasters see that club players do not?” Mentioned: Thinking Fast and Slow, JJ Lang, GM Jesse Kraai 9:30- Patreon mailbag question- “How did GM Markos come up with so many metaphors to describe chess thinking in Under the Surface?” 14:30- Listener question- “Why do adults find improvement so challenging?” Mentioned: GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess, Street Smart Chess by GM Axel Smith 18:00- Twitter Question: “Who is the intended audience for Jan’s book?” 20:00- Twitter Question: “Was Jan inspired by Aron Nimzovich’s My System?” Mentioned: Patzer’s Review Blog Review of Under the Surface 22:00- Twitter Question: “Are there new chapters Jan would add to Under the Surface today?” 24:00- Twitter Question: “Why do we tend to notice mistakes just as we make a move, and not before we make a move?” Mentioned: Jan’s game where he hung a mate in one is here: Manage Your Favourite Games (chessbase.com) 26:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com They offer a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here. 27:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 30:00- We discuss The Secret Ingredient. How can adult chess players learn to translate chess knowledge into skills? 39:00- Why is trying to “get your openings down first” before tackling other aspects of the game often a “Sisyphean task”? 41:30- What advice can Jan offer on managing one’s time during a chess game? Mentioned: GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Daniel Fridman, GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, Episode 08 with GM Sam Shankland 48:30- What should you do when confronted with an unknown idea in the opening? 50:00- How should chess improvers allocate their chess study time? Mentioned: Episode 237 with GM Vladimir Kramnik 54:00- Can online games be adapted so that they more resemble tournament chess? 58:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 1:00:00- What was Jan’s journey to the GM tite like? Who are his favorite chess authors? Mentioned: GM Lubomir Ftacnik, Ludek Pachman’s Chess books, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jonathan Rowson, GM Jacob Aagaard 1:04:00- What is Jan’s approach to writing? 1:05:30- How is the chess culture in Slovakia? 1:08:00- Does Jan miss playing chess professionally? What are his fondest memories? Mentioned: GM Jan-Khristof Duda, GM Sergei Karjakin 1:15:00- BOOK GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS Take a screenshot of your subscription to the How to Chess Podcast on any podcast app or on Chessable’s YouTube channel. Email the screenshot to ben at perpetualchesspod.com The winners of Jan’s books will be announced on September 3, 2021 via email 1:17:00- Thanks to Jan for joining us. You can email him at jan.markos at gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jerald Times is a USCF Chess Master, and the 2 time Chess champion of Harlem. Jerald is also a chess commentator, and is probably best known as a chess teacher who recently received the 2021 Chess Educator of the Year award from the University of Texas at Dallas. Jerald has been predominantly based in his native New York City, where he twice was the chess champion of Harlem, and where he has served in different capacities at successful chess programs such as The Dalton School, The Harlem Children’s Zone, and The Success Academy. Jerald also spent a few years as a chess trainer in South Africa, and coached the South African National team. These days, Jerald is launching a new organization, called Chess Across Borders, which aims to use digital tools to enable chess players from all backgrounds to compete in national and international chess championships. Jerald shared insightful comments as he on his own chess journey to a peak FIDE rating of 2400, as well as his reflections on how chess, and chess education has changed. Jerald also highlighted some important instances of racial discrimination that he has seen in his career both in the chess world, and as a teacher. All in all, there is lots to learn from this discussion with Jerald, please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- How did Jerald get into chess in his native New York City in the 1980s and 1990s? Mentioned: Think like a Grandmaster, My System, Alexander Alekhine, GM Vassily Smyslov, GM Jose Raoul Capablanca, IM Levy Rozman, WGM Alexandra Botez, GM Miron Sher, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Robert Hess 13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 14:00- Jerald discusses his plans to launch a new organization, called Chess Across Borders 20:00- How have chess teaching tools changed in recent decades? Mentioned: Google Classroom, FM Mike Klein, Chesskid.com 25:00- Jerald’s most recent position was heading the chess program at a New York- based network of charter schools called Success Academy. Jerald discusses both the positive and the negative of his experiences with Success Academy. Mentioned: Jessica Hyatt 41:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 42:30- Patreon mailbag question: How does chess in South Africa (where Jerald lived, and worked as a chess trainer) compare to chess in the United States? Mentioned: GM Kenny Solomon, Nick Vandernot, IM Henry Steele, IM Watu Kobese , GM Maurice Ashley, IM Kassa Korley, Tani Adewumi, James Black, IM Justus Williams, FM Joshua Colas 52:00- Where is Chess Across Borders in its launch process? 53:30- Jerald shares stories about his encounters with GM Garry Kasparov and GM Maurice Ashley. Mentioned: Rochelle Ballantyne, Maurice Ashley to host recaps of the Upcoming World Championship on NBC Sports: https://twitter.com/FIDE_chess/status/1417258790169321472?s=20 1:01:00- Thanks to Jerald for joining the show! Find out more about Chess Across Borders here: https://chessacrossborders.site123.me/ Email Jerald at: jtimes at gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Note- one can read a transcript of this interview here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-3Q-sZ9DYfI4N8sqNRZd4MNUef6_C1L3l5ak1fQAQnE/edit?usp=sharing This week on Perpetual Chess, we are privileged to be joined by the 14th undisputed World Chess Champion, Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik. GM Kramnik spent decades atop the chess world, and is best known as the man who ended Garry Kasparov’s historic reign as World Champion. GM Kramnik is one of the 10 highest rated players of all time, and left a special imprint in his contribution to opening theory, as many of his favorite lines are now embraced by modern chess engines and frequently seen at the elite level. We had a wide-ranging conversation where GM Kramnik discussed his match with Kasparov, the effect of engines on chess, his recent “no-castling” exhibition match with GM Viswanathan Anand, and, of course, his new Chessable course. Vladimir’s course is called Thinking in Chess: A How to Guide, and it offers a Super GM level framework on how to think about preventing your opponent’s plans. There are many great insights in this interview, so I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as I did speaking with him. Please read on for more details, timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by discussing Kramnik’s rise in the 1990’s, including his breakout tournament at the 1992 Manila Olimpiad, a tournament for which he was a surprise choice to compete on the stacked Russian team. 08:30- Vladimir recently concluded his match with GM Vishy Anand in a new variant called “no-castling chess.” He discusses the match and the future of chess variants. Mentioned: GM Vasyl Ivanchuk 22:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 23:45- GM Kramnik answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: "How has his game has been influenced by computer chess?" 26:00- A couple more Patreon mailbag questions- “Did computers help Vladimir prepare the Berlin endgame for his match against Kasparov?” “How much did his team help him with it?” 33:00- GM Kramnik discusses the match dynamics of the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik match. Mentioned: GM Viswanthan Anand 41:30-Are there any modern players who use the engines especially effectively in their preparation? 45:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 46:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Why did GM Kramnik decide to focus his chess course on “quiet moves” and prophylaxis?” 1:02:00- What does Vladimir think about the upcoming World Championship match? Mentioned: Norway Chess 2021 1:08:00- “Is it more stressful to be World Champion than to “just” to be a top-echelon player?” 1:12:00- “Can a player who has passed her 60th birthday compete in the top echelon?” 1:15:30- “Did Vladimir enjoy competing in Chess24’s Legends of Chess tournament last year?” 1:18:00- “What kind of improvement can amateur players expect to see in their games if they have jobs outside of chess?” 1:22:30- “What was it like to play his childhood hero, GM Anatoly Karpov, for the first time?” Mentioned: GM Garry Kasparov. You can review the game here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067080 1:29:00- Did working on Kasparov’s team give him a competitive advantage in their 2000 World Championship match, and might Nepomniachtchi have a similar advantage from having worked with GM Magnus Carlsen? 1:30:00- Thanks so much to GM Kramnik for joining the show! You can check out a free version of his Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/vladimir-kramnik-free-lesson/course/81696/ Or you can buy the whole course here: https://www.chessable.com/thinking-in-chess-a-how-to-guide/course/77175/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to another “Adult improver” edition of Perpetual Chess. Our guest this time is Dr. Courtney Frey. Courtney is a 35 year old doctor (radiologist) and father of 2 kids. Like a lot of us he played in a chess club during his school years, but then didn’t play for many yearsuntil he finished medical school. He got more serious during the pandemic, started taking lessons with a coach, and he has seen his LiChess Rapid rating go from the 1500s to 1900 in about a year! As you will hear, Courtney has been successful with a very balanced approach to chess improvement that focuses on studying the aspects of chess that he enjoys most. Courtney had a lot of helpful tips to share- you can find relevant links and timestamps below! 0:00- Did you know that Chessable now sponsors an adult improvement weekly chess podcast called How to Chess? Did you know that you can subscribe to it on Spotify and all the other podcast apps? Be sure to subscribe, or go to Howtochess.com for more info. https://open.spotify.com/show/5SzyXVaBZtM8CA6dtBQj7o?si=Q5SZzmcXT4i65y219xKTzQ&dl_branch=1 2:00- Courtney briefly delves into his chess background prior to his renaissance that began during Quarantine. Mentioned: Episode 87 with Adult Improver Stacia Pugh 6:00- Once Courtney decided to start training what did he do? Mentioned: Episode 194 with Yuriy Krykun, Book Recap #14- Discussing The Seven Deadly Chess Sins with David Franklin, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Scotland's Youngest Grandmaster Discusses the Most Common Ca): Rowson, Jonathan: 9781901983364: Amazon.com: Books 13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 13:45- Courtney answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to how he selected his opening repertoire. Then he provides more detail on his chess study regimen. Mentioned: IM Yuriy Krykun’s Chessable Course- The Dynamic Italian Game 30:00- What does Courtney do when he faces an opening move he hasn’t seen before? Mentioned: Chessable Course- My First White Opening Repertoire 35:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 36:00- Courtney shares a few more recommendations, he has found many ways to improve beyond tactics training! Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Perpetual Chess features a different kind of guest, Joe Posnanski was twice- named the best sportswriter in America by the Associated Press. He is also a popular podcaster and best selling author of 6 books. I have been a huge fan of Joe’s writing for many years, so when he recently wrote about his enthusiasm for chess I couldn’t resist the opportunity to invite him to talk to us on Perpetual Chess. In our interview, Joe discusses the beginnings of his interest in chess (his dad was a USCF expert.) Joe then dives into topics including: the current state of his own chess game, why he has a "love-hate" relationship with the game, who his favorite chess YouTubers are, and the lessons that he has learned from his coach, FM Mikhail Perelshteyn. Whether in written word or on his Poscast, Joe is always entertaining and insightful, so it was a real thrill for me to talk chess with him! Please read on for more details and relevant links. 0:00- Joe tells us about the evolution of his interest in chess over the years. Mentioned: Read Joe’s recent blog post about chess here. Read his article about playing with NFL player Priest Holmes here. Read Joe’s famous, non-chess post about seeing Hamilton with his daughter, here. 13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to our How to Chess podcast ! More info here: https://howtochess.com/ 13:30- Joe is a big fan of chess YouTube. Who are Joe’s favorite chess YouTubers? Mentioned: Agadmator’s YouTube Channel, Perpetual Chess Episode 160 with Agadmator, GM Hikaru Nakamura, IM Eric Rosen, IM Levy Rozman, Levy’s Guess the Elo playlist here, GM Simon Williams’ Jobava London Chessable Course here 25:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 26:30- We discuss the state of Joe’s own chess game. What are his strengths and weaknesses? Mentioned: FM Mikhail Perelshteyn, GM Eugene Perelshteyn, How to Chess Episode with GM Eugene Perelshteyn here, Joe’s game that we are discussing can be found here 48:00- Joe’s most recent book is an excellent biography, The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini, Did he see any similarities between the magic and chess sub-cultures? Mentioned: The Baseball 100 53:00- If Joe were to write a feature about chess, what would he write? 1:02:00- Thanks so much to Joe for joining us to talk chess! Here is how to keep up with his great writing: Subscribe to his blog here: https://joeposnanski.substack.com/ Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JPosnanski Check out his books on Amazon here: Amazon.com: Joe Posnanski: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Jonathan Levitt is a chess journalist, an author and a professional cricket bettor! Jonathan is retired from competitive chess, but he has written a few great chess books, including co-authoring the classic Secrets of Spectacular Chess, and Jonathan has recently released his first non-chess book, Contemplating Comedy, which, as you might guess, is a meditation on the topic of humor. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss Jonathan’s varied chess career, his transition to cricket betting, the upcoming World Chess Championship, and the intersection of chess and humor. There is lots to learn from Jonathan, so I hope you all enjoy this conversation. Please read on for many more details and relevant links. London Chess Festival Info here!- https://www.englishchess.org.uk/chessfest-in-londons-trafalgar-square/ 0:00- We tackle the age old question, “What constitutes chess talent?” This is a question that Jonathan grapples with in his excellent 1997 book, Genius in Chess. Mentioned: IM Malcolm Pein, Episode 20 with GM Timur Garyev, Book Recap #10- Talking Blindfold Chess with Jerry Wells, Episode 95 with Dr. Christopher Chabris 14:00- Jonathan answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag relating to ways he could potentially tweak his famed “Levitt question.” 18:00- Jonathan tells the story of what he learned from studying and sharing a house with legendary GM Alexei Shirov. Episode 189 with GM Patrick Wolff 25:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 26:30- What were the key components to Jonathan’s own chess improvement path? Mentioned: GM Mikhail Botvinnik, Lasker’s Manual of Chess, Fischer’s 60 Memorable Games 35:00- Secrets of Spectacular Chess by Jonathan and FM David Friedgood is a great book that shares a lot of brilliant endgame studies. Did endgame studies help Jonathan’s own game? 41:00- Jonathan talks about the only “real job” when he worked for a few months for the original Kasparov Chess website. Mentioned: Mig Greengard, GM Vladimir Kramnik 43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast, more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 44:00- How did Jonathan’s chess background help him become a professional cricket bettor? What does his work entail? Mentioned: Episode 57 with GM Pascal Charbonneau 53:00-Jonathan’s newest book, Contemplating Comedy is a meditation on what makes things funny. Does Jonathan think chess players are funnier than non-chess players? Does he have any good chess jokes? Mentioned: GM Tony Miles, GM Nigel Davies, GM Nigel Short, GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Benjamin Finegold, GM Jan Gustafsson 1:04:00- What were Jonathan’s interactions with Kasparov like? Mentioned: Magnus Carlsen, GM Bobby Fischer 1:09:00- What are Jonathan’s thoughts on the Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi match? 1:11:00- Thanks so much to Jonathan for joining us! Here is how to keep up with him: Buy his books here: Amazon.com Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JonathanLevitt7?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor You can email him directly at jonathanlevitt at btinternet.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been a while, but Perpetual Chess is back with a blockbuster bonus book recap podcast. For this episode of Chess Books Recaptured, I am joined by FIDE Master Nate Solon to compare two books about one of the most famous chess tournaments of all time, the 1953 Zurich-Neuhausen Candidates tournament.(More commonly known as just, Zurich 1953) GM David Bronstein’s book, Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 , is one of the most popular chess books of all time, and is often recommended on this podcast. GM Miguel Najdorf’s tournament book, Zurich 1953: 15 Contenders for the World Chess Championship, is also considered a classic by many, but may not be as well known due to having only been translated into English in the past decade. So how do we compare the books? Do they live up to their reputation as instructional chess book classics? What made the tournament so special? What are we to make of the “ghost writing” and “match fixing” allegations which have come to light in recent decades? So much to discuss! We even feature a guest appearance by renowned author and GM Andy Soltis to help answer these questions! Please read on for lots more details and relevant links. 0:00- Why did we choose these two books? Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 - Kindle edition by Bronstein, David. Humor & Entertainment Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Zurich 1953: 15 Contenders for the World Chess Championship - Kindle edition by Najdorf, Miguel. Humor & Entertainment Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Mentioned: GM Andy Soltis’ Soviet Chess 1917-1991, Chess24 series: The 50 Greatest Chess Players of all Time, GM Genna Sosonko’s Smylov on the Couch, Boris Samoilovich Vainstein (author, collaborator of David Bronstein) 20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to Chessable’s new podcast focused on chess improvement How to Chess (hosted by me), more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 21:00- GM Andy Soltis joins the show to share his perspective on why he thinks these books are so famous. You can preorder Andy’s upcoming book here: Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Taimanov and Averbakh: A Chess Multibiography with 220 Games: Soltis, Andrew: 9781476677934: Amazon.com: Books 42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 42:30- For what level chess fans are these books most beneficial? How do the books compare? Mentioned: IM Christof Sielecki video looking at the analysis of Zurich 1953: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHCE68qr5oQ John Watson’s review of the Zurich 1953 books: https://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-106-zurich-1953-by-najdorf Episode 46 with IM John Watson 54:00- We share a few choice quotes from both books. 1:03:00- Who wrote Bronstein’s book? Bronstein or his friend Boris Vainstein? Is it important? Mentioned: GM Genna Sosonko’s The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein 1:07:00- We finally dive deeper into the allegations that the Soviet government ordered match fixing by the Soviet players Mentioned: Chesscafe.com, GM Yuri Averbakh, Taylor Kingston, Taimanov vs. Smyslov 1:21:00- Thanks so much to Nate for donating so much time! Tune in next time for a recap of My System with IM Christof Sielecki. Support Chess in Slums here: https://gofund.me/61ae63d6 Here Tunde on the Perpetual Chess Episode 219 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2a57aGslpbGW08KozHQ2ih?si=Yg9RZqpgRMqonYQhGcBbOA&dl_branch=1 You can subscribe to Nate’s free email newsletter here: https://zwischenzug.substack.com/ Follow Nate on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/natesolon Lichess Study with Selected Games Here: https://lichess.org/study/pCrnDQxs/o0AoddYo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IM Levy Rozman a/k/a “GothamChess” is a chess commentator, Twitch streamer, and, of course, creator of one of the most popular Chess YouTube channels in the World. His channel has seen explosive growth since his prior visit to Perpetual Chess, one year ago. It recently surpassed 1 million subscribers and is still growing quickly! In our conversation, Levy reflects on the success of his channel, and shares lots of advice for other aspiring content creators. We also discuss his recent return to competitive chess. Levy recently competed in the National Open in Las Vegas. He had pretty good results over the board, but perhaps more surprisingly, the videos analyzing his tournament games proved to be amongst his most popular ever! Why does he think that is? Will his comeback and pursuit of the Grandmaster title continue? Will he ever stop speaking out on political issues? We tackle all of these questions and many more in this fun, wide-ranging conversation. Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by doing a post-mortem on Levy’s recent return to over-the-board “OTB” chess. How does Levy reflect on his performance in the recently completed National Open in Las Vegas? 11:00- Levy answers a Patreon mailbag question, relating to whether making videos during a tournament is distracting, and why he thinks his game recap videos were so popular (often with more than 400,000 views per episode)! The first of Levy’s game recapps from Vegas is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqNenU-sQZI His recap of his game with IM Christopher Yoo is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPBLVuVk1zw Also mentioned: GM Alex Grischuk, Czech Open, GM Wojciech Moranda, FM Kyron Griffith 25:30- With so much content coming out, what steps has Levy taken to avoid burnout? 29:30- What aspects of his chess game does Levy think he needs to work on? 34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to Chessable’s new podcast focused on chess improvement How to Chess (hosted by me), more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 35:00- Levy delves into some of the key decisions behind his YouTube channel’s huge growth in the past year. Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, Agadmator, Guess the Elo, Kasparov vs. the World Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOrLfEZav14, Hanging Pawns YouTube, Mato Jelic YouTube, Kevin Durant, Dewa Kipas, WGM Irene Sukander 50:00- Levy answers another question from a Patreon subscriber, relating to explaining his YouTube success. 53:00 Another Patreon question- “What advice does Levy have for new chess streamers? “ Mentioned: Agadmator, GM Daniel King, IM John Bartholomew, GM Hikaru Nakamura, Mr. Beast, TierZoo, Daily Dose of Chess 1:01:00- What encounters with celebrities has Levy had as a result of his success? Mentioned: Levy’s lesson with Gordon Hayward, Joe Posnanski’s blog post about chess is here: https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/chess 1:03:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 1:04:00- Levy made a few enemies with this tweet, Does he stand by the sentiment? We also discuss Levy’s penchant for tweeting about politics. Mentioned: GM Daniel King, GM Ben FInegold 1:17:00- Levy also has been an outspoken advocate for helping to foster a more supportive atmosphere for women in chess. How did this issue come to his attention? 1:24:00- How is Levy’s girlfriend’s game progressing? 1:27:00- Has Levy made any big purchases in the wake of his recent success? Mentioned: Joe Rogan podcast, Magnus Carlsen If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Altucher is a best-selling author, popular business podcast host, entrepreneur, USCF Master and adult improver! I last interviewed James back in October of 2017. At the time, James had some fun stories to tell about his chess background, but he wasn’t actively working on his chess. As it has for many people, that has changed in the past year. In the wake of the Queen’s Gambit boom, James’ love for chess is back in full bloom. He has been training 3-4 hours a day and hopes to return to competitive chess soon. In addition to his chess expertise, James is a keen student of adult learning who has interviewed experts in the field, such as Anders Ericsson and Angela Duckworth, among others. James gives some great advice on how to approach chess improvement and shares what he has learned from working 1 on 1 with coaches like IM Eric Rosen, and GM Jesse Kraai. James also offers some actionable advice for aspiring content creators, and he asks me a few questions about how Perpetual Chess has been affected by the pandemic. As always, please read on for lots more details, timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- I am pleased to announce that Perpetual Chess is joining the Blue Wire Podcast Network! Blue Wire is a fast growing network of sports, comedy and lifestyle podcasts, and Perpetual Chess is the first chess podcast to sign on with them. More information about Blue Wire Podcasts here: https://www.bluewirepods.com/ 2:00- James rejoins the show, and we dive right into James’ recent chess studies.. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 42 with James Altucher The James Altucher Episode 667 with Jen Shahade The James Altucher show Episode 716 with Garry Kasparov IM Eric Rosen, GM Jesse Kraai Perpetual Chess Podcast Episode 182 with IM Willy Hendriks Perpetual Chess Podcast Episode 213 with IM Greg Shahade Perpetual Chess Podcast Episode 11 with GM Alex Lenderman The Woodpecker Method by GM Axel Smith Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios 19:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check out their site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 20:30- How does James incorporate spaced repetition of tactics into his chess study? 32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Also be sure to subscribe to Chessable’s new chess improvement focused podcast, How to Chess (hosted by me), more info here: https://howtochess.com/ 32:30- I ask James, whether it is as intimidating to interview GM Garry Kasparov as it is to play against him. Mentioned: GM Michael Wilder, Episode 215 with Vishnu Sreekumar 37:00- We discuss another highly instructive book, GameChanger by GM Mathew Sadler, and WIM Natasha Regan 46:00- James asks me- What have I learned from interviewing so many adult improvers? Mentioned: Episode 231 With Braden Laughlin, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Sam Shankland’s Banter Blitz Videos, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, The Modern Tiger 1:01:00- James asks me: how were the download numbers for Perpetual Chess affected by the Queen’s Gambit? Mentioned: Episode 229 with GM Davorin Kuljasevic, Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, GM Ben Finegold, IM Greg Shahade, WGM Jen Shahade, FM Mike Shahade 1:12:30- How close does James think podcasts are to their growth peak? + some helpful content creation advice Mentioned: Kevin Kelly- “Don’t Just Be the Best, Be the Only” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vincGfoF8FA 1:15:00- Thanks so much to James for rejoining the show! Here is how to keep up with him: Buy his latest book here: Amazon.com: Skip the Line: The 10,000 Experiments Rule and Other Surprising Advice for Reaching Your Goals eBook: Altucher, Jamhttps://jamesaltucher.com/es: Books Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaltucher Website: https://jamesaltucher.com/ The James Altucher show- https://open.spotify.com/show/0Tqw1AaZyrZ7kWnrNSgbNQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stejpan Tomic, bettter known on YouTube as "Hanging Pawns" discusses How to Choose an Opening. This will be the last time How to Chess is shared on the Perpetual Chess Feed, so please subscribe to How to Chess via the following links: Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/74A0JotybXUvnviTCzsSUp?si=qx4NioNpSGejntNjXIcxtA&dl_branch=1 Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-chess/id1572917817 Chessable YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxVGiP4dl19wwGJlCy3_u8g Google Podcasts- https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaG93LXRvLWNoZXNzLw If you do not see "How to Chess" on your podcast platform, please email HowToChess at Chessable.com to let us know. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here is a preview of my brand new chess improvement podcast, "How to Chess," brought to you by Chessable. In Episode 1, Author, GM and the founder of ChessOpeningsExplained.Com, Eugene Perelshteyn shares advice on how to limit blunders. Here is how to subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74A0JotybXUvnviTCzsSUp?si=DZnY-yoRRl-Awcmn5OtPSg&dl_branch=1 Subscribe at Chessable's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Chessable/videos?view=0&sort=dd&flow=grid Apple Podcast- https://t.co/gBuwchfxRo?amp=1 Google Podcasts- https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaG93LXRvLWNoZXNzLw For comments, guess suggestions, or a chess improvement question you'd like to hear answered on How To Chess you can email to HowToChess at Chessable.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest on this week’s adult improver edition of Perpetual Chess is Braden Laughlin. Braden is a 22 year old Canadian chess enthusiast who has seen robust gains in the first few years of his chess development. Braden went from 0 to 1750 (Canadian rating) in his first 16 months of chess! In the subsequent 2.5 years he has continued to get stronger, and now has an online blitz rating peak of over 2100! Not bad for four years work! How did he do it? As you will hear, Braden has an approach that is wholly different from any other adult improver that has appeared on Perpetual Chess. Braden has taken full advantage of all of the great free chess content on YouTube, and is also a big proponent of playing tons of games, and trying to derive a lesson from each game. For many more tips, as well as some background about Braden as a video editor and recently hired Chessable employee please check out our interview. As always, lots more details, timestamps and relevant links can be found below. 0:00- How to Chess Podcast info from your host Ben: Here are the links to subscribe to How to Chess: First YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Y_E7CjneE Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74A0JotybXUvnviTCzsSUp?si=DZnY-yoRRl-Awcmn5OtPSg&dl_branch=1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNK7qZ8m2n54hviCjAPNe7w Apple Podcasts- Coming Soon For any how to chess related questions you’d like answered please email howtochess at chessable.com 6:00- Braden joins the show and digs into his chess background and his early steps in chess improvement. Mentioned: Chess Network’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCDOQrpqLqKVcTCKzqarxLg Also mentioned: IM John Bartholomew- Climbing the Rating Ladder Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2huVf1l4UE&list=PLl9uuRYQ-6MCBnhtCk_bTZsD8GxeWP6BV Also mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, The St. Louis Chess Club’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM-ONC2bCHytG2mYtKDmIeA Also mentioned: Jonathan Rowson’s Chess for Zebras 18:00- Braden discusses how chess served as an escape for him when he faced some physical and mental health challenges: 21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then if you subscribe use the promo code Perpetual30 22:00- How did Braden balance actual chess playing with the study he did and chess videos that he consumed? 27:00- What tips does Braden have for learning positional chess concepts? Mentioned: ChessNetwork, IM John Bartholomew, Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean, Simple Chess Podcast, Book Recap #13, Episode 213 with IM Greg Shahade 33:00- How much time did Braden spend working on tactics? GM Roman Dzindzichashvili 38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 39:00- Has Braden’s study approach changed as he has reached higher levels? 45:30- Braden answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to how the OTB tournament situation will compare in Spain to North America. (Braden is moving to Spain soon) 48:00- Patreon question: “Did Braden use any Chessable resources to help his chess improvement?” Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Braden’s video about the longest possible chess game is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DXJxR3Uig Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Kostya Kavutskiy 56:00- Braden discusses how he got into creating Youtube videos. Mentioned: Good Blood Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC55OV4HSSKJEthG4ulsKkyw Zelda video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyUcwsjyd8Q 1:02:00- Thanks so much to Braden for sharing the details of his unique climb up the rating ranks! Subscribe to his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DXJxR3Uig Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Braden_Laughlin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WGM and IM Irene Sukander is one of the top players in Indonesia, the two-time Asian Women’s Chess Champion, and she earned a Grandmaster norm at the Asian Continental in 2012. Although her numerous chess accomplishments required an investment of time, Irene did not shirk her studies. She studied English literature in Indonesia, and Irene earned a Masters Degree in International Relations at chess powerhouse Webster University in St. Louis. Irene was already a well-known and accomplished chess player, but we saw her fame explode when due to an unusual set of circumstances she participated in a live, high stakes chess match with 1.25 million online viewers! Irene reflects on that match, and the ways it changed her life both for better and for worse. We also discuss Irene’s current chess goals, the unique chess culture in Indonesia, ways to popularize chess for women, and many more topics. There is much to learn from Irene, so I hope you enjoy this conversation as I did. Please read on for more details, timestamp and related links. 0:00- We begin by discussing the latest on Irene’s chess game. Is she studying? Is she planning on chasing the GM title? This segment also touches on chess in Indonesia. Mentioned: Ray Robson, Eric Rosen, Ilya Nyzhnik, Le Quang Liem, Susan Polgar Ladies Knight Podcast interview with Jen Shahade: https://open.spotify.com/episode/108CgkISEvilraOmayh887?si=9df44dab494b4bb1 Biel Open, Jakarta Post article about Irene: https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2021/04/09/meet-irene-kharisma-sukandar-the-grandmaster-thrust-into-the-spotlight.html 10:00- Irene was a bit of a prodigy as a child. She delves into the intense study regimen that helped her earn her chess success. Mentioned: GM Mikhail Botvinnik, Chess Informant’s, Hort-Karpov 1981 27:00- Irene answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag relating to ways that more women can be inspired to pursue chess. Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar, GM Maia Chiburdanidze, GM Hou Yifan, GM Ju Wenjun, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 34:00- Irene reflects on the experience of participating in the most viewed chess match of all time, an event which came about under quite unusual circumstances. Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman a/k/a Gotham Chess , Dewa Kipas, Here is Peter Doggers’ Chess.com story- Cheating Controversy Results in Most Watched Chess Event of All Time- https://www.chess.com/news/view/most-watched-chess-stream-in-history-dewa-kipas 43:00- What content advice has Irene been given from her friend IM Eric Rosen? Mentioned: Episode 36 with IM Eric Rosen, Episode 130 with IM Eric Rosen 47:00- Patreon question- was the $14,000 Irene received for her match with Dewa Kipas her biggest chess payday? She also reflects a bit more on what she will remember from this landmark chess match. 58:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 1:01:00- We talk a bit about Irene’s life and interests away from the board. Mentioned: Reykjavik Open Chess Tournament- https://www.reykjavikopen.com/, Kopi Luwak 1:08:00- Thanks so much to Irene for joining the podcast Here are the best ways to keep up with her: Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/irene_sukandar/?hl=en Twitter- https://twitter.com/irene_sukandar?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Twitch- https://t.co/tIJGJkZzLp?amp=1 Chess.com If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Davorin Kuljsevicis an author, a trainer and, of course, an accomplished chess player. Davorin has won several international tournaments and competed with the Croatian National team. As a trainer, he has coached the Finland Men’s and Women’s National Chess teams,and he has taught many titled players. In recent years, Davorin is becoming best known for his books. His first book, Beyond Material, helps players learn to sacrifice for initiative and to play more dynamically. Davorin’s new book,How to Study Chess On Your Own: Creating a Plan that Works and Sticking to it, is an expansive and instructive book that provides both chess instruction and study plans for the ambitious improver. The book, and our interview, contain useful tips on how to properly use engines, improve tactics, structure study time, and lots more. Please read on for more details and relevant timestamps. 0:00- We dive right into Davorin’s new book,How to Study Chess On Your Own: Creating a Plan that Works and Sticking to it. What advice can be gleaned from this impressive book? Mentioned: GM Efstratios Grivas, IM Lawrence Trent, GM Daniel Fridman, Kuljasevic-Fridman 2013, GM Richard Rapport, GM Judit Polgar, GM Veselin Topalov 12:00- Davorin’s book advocates a very ambitious study plan. Can it be adjusted for those who have less time to devote to chess study? Mentioned:Pump Up Your Ratingby GM Axel Smith, Berlin Wall by GM John Cox 18:00- Davorin answers a few Patreon mailbag questions, including, “Is there a minimum amount of study one must to do to expect chess improvement?” Mentioned: IM Cyrus Lakdawala 24:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How should adult improvers measure progress?” 28:00-Patreon mailbag question: “Can humans use non GM strength engines as playing partners?” Mentioned: ChessDojo, Episode 215 with Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar 31:00- How should one properly use chess engines? James Altucher Episode 716 with Garry Kasparov 37:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 38:00- How can we break the spell of excessive “materialism” in chess, and learn to sacrifice for dynamic compensation? Mentioned: Beyond Material by GM Davorin Kuljasevic, Gamechangerby GM Mathew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan, Artemiev-Motylev 2015, Mastering Positional Sacrifices by IM Merijn van Delft 46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 49:00- How would Davorin ramp up for a tournament if he were getting ready to compete? Mentioned: WGM Iva Videnova, 51:00- What was it like to do a Chess TV show in Croatia? How is the chess culture there? Mentioned: Episode 160 with Agadmator, Episode 117 with Stjepian Tomic aka Hanging Pawns, Episode 223 with Dr. Luka Popov, GM Alojzije Janković 54:30- Davorin discusses his experience studying in the US at University of Texas at Dallas, and at Texas Tech University Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew, IM Dmitry Schneider, FM Andrei Zaremba 58:00- Davorin names a few of his favorite chess authors Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Jacob Aagaard, GM Boris Gelfand, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 1:02:-- Thanks so much to Davorin for joining the show. Link below for where to reach him and purchase his books: Buy from New in Chess Publishing (including ebook): https://www.newinchess.com/how-to-study-chess-on-your-own Buy from Amazon: How to Study Chess on Your Own: Creating a Plan that Works… and Sticking to it! - Kindle edition by Kuljasevic, Davorin. Humor & Entertainment Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Reach Davorin here: https://lichess.org/coach/GrandmasterThinking If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are rejoined by the always entertaining Twitch streamer,YouTube creator and accomplished Grandmaster, Ben Finegold! Ben was an early guest of Perpetual Chess, back in 2017. In the subsequent years, Ben has seen his online following grow rapidly, and The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta (which he co-founded with his wife Karen Boyd) continues to find its footing despite the pandemic. In this interview, Ben reflects on his recent success, and shares some great stories from his own journey to the GM title, his early encounters with the Polgar sisters, and some chess history wisdom regarding Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Tal and many others. It is always illuminating and amusing to get to chat with Ben, please read on for all of the details, relevant links and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by hearing the story of how Ben earned the GM title at the relatively late age of 40. Mentioned: Episode 9 with GM Ben Finegold, Episode 52 with GM Ben Finegold, Episode 271 “IM to GM special episode” with IMs Lawrence Trent, Sean Nagle and Attila Turzo, Bill Goichberg, Susan Polgar, Sevan Muradian, FM Peter Giannatos, GM Vishy Anand, GM Garry Kasparov, Albert Pujols, Robert Parish, GM Viktor Korchnoi, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Tyson 18:00- Since Ben wasn’t a big book reader, to what does he attribute his chess accomplishments? Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer, WGM Jenn Shahade, Episode 223 with Adult Improver Dr. Luka Popov 24:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 25:30- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks: As someone with a popular chess center, what advice would Ben give for opening a venue in a major city? Mentioned: Episode 185 with IM Stuart Rachels, Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos Mentioned: The Queen’s Gambit, Silver Knights Enrichment 41:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 42:00- Ben answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to the differences in playing style between GMs Magnus Carlsen and GM Garry Kasparov Mentioned: HBO’s Real Sports featuring GM Fabiano Caruana: https://www.youtube.om/watch?v=nbvrDspsGNU&feature=emb_imp_woyt Also mentioned: Paul Morphy, GM Anatoly Karpov 50:00- Ben had a few memorable games against the Polgar sisters. What were those experiences like? Mentioned: FM Emory Tate , GM Roman Dzindichashvilli, J. Polgar-Finegold 1989, Finegold, Gelfand 1989, J. Polgar-Finegold 1990, Finegold-Susan Polgar 1990 56:00- Why does Ben think he has found an audience on Chess Twitch? How does he think about some recent controversies involving chess Twitch personalities? Mentioned: GM Jon Speelman, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Eric Hansen, The Botez Sisters, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Aman Hambleton, IM John Bartholomew, IM Eric Rosen, IM Anna Rudolf, WFM Anna Cramling, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Ben have plans to improve his Twitch clips? Mentioned: The Family Guy 1:16:00- Patreon mailbag question: Which players of the past would have been good Twitch streamers? Mentioned: GM Ljubomir Ljubojević FM Emory Tate, GM Mikhail Tal, GM Alonso Zapata 1:21:00- GM Ben Finegold was featured in Sasha Chapin’s entertaining book All the Wrong Moves. What were Ben’s experiences with Sasha like? Mentioned: Episode 152 with Sasha Chapin, Howard Stern, George Stephonopoulos, 1:26:00- Thanks, as always to Ben for joining the show. Here is how to keep up with him: Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/gmbenjaminfinegold Twitter- https://twitter.com/ben_finegold?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Ben’s Personal Youtube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6EnFbK-P5q0zeaqI5yobKg Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta Youtube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqLLqbclDQ6IQg39Wsgy-4w See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WFM Maria Emelianova a/k/a “Photochess” is a popular Twitch streamer, photographer, translator, and chess journalist. Maria often spends more than half of her time travelling to cover and help organize chess tournaments. She has accumulated many memorable images and great stories from her time on the chess beat. To give an idea of her schedule, Maria worked on staff at the 2020-2021 FIDE Candidates in her native Yekaterinaburg, Russia, and she joined the podcast en route home from working at the Russian Team Championship in Sochi. In our conversation, Maria gave a first hand perspective on the Candidates Tournament, and we also touched on Maria’s chess book recommendations. We talked about her career as a chess competitor, as well as stories from her life as a chess photographer and advice regarding chess photography, Twitch streaming, and much more. Please read on for timestamps, lots more details and links related to this fun conversation. 0:00- As an Yekaterinaburg native and resident, Maria was part of the FIDE Candidates staff. She describes what her work entailed and gives some behind-the-scenes info from the tournament. Mentioned: https://www.sima-land.ru/, WGM Leya Garifullina, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, GM Peter Leko, Lennart Ootes 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 24:45- What are Maria’s favorite chess resources? Mentioned: My Great Predecessors , Decision Making in Major Piece Endings , Chess Life Magazine, IM Elizabeth Paehtz’s Twitch channel- https://www.twitch.tv/ellipaehtz 32:30- Maria discusses her decision to play internationally for the United Kingdom, rather than Russia 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 39:45- Maria reflects on her experiences as a Twitch streamer and shares some advice for other aspiring streamers and chess professionals. Mentioned: Twitch Streamer MrLlamaSC- https://www.twitch.tv/mrllamasc Also Mentioned: Episode 180 with IM Levy Rozman, Episode 140 with GM Aman Hambleton 53:30- Maria tells the memorable story of her first gig as a chess photographer Mentioned: GM Alexander Motylev, Former FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov 1:00:00- What makes for a good chess photo? Who are Maria’s favorite players to photograph? Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, GM Anton Korobov, GM Alexander Grischuk 1:07:30- Which of Maria’s 5 cats is most beloved by her Twitch viewers? 1:13:00- Thanks so much to Maria for joining the show. Here is how you can keep up with her: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/photochess Webpage: https://photochess.com/ Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/member/photochess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photochess/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/photochess?lang=en Reddit Photo Challenge: https://www.reddit.com/r/photoshopbattles/comments/6kywwe/psbattle_world_chess_champion_receiving_golden/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tim Krabbé is a popular Dutch novelist who is probably best known for the cult cycling classic The Rider, and the book The Vanishing, which was adapted into film in both The Netherlands and the U.S. In chess circles, Tim is a strong player who was once among the top 20 in the Netherlands, and he was a competitor in two Dutch National Championships. He has written for New in Chess Magazine, and wrote a classic (out of print) book called Chess Curiosities. Around the late 1990s and 2000s, Tim maintained an amazing blog which tracked chess news, shared stories and contained many noteworthy chess studies and records. Tim no longer updates the blog, but fortunately he maintains the archive, so that chess fans still can immerse themselves in it. Tim has accumulated some great stories from his interactions with legends like GMs Jan Timman, Garry Kasparov, and Vishy Anand. In our interview, he shares a few of the stories, assesses the chess boom, and shares his wisdom on the topics of writing, cycling, longevity, and of course, chess. Please read on for more details and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We dive right into chess talk, as Tim shares his thoughts on the FIDE Candidates tournament, and discusses his current relationship with chess. Mentioned: GM Anish Giri, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, Babson tasks , Episode 210 with Tom Vanderbilt. See Tom Vanderbilt’s profile of Tim Krabbé here- https://www.bicycling.com/news/a20026829/think-you-understand-the-rider-think-again/ 09:45- Tim made a comeback to cycling in his 60’s, and still works hard on his writing at the age of 78. What advice does he have for staying mentally and physically robust? This segues into Tim’s thoughts on the relative differences between chess, cycling, and racing. 16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 16:45- Tim answers a few questions from The Patreon mailbag relating to whether there are any similarities between cycling and chess. Mentioned: Marc Cavendish, GM Simen Agdestein, Tim’s article about Simen is here: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess2/agd_eng.htm 23:30- Tim tells the memorable story of how Bobby Fischer’s achievement’s deterred him from pursuing professional chess. He then tells a few stories derived from his attending the Fischer-Spassky World Championship in 1972. Game 1 here- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044722 Also mentioned: GM Friðrik Ólafsson 30:30- Patreon mailbag question: “How important does Tim think exercise is for competing at chess?” 34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 35:00- What is Tim’s most cherished chess memory? What sites does he read? Mentioned: Leonid Yarosh’s Babson Task- more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babson_task Also mentioned: Chessbase.com, Chessvibes.com 40:30- What are Tim’s favorite chess books? Mentioned: The Kingby GM Jan Hein Donner, Hein Donner, The Biography, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal 44:00- What does Tim think about the future of chess? Mentioned: GM Jan Timman, Read Tim’s chess short story, Master Jacobson, here: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/text/jacobson.htm 49:00- What advice does Tim have for how to tell a good story? Who are his favorite novelists? Mentioned: Lev Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ivan Turgenev 53:00- Tim describes a memorable interaction with legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov. Mentioned: Kasparov vs. Piket 1995, Tim’s piece A Walk with Garry Kasparov: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/text/kaspeng.html Thanks so much to Tim for sharing his stories and wisdom! Read his archive here:https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess/chess.html Purchase his books here: https://www.amazon.com/Tim-Krabbe/e/B000APEA88%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share You can reach him at timkr At xs4all.nl See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I am joined by one of my favorite modern authors, Grandmaster Axel Smith. Axel is a two-time Swedish Chess Olympiad member, who is probably best known for co-authoring the 2017 book, The Woodpecker Method with his fellow Grandmaster, Hans Tikkanen. Axel has written a few other books, which are excellent guides for more advanced players. They are Pump Up Your Rating, e3 Poison, and his latest offering from Quality Chess, Street Smart Chess. In our interview we discuss all of these books, and touch on topics like the origins of The Woodpecker Method, Axel’s own experience with using spaced repetition, and his improvement advice for ambitious club players. There are lots of useful nuggets in our conversation, so I hope you will enjoy it. Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by discussing what is probably GM Axel Smith’s most popular book, the famed The Woodpecker Method, which he co-wrote with GM Hans Tikkanen. The book is available from Amazon and is very popular on Chessable. Mentioned: Book Recap #6 discussing Woodpecker Method with Neal Bruce, Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris, Episode 216 with Dr. Jana Krivec 15:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 16:00- In Pump Up Your Rating, Axel listed the 4 key components of chess improvement: “ (1) analyzing your games and making a ‘list of mistakes;” (2) using a De la Maza-esque program to study tactics; (3) doing serious opening work via the creation of ‘opening files’ in ChessBase; and (4) mastering approximately 100 key theoretical endgames.” Does he still think this is the best approach? Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know 20:45- In e3 Poison, Axel mentioned that we may be entering a post theoretical era- what does he mean by that? Mentioned: GM Anish Giri 24:30- What players does Axel look up to? Mentioned: GM Stellan Brynell, GM Ulf Andersson, YouTube Video- Play Like Ulf Andersson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDo--EPHnfc 27:00-Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 28:30 What is the theme of Axel’s newest book, Street Smart Chess? Mentioned: Forward Chess, Street Smart Chess, Free book excerpt from Quality Chess here: http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/StreetSmartChess-excerpt.pdf GM David Navara, GM Aryan Tari, GM Baskaran Adhiban, GM Laurent Fressinet,GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Magnus Carlsen, My Chess World, The Secret Ingredient by Jan Markos and GM David Navara 39:45- What is the chess culture like in Sweden? 41:00- What are some of Axel’s favorite books? Mentioned: Learn from the Legends, Move First Think Later, On the Origin of the Good Moves 46:00- Axel Smith shares some life and chess advice before departing. You can keep up with him via his website: http://www.schackstudion.se/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is none other than former FIDE World Champion, 2 time Olympiad Gold Medalist, and 2011 Ukrainian National Champion, GM Ruslan Ponomariov! With the FIDE Candidates having concluded it was a great time to hear the thoughts of this genial super grandmaster. In our conversation, Ruslan puts the 2020-2021 FIDE Candidates into historical context, shares his perspective on GM Ian Nepomniachtchi’s victory, and then assesses the 2021 World Championship matchup between Nepomniachtchi and GM Magnus Carlsen. We then delve into GM Ponomariov’s storied career. How does he reflect on having been the youngest FIDE World Champion ever? What is he up to these days? We discuss this and much more in this fascinating, wide-ranging interview. Please read on for lots more details and timestamps. 0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings, inclluding IM Christof Sielecki's course on the Pirc defense here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 2:00- We begin, of course, by discussing the just-ended FIDE Candidates Tournament. What were GM Ponomariov’s impressions of the FIDE Candidates Tournament? Mentioned: Curacao 1962: The Battle That Shook the Chess World, GM Garry Kasparov, GM Alexei Dreev, Alexander Grischuk, GM Garry Kasparov, Rublevsky vs. Ponomariov 2007 20:00- How does he assess GM IanIan Nepomniachtchi’’s chances vs. Magnus Carlsen? Mentioned: Bwin World Championship Odds- https://sports.bwin.com/en/sports/events/world-championship-2021-11184631 GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Peter Heine Nielsen 26:00- Ruslan answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: “How would a world championship team typically prepare for a match?” Ruslan describes his own experiences working with Magnus Carlsen. Mentioned: The Anand Files, GM Wang Hao, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Sergei Karjakin, GM Boris Gelfand 37:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Ruslan place his FIDE World Champion title within historical context?” Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Bobby Fischer 43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then, if you decide to subscribe, use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 44:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ruslan have any professional chess plans outside of continuing to compete?” Mentioned: Dortmund Chess Days 2021 51:30- Patreon question: “Does GM Ponomariov have any suggestions for how to avoid information overload?” Mentioned: GM Noel Studer’s blog- https://t.co/4zQNhZV958?amp=1 56:00- GM Ponomariov discusses some of the chess-related projects on which he is working. Mentioned: German Bundeslga, GM Vladimir Baklan, GM Pavel Elianov, GM Yuriy Kuzubov, Russian Language Academy of Olympic Champions website here: Академия Олимпийских Чемпионов 1:01:00- Does Ruslan have any good stories involving GM Vasyl Ivanchuk? Has he ever played him in checkers? Mentioned: Ivanchuk interview with Fiona Steil Antoni: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGpT9el_9i8, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Alexander Morozevich, GM Tiger Hillarp Person, GM Emanuel Lasker, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Mikhail Podharetz 1:15:00- Twitter question from GM Denes Boros: “Is there anything GM Ponomariov would have done differently from his time at the top of the chess world?” Mentioned: GM Yuriy Kryvoruchko , GM Vladimir Topolov, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Wang Hao 1:23:00- In view of the fact that Ruslan lives in Spain, I asked whether he does any chess work there, or is it primarily on the road, and in his native Ukraine? 1:29:00- In 2008, GM Ponomariov told Chessbase.com of his desire to travel through the Mongolian steppes. Has he taken that trip yet? 1:32:00- Thanks so much to GM Ponomariov for sharing his time and reflections. Here is how you can keep up with him: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ruslanponomariov Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ponomariov?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to another bonus book recap podcast, also known as Chess Books Recaptured! This month’s book of choice is one of the most popular beginner-oriented chess books of all time, Irving Chernev’s Logical Chess Move by Move. My guest co-host this month is Barry Katz. Barry is a Brooklyn based father of 4, and college writing instructor who discovered chess in recent years through the interest of his son. Irving Chernev has left quite a legacy as an accomplished and popular writer of 20 chess books. Logical Chess Move by Move was first published in 1957, so some have suggested it is outdated, but both Barry and I find it to be very readable and instructive, and an excellent book for those looking to understand the timeless principles of master level chess play. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- Barry shares a bit about his background, and we discuss why we chose to discuss Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev Mentioned: Facebook Chess Books Collectors Group, GM Max Illingworth, GM Andy Soltis, Brian Karen, World Chess Hall of Fame, Chernev tribute: https://worldchesshof.org/hof-inductee/irving-chernev Also Mentioned: Episode 221 with Chris Callhan, Lichess Study Featuring Logical Chess Move by Move: https://lichess.org/study/Wn7aMkPy, Jen Shahade, Mike Klein, Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played The 1979 Chernev interview from the Chess Life and Review archive can be found here: http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1979/1979_All.pdf 12:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here: Chessable.com 13:45- Is Logical Chess Move by Move secretly a good guide to openings? What other move by move chess books are available on the market? Mentioned: The Scandinavian Defense, Understanding Chess Move by Move by GM John Nunn, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy by IM John Watson, Episode 41 with GM Judit Polgar 20:30- We share a few noteworthy quotes of Chernev discussing the common early moves of chess games. Mentioned: IM Andras Toth, Girl vs. Wang Hao 2021 32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then if you decide to subscribe use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 33:30- We share a few more favorite quotes from the book. Mentioned: Dan Heisman, IM Eric Rosen, Jose Rauol Capablanca, Harry Pillsbury, GM Sam Shankland, Siegbert Tarrasch 44:30- We discuss a couple of our favorite games from the podcast. Mentioned: Rubinstein-Salwe 1908, Tarrasch-Mieses 1916 48:00- What were our main chess improvement takeaways? Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Caruana-Vachier-Lagrave 2021, World’s Most Instructive Amateur Game Book by Dan Heisman, IM Cyrus Lakdawala 59:00- Thanks so much to Barry Katz for helping out this month’s book recap. You can email him at: Iambarrykatz at gmail.com Mentioned: Subscribe to FM Nate Solon’s email newsletter here: Zwischenzug (substack.com), Bronstein’s Zurich 1953 book, Najdorf’s Zurich 1953 book If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest on the podcast is adult improver Dr. Luka Popov. Luka is a 39 year-old Croatian dad, theoretical physics Ph.D., software engineer and content creator. Luka started serious chess in 2017, and was primarily emphasizing over-the-board chess before the pandemic. Then he switched to online chess, and his Lichess rapid rating has gained about 250 points in the last 1.5 years. Luka shares a lot of his wisdom and experiences on his YouTube channel called “The Adult Chess Improver.” As the channel and our interview make clear, Luka has quickly gained expertise in the topic of adult chess improvement, and our interview is filled with quality recommendations for like-minded players. Please read on for lots more details. My guest on the podcast is adult improver Dr. Luka Popov. Luka is a 39 year-old Croatian dad, theoretical physics Ph.D., software engineer and content creator. Luka started serious chess in 2017, and was primarily emphasizing over-the-board chess before the pandemic. Then he switched to online chess, and his Lichess rapid rating has gained about 250 points in the last 1.5 years. Luka shares a lot of his wisdom and experiences on his YouTube channel called “The Adult Chess Improver.” As the channel and our interview make clear, Luka has quickly gained expertise in the topic of adult chess improvement, and our interview is filled with quality recommendations for like-minded players. Please read on for lots more details. 0:00- Luka delves into his chess background. Mentioned: Agadmator, Hanging Pawns 12:00- Why does Luka think many titled players struggle to understand the plight of adult improvers? Mentioned: IM Andras Toth, Dr. Jana Krivec 17:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 18:30- Why is it important for improvers to try to acquire chess skills rather than gain chess knowledge? Mentioned: Neal Bruce 26:00 What do Luka’s family and friends think of his chess hobby? 28:30- Luka answers a question from the Patreon mailbag relating to developing board visualization. Mentioned:: Jason Cigan, JJ Lang, Benedictine’s Basic Chess Patterns: https://www.chessable.com/basic-chess-patterns-/course/46181/ Also Mentioned: Chesstempo, Perpetual Chess Book Recap of Woodpecker Method and Michael De La Maza’s Rapid Chess Improvement: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/4/17/bonus-pod-recapping-the-woodpecker-method-and-rapid-chess-improvement-with-neal-bruce 36:45- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the best ways to improve tactically and strategically respectively?” Mentioned: GM Jesse Kraai, IM John Bartholomew, IM Andras Toth, GM Jacob Aagaard’s Thinking Inside the Box 43:00- Luka answers another Patreon question: “What is the best way to improve at endgames?” Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Positional Chess Handbook by FM Israel Gelfer 45:30- Patreon question: “What advice does Luka have when it comes to setting goals?” 50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. If you subscribe use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%. 51:00- How does Luka think about the concept of “ceilings” in chess potential? 55:30- What are Luka’s plans for tournaments as the pandemic recedes? 1:01:00- What other hobbies does Luka have? 1:05:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Popov for joining the show. Be sure to follow his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCChy0letCdw0KtnMnfAukLw You can email him at drpopovchess at gmail.com - If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are fortunate to get a return visit from the legendary commentator, Super GM, and now Chessable author, GM Peter Svidler! Peter talked with me a few days before he was set to depart for Yekaterinaburg, Russia. Yekaterinburg, of course, is where the FIDE Candidates Tournament will resume after being postponed amidst the Covid pandemic in March 2020. The tournament resumes on April 19, and the winner of the tournament will face GM Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship in November of 2021. As a competitor in prior Candidates Tournaments, and someone who is now assisting GM Kirill Alekseenko, one of the participants, it was amazing to hear GM Svidler’s perspective on the tournament. Of course, GM Svidler has also just released his much anticipated Chessable course, Lifetime Repertoires: Peter Svidler’s Grunfeld. We talked about how he researched this huge project, as well as what surprised him about the process of writing his first Chessable course. Lastly, we got lots of questions from supporters of the Perpetual Chess Podcast. GM Svidler tackled questions relating to his famed modesty, his plans for competing and commentating in 2021, and much more. Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant links. 0:00- We begin by discussing the FIDE Candidates Tournament, which is set to resume on April 19, 2021. Mentioned: Russian Superfinals, GM Kirill Alekseenko, FIDE Candidates Wikipedia Page including participants and standings here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship_2021 Candidates odds to win: https://sports.bwin.com/en/sports/events/candidates-tournament-2020-9514213 22:30- Peter answers the first question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: “is it possible that Peter’s famed modesty gives him a competitive disadvantage?” Mentioned: GM Sergei Shipov 26:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can pick up GM Peter Svidler’s The Grunfeld: Lifetime Repertoires Part 1 here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-peter-svidlers-grunfeld-part-1/course/63116/ The free short and sweet version is here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-peter-svidlers-grunfeld/course/70030/ 27:00 What were the biggest challenges of creating Peter’s much- anticipated course on the Grunfeld opening? Mentioned: GM Danill Dubov, GM Harikrishna 41:25- Patreon question: How can a player improve at quiet positions? Mentioned: Peter’s Svidler’s “Training with Tani” Youtube Series 48:30- Patreon question: “When will we see Peter and GM Jan Gustafsson announcing again?” 53:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your online games and gives you actionable advice on what phases to work on. You can check out their site for free, and if you sign up, use the Promo Code “Chess30” to save 30% 54:00- Patreon question: “Does Peter’s love for the video game Hearthstone help his chess?” GM Evgeny Tomashevsky, GM Ian Nepomniatchi 56:30- Patreon questions: “Will Peter ever write a chess book? If he did, what would it be about?” Mentioned: Masterclass with GM Yannick Pelletier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paCReNKAcNg Peters’s Recap of his Tilburg 1997 win vs. GM Garry Kasparov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1iefMAb-Tk Also Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand’s books with GM Jacob Aagaard, FM Michiel Abeln’s The Anand Files, From London to Elista 1:04:00- Patreon question: “Who are Peter’s favorite cricket players?” 1:05:30- Patreon question: “Does Peter think that there are similarities between learning languages and chess?” Mentioned: Leisure Suit Larry 1:10:00- Thanks to much to GM Peter Svidler for re-joining the show! Here are the links for his Twitter account, Twitch Streaming, and Chessable course: https://twitter.com/polborta?lang=en https://www.twitch.tv/plbrta https://www.chessable.com/discussion/thread/242991/lifetime-repertoire-the-grunfeld-peter-svidler-/ Peter Svidler “Lifetime Repertoires” Grunfeld-Part 1- Course Giveaway Instructions! Go to Perpetual Chess Youtube page here- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcudElmRsQYTwULtd_gnFw/videos Subscribe to the channel and take a screenshot Email the screenshot to [email protected] with the subject header “YouTube” Done! Deadline April 30. Winners will be determined by random drawing, and announced via email on May 1. I will not be able to respond to all contestants emails, but you all should get an email when the winners are announced. Thanks for playing! If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, or to help support Perpetual Chess in other ways, you can learn more here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by Chris Callahan, who is the Community Organizer of LiChess.org. Lichess is a community supported, free, open-source, ad- and tracker-free chess site which plays host to over 5 million chess games per day. Back in 2017, I interviewed its founder, Thibault Duplessis, so it was past time to catch up on all that is new with this great site. It has been especially important during the past year as online chess has surged in popularity. We discussed everything from how they dealt with a huge traffic surge, to their capabilities in the area of cheating detection. We talked about the viability of their current business plan as well as their future plans. Chris also delved a bit into his own chess background, and shared his unique perspective on scholastic chess teaching and chess improvement. It was fun to catch up with him and to learn more about this website on which so many of us enjoy playing on a daily basis. 0:00- Chris shares a bit about his chess background, what is new with Lichess founder Thibault Duplessis, and how he became a LiChess employee, Mentioned: IM Christof Sielecki, LiChess Studies , Episode 25- Thibault Duplessis 7:00- LiChess traffic doubled in 2 weeks when the pandemic hit. How did they handle it? As a donation-driven non-profit, how is LiChess holding up financially? Mentioned: The Lichess Costs document we reference is here: http://lichess.org/costs 16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Check out their latest here, including GM Peter Svidler's much anticipated course on the Grunfeld: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 17:00- Chris answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to various Lichess capabilities and future plans including what their philosophy is on sharing their open source coding. 25:30- Chris discusses a recent controversy involving Chessbase and the open source community. It is alleged that Chessbase was not transparent about using Stockfish’s Open Source Code for its Fat Fritz engine. More info in Peter Dogger’s summary here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/chessbase-fat-fritz-2-stockfish-leela-chess-zero 31:00- What is Lichess’ approach to the use of a cheat detection/engine by players? Mentioned: Episode 18 with IM Danny Rensch, Episode 136 with IM Ken Regan, GM Wesley So, GM Raunak Sadhwhani 48:00- What are the goals of the LiChess Twitch and YouTube channels? What other projects might LiChess work on? Mentioned: LiChess Study- Logical Chess Move by Move: https://lichess.org/study/Wn7aMkPy 58:00- What is Chris’ guiding principle in teaching chess to kids? What else would Chris like to see change in the chess community? Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen and The Stafford Gambit, Chess for Zebras 1:05:00- Thanks so much to Chris for sharing his knowledge and catching us up on Lichess. Join the LiChess Discord here: https://lichess.org/team/chesscord-discord-community You can follow Chris on LiChess here: https://lichess.org/@/NoJoke If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: The Perpetual Chess Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bruce Pandolfini is a trailblazer for American chess who is well known as a top scholastic coach, prolific author, and consultant on landmark chess productions like the 1993 movie, Searching for Bobby Fischer, and the 2020 smash hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit. Bruce even served on the announcing team for PBS in the legendary 1972 Fischer vs. Spassky World Championship match. With such a resume, obviously Bruce has accumulated a treasure trove of stories, and perspective. In our interview, Bruce drew on his experience as an early coach of future GM Fabiano Caruana and IM Josh Waitzkin to discuss the nature of chess talent, and he told stories of a few of his interactions with Bobby Fischer as a New Yorker of the same generation. Bruce also opined on the growth of and future of chess, and discussed his involvement in The Queen’s Gambit, both the novel and the series. Obviously,I found this to be an entertaining and informative interview, and I hope that you will as well. Please read on for more details and links related to all that we discussed. 0:00- We begin by reliving some stories from Bruce’s youth in Brooklyn, and his interactions with chess legends like Bobby Fischer and GM Larry Evans. Mentioned: Caroline Marshall, Fabiano Caruana, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick, Al Horowitz 9:30- How did Bruce end up a part of the announcing team for PBS for the 1972 Fischer vs. Spassky “Match of the Century?” Mentioned: Shelby Lyman, Eugene Meyer, GM Edmar Mednis, Dustin Hoffman, GM Nicolas Rossolimo, IM Bernard Zuckerman. Bobby Fischer’s Outrageous Chess Moves, Here is the video of Bobby Fischer appearing on The Tonight Show in 1972- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxvnEwvgfeI, Saul Bellow, Kurt Vonnegut 22:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can always check out what’s new there through this link: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 23:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Bruce deal with students whose parents are challenging?“ Mentioned: Bill Goichberg 29:00- Does Bruce notice any traits in common amongst the top talents he has worked with such as IM Josh Waitzkin and GM Fabiano Caruana? Carol Ann Caronia, Fred Waitzkin, Bonnie Waitzkin. Lou Caruana, Robert Hess, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Miron Sher 37:00- Another Patreon Mailbag question: “What are some of Bruce’s favorite chess books?” Mentioned: My 60 Memorable Games, Botvinnik: One Hundred Selected Chess Games, Alekhine’s My Best Games of Chess, Fred Reinfeld’s The Human Side of Chess, Irving Chernev, GM Andy Soltis 39:00- Another question from a Patreon supporter: “How has Bruce’s chess improvement advice changed over the years?” Mentioned: Shelby Lyman 46:30- Bruce answers the question, “How has the rise of chess on YouTube and Twitch impacted Bruce’s students?” Mentioned: Jose Raoul Capablanca, Wilhelm Steinitz 52:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. Check out their website and subscribe to their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBUU6aq2b07VtTAMO0xGTw 53:00- We talk about Bruce’s work on The Queen’s Gambit, both Walter Tevis’ novel and the series. Mentioned: John Hartmann interview with Bruce Pandolfini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpfWu-OvAlg Also Mentioned: Bill Horberg, Scott Frank, Anya Taylor Joy, Garry Kasparov’s talk with the US Chess Girl’s Group is here: https://www.kasparov.com/garry-kasparov-talks-to-us-chess-girls-group-about-the-queens-gambit/ Also Mentioned: Searching for Bobby Fischer, Lasker’s Manual of Chess, 1:03:00- In closing, we discuss Bruce’s future projects, including whether he may ever write a memoir. Thanks so much to Bruce for joining the show! Mentioned: Kimberly Doo McVay If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Twenty-six year-old Tunde Onakoya is one of the top 50 chess players in his native Nigeria (rated 2165 FIDE), and is the founder of a life-changing organization called Chess in Slums. This organization introduces chess to kids in the slums of Lagos, Nigeria, and uses the game as a learning tool to instill confidence and teach critical thinking. It's a much-needed program, because the kids learning about chess are often unable to go to school due to financial or other life circumstances. As Tunde tells us, he was one of those kids not that long ago. Tunde credits chess with changing his life and aims to do the same for the next generation. Tunde is also a musician, a tech aficionado, a speed chess lover, and he has a university degree in Computer Science. Despite his many talents, it is his work bringing chess to kids that inspires him the most, and Tunde joined me amidst a week where a swarm of media attention had helped convince him to devote even more time and energy to the Chess in Slums cause. Tunde tells an inspiring story which is still in its early stages. Please read on for more details, relevant links and timestamps of our interview. 0:00- We begin by discussing the hectic week that Tunde had preceding our interview, in the wake of a viral tweet of his about the Chess in Slums program, that begat lots of message and media requests. 7:30- Tunde tells the story of how he discovered chess during his own childhood, and how the game changed the trajectory of his life. Mentioned: Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Jose Raoul Capablanca 15:45- What were the beginnings of the Chess in Slums program? Mentioned: Chess in Slums’ Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/chessinslums/?igshid=zmqk3bq3d52e Here is a tweet with the story of the girl named Basirat https://twitter.com/Tunde_OD/status/1265289693731721216?s=20 Facebook page here- https://www.facebook.com/pg/chessinslums/posts/ 27:45- How do the kids in the slums respond to chess? 31:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. They are having a big sale this week, to check out what's available, you can go here: Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 32:00- Tunde discusses Chess.com/Chesskid’s sponsorship of Chess in the Slums. Mentioned: Carey Fan, University of California, The Chess in Slums Go Fund Me link is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/chess-education-in-africa?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1& 40:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 40:30-Tunde explains a bit about how the Nigerian school system works, and about the living situation for himself and the local kids. 48:00- Is a chess culture taking hold in Nigeria? 51:30- We talk a bit about Tunde's own blitz game. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 42 with James Altucher, IM Eric Rosen, GM Simon Williams (Ginger GM), GInger GM’s Iron English course: https://www.chessable.com/the-iron-english-botvinnik-variation/course/50500/ Here is Tunde’s Lichess account: https://lichess.org/@/giftedhandz 58:00 Thanks so much to Tunde for joining the show, and for the work that he is doing! Please support Chess in Slums if you are able. Here is all the contact info you need: The Chess in Slums Go Fund Me link is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/chess-education-in-africa?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1& Twitter- https://twitter.com/Tunde_OD Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/chessinslums/?igshid=zmqk3bq3d52e Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pg/chessinslums/posts/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a one month hiatus, Chess Books Recaptured is back to discuss two chess books, Grandmaster Igor Zaitsev’s Attacking the Strongpoint, and GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess. The guest co-host this month is a regular visitor of the show, cognitive scientist and USCF Master Christopher Chabris. As we discuss, these books tackle chess study from opposite perspectives, as GM Zaitsev’s book has a very philosophical tone, while GM Nunn’s classic lives up to its promise of giving lots of practical advice for chess competitors. Of course, there is much to be learned from both books, and it is always a pleasure to talk chess with Dr. Chabris. Please read on for more details and timestamps. Click here to download the Episode Episode 95 with Christopher Chabris Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris Book Recap: Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov Attacking the Strongpoint: The Philosophy of Chess by GM Igor Zaitsev Secrets of Practical Chess by GM John Nunn 0:00- How did we choose these two books? Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Jacob Aagaard 08:00- We break down Attacking the Strongpoint including its title origins, highlights and weaknesses. 16:00 -Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. They are having a big sale this week, to check out what's available, you can go here: Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 17:00- Sample quotes from the book Mentioned: Steinitz-von Bardeleben 1895, Capablanca-Tartakower 1924, GM Genna Sosonko 30:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com 31:00- What can we learn from Secrets of Practical Chess? Mentioned: Secrets of Grandmaster Chess, Understanding Chess Move by Move, Beating the Siclian, Alexander Kotov’s Think Like a Grandmaster , Episode 8 with GM Sam Shankland , Andersson-Mestel 1982 IM John Watson’s The Week in Chess review of Secrets of Practical Chess is here: https://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/three-improvement-books Dr. Patzer’s Review of Secrets of Practical Chess: https://patzersreview.blogspot.com/2020/01/nunns-secrets.html Book Recap Podcast of Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-recap-woodpecker-method-rapid-chess-improvement/id1185023674?i=1000471766064 Nikolaos Ntirlis (Quality Chess Author) 1:13:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 1:13:45- We summarize our thoughts on Secrets of Practical Chess and get a quick update on Christopher and his son’s latest chess studies. Mentioned: Chess Middlegames by Laszlo Polgar, GM Jan Markos, GM Michael Adams 1:26:00- Thanks as always to Christopher Chabris for helping out. You can check out his website here: chabris.com This month’s donation will go to Washington International Chess Tournament, more info here: https://www.mdchess.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=49 1:27:00- Blindfold puzzle #1- d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 What move did Greco play to make his opponent resign? (Answer shown in game link) Blindfold puzzle #2- d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. Nf3 d6 5. exd6 Bxd6 6. g3?? Black to play and win material (Answer shown in game link) If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Max Illingworth is one of Australia’s top players and is the 2 time national Australian Champion among other distinctions. in recent years, Max has shifted his focus from competing to training. His work ethic has evident, as in the last years ce co-authored the book, Dismantling the Sicilian, contributes actively on Facebook chess forums, and has launched his own training site, Illingworth Chess Academy. In our interview, we dive deep into the topic of chess improvement, and Max provides a lot of good insights about how he became so strong at tournament chess, blitz chess, and even the chess variant called Crazyhouse! Please read on for all of the details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing Max’s approach to adapting the right mindset for chess. Mentioned: Facebook Chess Endgame Studies and Composition Group, IM Cyrus Lakdawala, Chess Improvement: Its All in the Mindset, 8:30- Max discusses his affinity for a chess variant called Crazyhouse 10:30- What did Max do to raise his online blitz rating from 2800 to 2950? 13:50- What should non GMs do to improve their blitz ratings, and their games generally? Mentioned: Max Illingworth interview with Bryan Castro: http://www.betterchesstraining.com/2019/05/gm-max-illingworth.html The Woodpecker Method , CT-Art 23:45-Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. They are having a big sale this week, to check out what's available, you can go here: Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 24:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What advice do you have for one who wants to start solving endgame studies but finds most of them too difficult?” Mentioned: Philip Stamma Endgame Studies, Say Chess’ Blindfold Endgame Trainer is here: https://saychessblog.com/blindfold-endgame-puzzles/ 31:00- Another mailbag question: “What advice does Max have for club players on how to learn to evaluate positions?” Mentioned: Simple Chess, Podcast recapping Simple Chess 39:00- One more Patreon mailbag question: “How can one learn to assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses?” Mentioned: Openingtree.com, Aimchess.com 42:30- What Chessbooks does Max recommend? Mentioned: Logical Chess Move by Move, My System, Art of Attack in Chess, The Complete Chess Swindler by GM David Smerdon 47:30- Max tells the story of the moment that his competitive fire for chess was ignited. Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Ian Rogers, GM Darryl Johansen, IM John Paul Wallace 52:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog is here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 53:00- Patreon question: “What advice does Max have for pursuing goals?” Mentioned: Episode 215 with Vishnu Sreekumar 57:00- How has Max been impacted by legendary Australian players Cecil Purdy and GM Ian Rogers? Mentioned: Chess Fundamentals by Jose Raoul Capablanca, IM Andras Toth, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, IM Stephan Solomon 1:05:00- In closing, Max shares a few of his interests away from the board.? 1:09:00- Thanks to Max for joining the show! Here are the best ways to keep up with him. Web page- Illingworth Chess Academy Facebook- Max Illingworth | Facebook If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s podcast is a special feature that includes three different IM guests who are working to attain the Grandmaster title! My guests are popular commentator, IM Lawrence Trent, 9-time Minnesota State Champion IM Sean Nagle, and Hungary-based chess trainer, IM Attila Turzo. These guests have very different backgrounds, chess distances to travel and life situations, but they all share the common goal of wanting to earn the highest title in chess. Why is it important to them? What do they need to improve in order to climb this final steep step? What will their study routines entail? I know that many of you will also be pursuing new chess milestones and goals post-pandemic, so I hope that you find some good advice and inspiration in these 3 interviews! Please read on for more details and timestamps for each interview. For complete show notes and links, please go to the webpage: Episode 217- "IM to GM" special episode with IMs Lawrence Trent, Sean Nagle, and Attila Turzo 0:00- Intro Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM Eric Rosen, IM Kassa Korley, IM John Bartholomew, IM Greg Shahade, IM Abimanyu Mishru, IM Christopher Yoo, IM Carissa Yip 5:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by HotSaucery.co You should try some of their delicious hot sauces. Use the promo code PERPETUAL to save 10%. You can Follow them on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/hot.saucery/ 6:00- IM Lawrence Trent joins the show! Lawrence is a frequent and popular chess commentator, streamer and content creator. He has served as the manager for his friend GM Fabiano Caruana, and was one of the co-hosts of the original chess podcast, The Full English Breakfast, with Macauley Peterson, GM Stephen Gordon, and GM Simon Williams. He joins us to share his reasons for deciding that now is the time for him to pursue his last GM norm and the 100 FIDE points that he requires to earn the GM title. Thanks to Lawrence for joining the show. 45:50- IM Sean Nagle joins the show. Sean is a Minnesota based Corporate and Securities Attorney, 9-time Minnesota State Chess Champion,husband, and dad of 3 kids. 1:30:30- IM Attila Turzo joins the show. Here is how you can contact him and track his quest: Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/attilaturzo Twitter- https://twitter.com/AttilaTurzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCezDjmS_25xjLYi8_jLAWeA First Saturday Tournament- http://www.firstsaturday.hu/2012/index.htm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Dr. Jana Krivec joins me. She is the seven-time Woman’s National Champion of Slovenia. Jana is also a Professor of Psychology at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica, Slovenia. She has recently released a book that synthesizes her interests in chess and brain science. Her book, Improve Your Life by Playing a Game, gives a rundown of the many psychological issues that chess players often confront, and offers actionable advice on how we all can improve our study habits and our approaches to playing chess. I had a good time speaking with Dr. Krivec, and I think that you will enjoy the interview. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing the cognitive biases that are most prevalent amongst chess players. Mentioned: Adult Improver interview with Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar, (The book recap I mentioned with Dr. Christopher Chabris will be out later this month) , The Dunning Kruger Effect, Emanuel Lasker, Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman 15:00- How can we combat these biases? 20:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their latest offerings include, Lifetime Repertoires: The Queen’s Gambit Declined by GM Alex Colovic and The Psychology of Chess Tactics 21:00- Dr. Krivec answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about how to deal with the common issue of online “chess tilt.” Mentioned: The Power of Habit 39:00- Jana answers a Patreon question about how to deal with stress in online chess and she’s asked whether she thinks chess is helpful or harmful with anxiety issues. Mentioned: Autogenic Training, Progressive Muscle Relaxation 55:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out Chessmood’s blog is here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 56:00- What factors were most instrumental in Jana’s chess successes? 1:04:00- Does Dr. Krivec have an opinion about whether it is better to learn from books or from online tools like Chessable? 1:12:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Krivec for joining the show. You can contact her via Facebook. You can purchase or see a free teaser of her book via Thinkers Publishing Here: Improve Your Life by Playing a Game – Learn how to turn your life activities into lifelong skills - Thinkers Publishing If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. My guest, Vishnu Sreekumar, is a 35 year-old cognitive scientist and dad, who has been dedicating many hours to studying and playing chess since he rediscovered his love for the game in 2018. There have been plenty of obstacles along the way, but Vishnu has had great success, as his USCF rating has risen from 1675 to 1954 in the 1.5 years preceding the onset of Covid’s changes to all of our lives. During this period he has continued to work on his chess, although unfortunately work responsibilities and a pending move back to his native India may soon slow down his chess schedule. Vishnu is also a classically-trained pianist. This background gives him even more perspective on the field of adult learning. So between the chess talk and the neuroscience talk, there is a lot to learn from Vishnu. Please read on for many more details and timestamps. 0:00- Vishnu shares a bit about his background and his beginnings in chess, as well as his initial tentative return to tournament play in 2018. . Mentioned: GM Nihail Sarin, Meet the Dojo with GM Jesse Kraai- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kAGwWsRsKU&t=1381s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman, Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis 12:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. To check out their latest offerings, you can go here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/for-beginners/ 13:00- At the peak of his chess obsession, Vishnu was spending 3+ hours a day on chess while maintaining work and family responsibilities as well. In this segment, Vishnu shares some of the resources he studied, but he also reflects on that period of obsession, and the adjustments he has since made to make sure that chess doesn’t supplant his family and work responsibilities. Mentioned: Domination in 2,545 Endgame Studies, Grandmaster Chess- Positional Play, Test Your Chess IQ. Understanding Chess Move by Move, Tal Botvinnik 1960 , GM Jesse Kraai, Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, Episode 175 with GM Jesse Kraai 21:00- Vishnu answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag. “Is it better to study tactics from a book or from an online tactics trainer?” Mentioned: The Test of Time, Winning with the King’s Indian by Eduard Gufeld 26:00- Patreon question: “What are Vishnu’s biggest regrets in how he has studied chess?” Mentioned: GM R.B. Ramesh 33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount. 35:00- Vishnu answers a few questions from Patreon supporters relating to the cognitive science of chess. Mentioned: Practical Chess Exercises, Lev Alburt Pocket Chess Training Books, Woodpecker Method, Sherlock’s Method, Universal Chess Training, IM Elizabeth Paehtz, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics 41:00- Patreon question: “As a cognitive scientist, why does Vishnu think it’s so hard for adults to improve at chess?” Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Peter Svidler, GM Jan Gustafsson, IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, GM Jesse Kraai, GM Avetik Grigoryan 57:30- Another Patreon question- “Is there a correlation between chess and long term brain health?” 1:00:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 1:01:00- Does Vishnu have advice for how to balance a desire to improve at chess with work and family responsibilities? 1:08:00- We discuss Vishnu’s background in music, as well as his daughter’s burgeoning interest in music. He also answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to whether he thinks that chess talent and music talent are transferable? Mentioned: The Steps Method 1:16:00- With Vishnu moving to India and opening a lab, what role will chess take in his life? Thanks to Vishnu for sharing his chess story! You can keep up with him via Twitter https://twitter.com/VishChess or Facebook Vishnu Sreekumar | Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Czech grandmaster Vlastimil Hort was among the world's best players in the 1960s, '70s, and into the mid-'80s. Born in Czechoslovka, the five-time national Czech champion emigrated to West Germany in 1985 and was subsequently the 3 time West German national champ. GM Hort has played against most World Champions of the modern era, and has memorable stories about Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, Paul Keres, and countless others. GM Hort is also the co-author of the classic instructional book, The Best Move, and his latest book, My Chess Stories, 64 Stories From His Life Near the Top in Chesshas recently been translated to English. GM Hort reflects on a few of the standout stories in our interview, including how a bribe at a chess tournament in Tunis helped him escape Czechoslovakia in 1985. He also gives us the details of his less-than-pleasant interactions with GM Mikhail Botvinnik. So many fun stories below, and such an honor to speak with GM Hort. Please read on for timestamps and more details. In addition to listening via audio, a transcript is available of this podcast thanks to the efforts of Dr. Stephen Sparks. You can read the interview transcript here. 0:00- We launch in by GM Hort sharing his memories of attending Hastings 1967, a tournament for which he had no money to attend, so he ended up sleeping in a park en route to the facilities. Chess has come a long way! Mentioned: Hastings 1967-1968 7:30- Why did GM Hort decide to emigrate from the Czechoslovakia to Germany? He tells the amazing story of bribing passport control after theTunis Interzonal in 1985. Mentioned: Wilfried Hilgert, Tunis Interzonal 1985, GM Mikhai Suba, GM Evgenij Ermenkov 14:00- Hort tells a story involving his fellow Czech native who recently passed away, GM Lubomir Kavalek. Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, Leonid Brezhnev 16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 17:30- GM Hort did not have the best relationship with former World Champion, GM Mikail Botvinnik. What events led to this bit of discontent? Mentioned: GM Bent Larsen, GM Paul Keres 24:00- GM Hort had a famously tough loss against GM Boris Spassky in 1977 during the Candidates cycle. How does he look back on that match? And how is GM Boris Spassky doing today? Mentioned: GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM William Lombardy. GM Lajos Portisch, GM Pal Benko, GM Bent Larsen, GM Viktor Korchnoi 30:00- GM Hort answers a Patreon mailbag question: how did it feel to compete against Soviet players when one had to worry about the possibility of collusion? Mentioned: GM Karpov, GM Lajos Portisch, GM Bent Larsen, Wolfram Hartmann, 34:00- It has been alleged that GM Milan Matulovic accepted a bribe to throw the Candidates match against Taimanov in the FIDE Candidates in 1970? Does GM Hort find this story credible? 36:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 37:30- Was there a test given to Czech youth to assess chess talent? What constitutes chess talent? Mentioned: Lubomir Ljubovic, GM Tony Miles, GM Lajos Portisch 42:00- How did GM Hort study middlegames? Mentioned: GM Hans Kmoch, Rubinstein Chess Masterpieces 44:00- Another Patreon question: How did the idea for the classic book, The Best Move, come about? Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jacob Aagaard 46:30- Patreon question: Who was the most intimidating player to play against? This leads to GM Hort sharing some recollections of the famed Match of the Century in 1970. Mentioned: GM Lev Polugaevsky 50:00- How was GM Hort’s relationship with Bobby Fischer? Mentioned: GM Svetozar Gligoric, GM Eugenio Torre 55:00- What does GM Hort think of modern chess and the increased importance of computers? He also mentions the name of the player who, in his opinion, is the best player that ever was. Mentioned: GM Firouzja, GM Jorden van Forrest, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Anish Giri, Bobby Fischer 58:00- Patreon question: What keeps GM Hort loving chess after all of those years? 1:02:00- How does GM Hort keep up with modern chess? 1:03:00- What are GM Hort’s favorite activities outside of modern chess? 1:06:00- Thanks so much to GM Hort for joining us and sharing some amazing stories! His book is available here: https://chess.co.uk/products/vlastimil-hort-my-chess-stories Thanks to Michael Busse of the Schachgeflüster Podcast. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an annual tradition, IM Greg Shahade returns to the show. Greg is the founder of the Pro Chess League as well as the US Chess School, and is a former scholastic champion turned adult-improving, dangerous speed chess specialist. His Chess.com blitz rating hovers in the 2600-2700 range, and he has beaten the likes of GM Alexey Shirov and GM Praggnanandhaa in recent Chess.com TItled Tuesday tournaments. Greg breaks down the secrets to his success- it turns out it has involved a lot of hard work on his openings! He also impart lessons from his success in order to help improving players lower on the rating ladder. Additional topics include: the growth and evolution of chess, why Greg isn’t as vocal about his chess promotion ideas anymore, plus he answers a few fun Patreon mailbag questions. Whether you agree with Greg’s views of chess or not, its always fun to hear his perspective. Please read on for lots more details and timestamps. Prior Interviews with IM Greg Shahade Episode 1 Episode 55 Episode 107 Episode 159 0:00- Greg’s blitz rating has been consistently improving even as he hits his early 40s. What are his study tricks? What approach should he take to study openings? Mentioned: Chessable.com, GM Alexei Shirov, GM Kiril Alekseenko, GM Jan Gustafsson’s Lifetime Repertoires Course, GM Elshan Moriadibadi, The London System, IM Andras Toth, GM Magnus Carlsen 10:00- A question from the Patreon mailbag. What is the best way for a beginner to study an opening repertoire? Mentioned: Fight like Magnus: The Sveshnikov Sicilian, Lifetime Repertories: Nimzo-Ragozin Defense, Sam Shankland’s 1. D4 Chessable course 18:00- What is the status of Greg’s blitz game? Mentioned: GM Kirill Alekseenko, GM Conrad Holt 22:00- What is the status of Greg’s Twitch streaming career? 23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 23:45- Patreon question: “Dude, when is Greg going to start blogging again?” We also discuss the ongoing Chess.com I am Not a GM Tournament Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew, I am not a GM Tournament, IM Levy Rozman, IM Tania Sachdev, IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, Alexandra Botez, IM Lawrence Trent 30:00- Another Patreon question relates to the status and format of the 2021 Pro Chess League, which of course also leads to a discussion of the explosion of popularity in online chess. Mentioned: Klay Thompson, Lennox Lewis, Gordon Hayward, Leveon Bell 37:00- Another Patreon question: are there improvements to the Pro Chess League website in the works? 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount. 39:00- Patreon question- has Greg read any good books lately? This segues into a general discussion of how to study chess. Mentioned: Playing 1. E4 by GM John Shaw, GM Peter Svidler, 100 Endgames You Must Know Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Sherevsky, Vancura Defense, Frontal Defense, Jeremy Silman’s Endgame Course, GM Jacob Aagaard 49:00- In his chess development, did Greg do any targeted blindfold chess training? Mentioned: Chessboard Magic by Irving Chernev, GM Jeffrey Xiong, GM Ray Robson, IM Christopher Yoo 56:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 57:00- Greg answers a Patreon question pushing back against the importance of the idea that Classical Chess wouldn’t exist if chess were invented in modern times. (As Greg has previously said) Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Alexander Grishchuk, IM Andras Toth 1:03:00- Greg makes his brief, shining singing debut on The Perpetual Chess! And then gives some shout outs. Mentioned: Episode 204 with FM Nathan Resika, Episode 12 with Christopher Yoo Agadmator, Chessbrahs, IM Levy Rozman, Jennifer Shahade, The Botez Sisters, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM David Howell, GM Jovanka Houska, Kaja Snare, Mark Crowther, ChessDoJo YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsFJol3ToXA&list=PLH4lD9b6ZgbeAzMlaYoWSHL_lEF5BWZA0 Thanks as always to Greg for joining the show! You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gregshahade?lang=en See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In addition to being a strong player, and often the Captain of the US Olimpiad team, IM John Donaldson is a renowned chess historian and author. He has been researching the life of Bobby Fischer for over a decade, and he has been on the podcast in the past to discuss his prior publications on Fischer. Late in 2020, IM John Donaldson published his most comprehensive, and acclaimed Fischer work yet, Bobby Fischer and his World. This book was already named Chess.com’s 2020 book of the year, despite some stiff competition in a stellar year for chess books. I greatly enjoyed John’s work, which is a combination of biography and game analysis. In our conversation, of course we discuss details of Fischer’s life in some detail, with a particular emphasis on the new details John has uncovered. We also take time to remember the life and legacy of John’s friend, legendary GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek, and to discuss the state of John’s own chess game. As always, you can get lots more details and related hyperlinks in the description or on the Perpetual Chess webpage. Enjoy! 0:00- We begin by discussing the legacy of John’s friend, legendary player and trainer, GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek who recently passed away. Mentioned: Episode 54 with IM John Donaldson Episode 143 with IM John Donaldson Also Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Wesley So, GM Lubosh Kavalek, Fred Wilson’s interview with GM Lubomir Kavalek, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Lev Alburt, Jerry and Fran Weikel of the Western States Open, GM Kavalek’s Huffington Post archive, Peter Doggers chess.com obituary of GM Lubosh Kavalek, Chess Life and Review of Archive, Milos Forman, Ivan Passer, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Portisch-Kavalek 1975, GM Andrew Soltis 18:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount. 18:45- Are there any fact that John and his friend and fellow eminent Fischer biographer Frank Brady disagree on? Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand’s Technical Decision Making in Chess, FM Andrey Terekhov’s The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov, IM Stuart Rachels’ The Best I Saw in Chess, GM William Lombardy, Dragoljub Minec, Jackie Beers 27:00- John’s book is published by the publishing company of IM Jeremy Silman and his wife, Gwen Feldman- Did John work directly with Silman on this book? Mentioned: Silman-James press 29:00- A question from the Patreon Mailbag: Which modern player most resembles Fischer in playing style? Mentioned: GM Peter Leko, Leko discussing studying with Fischer. GM Miguel Najdor 33:00- How would Bobby have enjoyed modern chess with faster time controls? Mentioned: GM Walter Shipman 35:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 37:00- How close was Bobby Fischer to playing a comeback match against GM Yasser Seirawan? Is John glad that Fischer did make a comeback? Mentioned: Lou Hays, GM Alex Sherzer, GM Larry Christiansen, GM Boris Spassky, GM Duncan Suttles 43:00- Patreon question: Did Bobby have any students or proteges? Mentioned: GM Michael Bezold, Carmine Nigro, GM Reuben Fine, Episode 202 with Dr. Frank Brady, No Regrets, Fischer-Spassky 1992 48:30- How is this book different from John’s prior publications about Fischer? Mentioned: A Legend on the Road 53:00- Will there be more Fischer projects forthcoming from John? What mysteries still remain from the details of Bobby’s life? Mentioned: World Chess Hall of Fame, GM Jesse Kraai’s interview with John Donaldson, David Delucia, GM Svetozar Gligoric, James Gore, IM Anthony Saidy, John Collins 1:05:00- As an expert on American chess history, can John think of any historically accomplished adult improvers? Mentioned: GM Akiba Rubinstein, Jerry Hanken, GM Mihai Suba, Abe Turner, Carmine Nigro, 1:09:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 1:10:00- John discusses the underappreciated chess legacy of IM Bernard Zuckerman 1:13:00- From 1988-2000, John and GM Yasser Seirawan published a legendary chess magazine called Inside Chess, how does John recall those years? Mentioned: Hanon Russell, IM Nikolay Minev, GM Alexander Baburin, TheChessLibrary.com, FM Michael Shahade 1:21:00- Now that this book has been published, will John be resuming OTB chess? If he were to resume chess training, what would he do to sharpen up? Mentioned: Mark Pinto, Your Jungle Guide to Chess Tactics by GM Peter Prohaszka, IM Yuriy Krykun, Quality Chess, Thinker’s Publishing, New in Chess Books, Russell Enterprises, GM Boris Gelfand 1:29:00- What will John work

Perpetual Chess is back with another monthly bonus edition of Chess Books Recaptured. This month Chicago-based law professor, dad, and speed chess specialist, David Franklin joins me. Like me, David is a long-time fan of the writing of GM Jonathan Rowson, and of his 2000 book, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, in particular. Due to its uniquely philosophical, digressive tone and its advanced chess subject matter, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins is not universally loved. Nonetheless, both podcast hosts and many other chess fans consider it to be a classic. In our conversation, we define and discuss each of GM Rowson’s 7 "chess sins", as well as sharing a bit of information about the author, the guest-co-host, and of course, a few of our favorite quotes. Please read on for many more details, links, and timestamps! 0:00- Why does David love this book? Why is this book somewhat polarizing despite many rave reviews? Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 193 with Tom Murphy, Adult Improver Episode 151 with JJ Lang 08:30- We discuss GM Rowson’s background and his other chess books briefly. Mentioned: Understanding the Grunfeld,Chess For Zebras, The Moves that Matter, Perpetual Chess Episode 150 with GM Jonathan Rowson, IM Andras Toth, IM John Watson’s review of Seven Deadly Chess Sins: Some Products and Two First-Rate Books 12:00- What other books might have been the intellectual inspirations of this unique book? Mentioned: Facebook Chess Collectors Group, The Chess Mind by Gerald Abraham, Secrets of Practical Chess, Improve Your Chess Now, Genius in Chess, Improve Your Chess Now Book Recap Podcast with FM Alex Chua, Alex King, Godol, Escher and Bach, Emotional Intelligence, Richard James, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Dynamics of Chess Strategy, GM David Navara 15:00- For what rating level is this book best suited? 20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 20:45- We discuss Sin #1- “Thinking”- lack of faith in intuition, and “bureaucracy” Mentioned: “Talking to Your Pieces”, Tom Murphy 27:00- Sin #2- “Blinking” Identifying, missing critical moments Mentioned: Bobby Fischer, Russians vs. Fischer , GM Alex Yermolinksy’s The Road to Chess Improvement, The Road to Chess Improvement Recap Podcast, Episode 7 with GM Jon Ludvig Hammer 31:00- Sin #3- “Wanting” Attachment to results, carelessness, ‘chalking it up’ expectation Mentioned: “The Theory of Infinite Resistance,” FM Bill Jordan, GM Ian Rogers, GM David Smerdon, Jerry Wheeler 42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Be sure to download the much-anticipated Chessable app for IOS, and Seven Deadly Chess Sins will be available on Chessable later this year! 43:00- Sin #4- “Materialism” Lack of dynamism, oversights Mentioned: Plato’s Symposium, 49:30- Sin #5- “Egoism” ‘forgetting the opponent’- fear - how many results am I playing for? 54:00- Sin #6- “Perfectionism” time trouble, jam-lust (asking too much of your position), moralizing (punishing the opponent), copy-cat crime (trying to emulate another player) Mentioned: GM Alexander Grischuk, Chess Explained’s YouTube Channel , GM Michael Adams 1:03:30- Sin #7- Looseness- losing the plot, drifting (playing without a plan), “neural hijackings” (emotions overwhelm the thinking brain, whether consciously or not), “tension transference” (relieve tension at all costs, uncomfortable with discomfort) Mentioned- Anand-Carlsen 2013, Kasparov-Sokolov 1999 1:07:00- We share a few favorite quotes from the book. Mentioned: Endgame Strategy, GM Tiger Hillarp Person, GM Jonathan Levitt, GM Jan Gustafsson, GM Luke McShane 1:11:30- A question from Patreon supporter and friend of the pod- is it a fair characterization that Rowson characterizes this book in hindsight as “a good first draft?” 1:14:00- What were David’s personal interactions with GM Rowson like? 1:18:30- Does David get more nervous before a tournament chess game or before arguing before the Supreme Court? 1:19:30- Thanks to David for contributing his time and knowledge! You can keep up with David on twitter or Facebook. Next month will likely feature a recap of Attacking the Strongpoint by GM Igor Zaitsev Twitter- https://twitter.com/DFranklinChi Facebook- David Franklin | Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IM Andras Toth is a Canberra, Australia-based chess trainer who has built a loyal online following due to his no-nonsense YouTube chess videos and popular Chessable courses. Andras originally hails from Hungary, where he trained under the same trainer as the Polgar sisters and was the two-time Hungarian Junior Champ. Andras’ background as a school teacher is evident in his engaging and energetic teaching style. As is clear from our conversation, Andras is not shy about expressing his hard-earned chess opinions. Andrey answers questions such as, should you play the London System?--do you need to hire a coach?--can one improve by focusing only on chess calculation?-- plus many more pertinent queries. This was a fun conversation that revealed many insights about chess improvement. Please read on for more details and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- Andras begins by discussing his chess and chess-training background a bit. Mentioned: IM Laszlo Hazai, The Polgar Sisters 0:8:15- Does Andras agree that club players should not learn much opening theory? Mentioned: The Road to Chess Improvement 16:30- Andras answers the first of many questions from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: Neal Bruce asks, “ How important is it to have a chess coach?” 23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by Chessable.com! Be sure to download the much-anticipated Chessable app for IOS, and you can check out Andras Toth’s courses here: https://www.chessable.com/profile/ChesscoachAndras/ 24:00- Another Patreon listener question: “What is the proper way to analyze one’s own games and to study strategic concepts?” Mentioned: Alexander Alekhine: My Best Games of Chess, Paul Keres: The Road to the Top The book and game to which Andras refers can be found here: Mark Dvoretsky’s School of Chess Excellence, Tactical Play, Borkowski-Nunn 1974 34:00- Why is Andras so blunt in his communication as a teacher and presenter? Mentioned: IM Jop Delemarre 41:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com! Check out their blog here: https://chessmood.com/blog and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 42:00- How much can a 1500 player improve by working on calculation alone? How should we divide our study time? Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard 55:30- Another Patreon question: “How can one transition from slower games, like Correspondence chess, to rapid games?” Mentioned: Episode 191 with GM Daniel Naroditsky 1:05:00- What are the pros and cons of correspondence or “daily” games? IM John Bartholomew. Tata Steel Masters 1:14:00- What Chessable courses would we recommend for a player rated below 1000? Mentioned: Jan Gustafsson’s Lifetime Repertoires 1. E4 e5, Endgame Bootcamp with IM John Bartholomew, Learn Chess the Right Way Series, with GM Susan Polgar, 100 Endgames You Must Know, The Checkmate Patterns Manual, Mastering Mates, 1001 Deadly Checkmates , Andras’s book recommendations, via YouTube videos, are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCwQyNLblm0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg-u_HlZKco&t=1334s 1:18:00- What books have informed Andras’ teaching style? What is his background? How did he end up in Canberra, Australia? Best Lessons of a Chess Coach. 1:30:00- Why has making Chess YouTube videos been frustrating for Andras? Check out his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYZTGsTO5TbCaA1O0wcBzw Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 180 with IM Levy Rozman 1:34:00- Another listener question: “ What is the chess culture like in Australia and New Zealand?” Mentioned: GM Murray Chandler, FM Nicholas Croad 1:43:00- One last Patreon question… “Why did Andras stop playing OTB chess?” Thanks to IM Toth for joining the show! Here are all the links you need in order to keep up with him: Twitter- https://twitter.com/chesscoachandra?lang=en YouTube-https://t.co/RgSPMwU9Is?amp=1 Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/profile/ChesscoachAndras/ Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/im_andras See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As chess fans may have heard, legendary GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek passed away this week at the age of 77. GM Kavalek was a fierce, attacking player, who at his rating peak, was a top 10 player in the world. He was two-time winner of the Czechoslovak National Championship, and after emigrating from Czechoslovakia, he went on to become US National Champion three times as well. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to interview GM Kavalek, but Fred Wilson has given me permission to share with you all a long audio interview that he did with GM Kavalek. The interview took place on September 10, 2003. In this conversation, they cover many of the highlights of GM Kavalek’s illustrious career as a player, trainer, and author. They discuss Kavalek’s beginnings in chess, and his work helping with the World Championship matches of Bobby Fischer (against Spassky in 1972), and assisting GM Nigel Short against Kasparov in 1993. In listening to this interview, I was struck by the wit and personality of GM Kavalek. You can read on for brief timestamps, but of course you should listen to the entire interview with this chess legend! 02:45- GM Lubomir Kavalek discusses his beginnings in the chess world,, and his experiences with some of the other great Czech and US players of his generation. 17:00- What chess books influenced Lubosh? 23:30- He talks about working as the second of Nigel Short in the 1990s. 53:00- Question from Alex Baburin. Did chess help him adapt when he immigrated to Virginia? 58:00- What was his most pleasant and worst tournament? 1:02:15- What are his thoughts on quick draws? 1:10:00- How to optimize one’s time in preparation for a tournament? 1:11:00- Are there any plans for a book about his best games? 1:22:00- What was it like to play against Bobby Fischer? 1:24:00- What was GM Kavalek’s role in working with Fischer in the 1972 World Championship Match against GM Boris Spassky? If you enjoy this interview, you could consider becoming a Perpetual Chess Patreon subscriber in order to access the entire audio archive of Fred Wilson’s great interviews. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, bestselling author Tom Vanderbilt joins me to talk about his 5th book, the recently released, Beginners:The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. In this book Tom writes about his experience learning a handful of new activities from scratch while in his late 40’s. These new adventures include learning chess, surfing, singing, juggling and drawing. Tom, like many adult chess enthusiasts, discovered chess through his school-aged daughter’s interest in the game. In our conversation, Tom reflects on what was like to be thrown headfirst into the chess world, and shares many of the resources that he found most helpful in accelerating his learning. Tom also shares broader conclusions from his learning experiences across disciplines. It was a fascinating conversation about an enjoyable book. As always, read on for more details, timestamps and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- Why is the pandemic a good time to release a book about starting new things? Mentioned: NY Times review of Beginners 06:00- How was Tom’s interest in chess piqued? What were his first steps to learn more about the game? Mentioned: The Queen’s Gambit , Szymon Rudowski, GM Daniel Naroditsky’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/c/DanielNaroditskyGM/playlists Daniel King’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBATpFb--uLNAODOVWvCTA The Amateur’s Mindby Jeremy Silman IM Levy Rozman’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q IM John Bartholomew’s Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA 19:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com . To check out the many choices of beginner-oriented material they offer, go here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/for-beginners/ 20:00- Tom mentions a few more resources that were helpful in his dive into chess. Mentioned: Chessable’s 100 Endgames You Must Know, The Brooklyn Strategist, The Marshall Chess Club 25:00- How is his daughter progressing in chess during the pandemic? Mentioned: Her Move Next, US Chess’ Women in Chess Initiative 34:30- Was it more challenging to learn a mental game like chess or a physical endeavor like surfing? What other broader lessons did Tom draw from his learning adventures? Mentioned: William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days, The Passion Paradox, Mindset, Anders Ericsson, Tim Krabbe’s The Rider, Perpetual Chess Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, GM Robert Hess, Tim Krabbe’s Chess Curiosities Website: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess/chess.html 54:00- Now that his book is finished, will Tom continue to play chess? Mentioned: Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition 57:00- Thanks so much to Tom for the fascinating interview. You can find him on Lichess here: https://lichess.org/@/wernerherzog You can purchase his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Transformative-Power-Lifelong-Learning/dp/1524732168/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=beginners&qid=1610383429&s=books&sr=1-2 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. My guest is Martin Justesen, who is a 34 year, Denmark-based father of 3. He works as an archivist in the Library of the Danish Parliament, but devotes a lot of his free time to chess improvement and chess-related projects. His efforts have paid off, as Martin has gained a few hundred points in the past years. Prior to the pandemic, Martin had ended a long plateau, as his Danish rating went from 1600 to 1820. During the covid shutdown, he has seen continued improvement, his Lichess classical rating is now up to 2200! In our interview, Martin reveals what he thinks to be the key contributors to his improvement success. Martin is also a blogger, and has recently released a great new book called, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Positions. We also discuss how Martin decided to take on this project and why we think that it’s an important study tool. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We begin by discussing Martin’s background and his entree into the chess world. Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, Playchess.com , Winning Chess Series by GM Yasser Seirawan, Logical Chess Move by Move 12:00- Check out our new sponsorAimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, be sure to use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%. 13:00- How has Martin’s approach to chess improvement evolved in recent years? Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 117 with Stjepan Tomic 17:30- A Patreon supporter writes in to ask Martin how his approach to openings has changed as he has improved. Mentioned: Chessable Short and Sweet Free Courses are Here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/s/short%20and%20sweet Opening Tree.com 27:00- Another Patreon question: How does Martin find games and construct his opening repertoire? Did he adjust his repertoire choices due to time constraints? Mentioned: Chessgames.com, Bobby Fischer: The Career and Complete Games of the American Chess World Champion, Chess DoJo Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ChessDojo, IM Kostya Kavuitskiy, GM Jesse Kraai, GM David Pruess Greg Shahade video: Chess Opening Study for Serious and Advanced Players: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93kO7OXn9Lc 37:00- - Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their holiday sale here. It ends in a few days: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ 38:00- As a busy working father, has Martin experienced periods of burnout? Mentioned: Neal Bruce 43:00- Does he have trouble taking online games seriously? Mentioned: ChessDojo Discord, 50:00- What was the idea behind Martin’s great new book, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Positions? Mentioned: Alexey Troitsky 59:00- What are the main lessons Martin has learned through his improvement efforts? Mentioned: Mastering Pawn Endgames on Chessable, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Ruiz, Pump Up Your Rating by Axel Smith, Atomic Habits by James Clear 1:08:00- Thanks so much to Martin for joining the show, here are all of the links you need to keep up with him: Twitter- https://twitter.com/saychess1?lang=en YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/c/say_chess Blog- https://saychessblog.com/ Book- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QRB3H7M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_zzk3Fb7A3ZTE9 Twitch- https://t.co/hZvPmFCBdL?amp=1 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with another bonus podcast edition of Chess Books Recaptured. This month I am joined by Jonathan of The Abysmal Depths of Chess Blog to discuss a classic book, Simple Chess, by GM Michael Stean. Simple Chess is an excellent positional primer which features succinct and helpful annotations for the club player. Over the past couple of months, Jonathan has been blogging about each of the 30 games in the book, so he knows the material inside and out, and I was very glad to have him share some highlights of what he has learned from studying Simple Chess so thoroughly. As always, we discussed improvement takeaways, favorite quotes and lessons distilled from this excellent book. You can get all of the details, timestamps and hyperlinks below. 0:00- Why did Jonathan volunteer to discuss Simple Chess? Mentioned: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Perpetual Chess Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos, Perpetual Chess Episode 195 With GM Keith Arkell, The Chess Dojo ranks: Classic Chess Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRETstfHyDE, Fred Wilson books 6:30- What is the format of the book? GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Wolfgang Uhlmann, GM Lajos Portisch, GM Samuel Reshevsky, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Bobby Fischer 12:30- What should we know about the author, GM Michael Stean Mentioned: Sicilian Najdorf by GM Michael Stean, GM Viktor Korchnoi , End Game: Kasparov vs. Short by Dominic Lawson, GM Ray Keene, William Hartston 17:30- For what rating is this book most helpful? (Probably around 1300-1900) Mentioned: Recap of Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce, Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten, Link to Jonathan’s blog post about Karpov-Westerinen 1974 24:00- Check out our new sponsorAimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, be sure to use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%. 25:00- Why is Karpov Westerinen from the book Jonathan’s favorite game ever? Jonathan’s blog post about the game is here: https://theabysmaldepthsofchess.blogspot.com/2020/12/sc-week-73-karpov-westerinen-nice.html 28:00- I read the opening paragraphs and we discuss the major themes and chapters of the book. 32:00- We discuss some listeners questions relating to how this book compares to My System, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Mastering Chess Strategy, Chess Fundamentals 37:00- Is it worth uploading the games from Simple Chess into Chessbase? What is the best way to study it? Mentioned: Chessgames.com list of games from Simple Chess: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1038489 The Passion Paradox, Peak Performance, Chess Improvement: Its All in the Mindset 46:30- What positional concepts are not covered in Simple Chess? Hanging Pawns, Isolated Queen Pawn, Karpov Spassky 1975 50:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable! Resources to work on your positional chess there include Winning Chess Strategies, and Chess Strategy for Club Players: https://www.chessable.com/chess-strategy-for-club-players/course/27755/ 51:30- We discuss a few of our favorite games from the book. Mentioned: Fischer - Gadia, Unzicker - Fischer, Spassky-Fischer Game 5 1972, Andersson-Knaak, Vogt-Andersson, Recapping Reassess Your Chess with Todd Kennedy 55:00- We read a few favorite quotes from the book. 56:30- What are the chess improvement takeaways? 1:02:00- Do we have any quibbles with the book? Mentioned: Everyman Chess e-books, Fred Wilson, Martin Justesen 1:15:00- Thanks to Jonathan for joining the show and sharing his incredibly detailed knowledge of Simple Chess. Follow him on twitter here: https://twitter.com/Berlin_Endgame Read/Subscribe to his blog here: https://theabysmaldepthsofchess.blogspot.com/ 1:16:00- Blindfold puzzles are back! This month’s puzzles are courtesy of Martin Justesen’s book, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Compositions #1- White to move and draw White: Kc6, Ba4 Black: Kb1, Pb2 Link To Position, Turn Engine On for Solution #2- White to move and win White: Kc4, Pc6 Black: Kh2, Nd8 Link to Position, Turn Engine on For Solution If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, You can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is FM Andrey Terekhov, who has recently released the book, The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov. (With Foreword by Peter Svidler!) This biography about the 7th World Champion is an excellent book that has critics raving. The book features both game analysis and biographical details, and our conversation also covers both life details, as well as takeaways for adult improvers from Smyslow’s games. Andrey had access to Smylov’s private archive and has been laboring during nights and weekends on this book for years. Away from the board, Andrey has a Ph.D. in computer science, and works for Microsoft in its Singapore office. Andrey is also a devoted dad, and of course, an active chess player when time permits. Thanks to Andrey for sharing so many details from this great, multi-volume project! Please read on for more details, timestamps, and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- To join or find out more about the North American Corporate Chess League, go here: https://www.nacorporatechess.com/ 0:02- FM Andrey Terekhov discusses his background and chess in Singapore, where he lives. He talks about the beginnings of his giant Smylov project. . Mentioned: John Hartmann, FM Carsten Hansen, Perpetual Chess Episode 184 with GM Kevin Goh, Andrey’s interview with Olimpiu Urcan is here: New Smyslov research project | ChessBase, Junior Tay, Find Andrey’s free course on The Two Knights Defense on Chessable here: https://www.chessable.com/two-knights-defense/course/18646/ 11:30- Andrey reads the opening paragraphs of his book, The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov, and discusses Smyslov’s amazing feat of making the Candidates semi-finals at the age of 63! 16:00- What can club players learn from Smyslov’s approach to chess? Study the classics! Focus on endgames 21:30- Is it true that Smyslov didn’t calculate that much during his game? Mentioned: Hans Kmoch, Max Euwe, GM Vladimir Kramnik 26:15- What are some lesser known facets of Smylov’s playing style from which we can learn? 29:00- What did Smyslov do better than other great players? How complex/understandable is Smylov’s style of play? Mentioned: Smyslov-Golombek 1947, Smyslow-Euwe 1946, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Garry Kasparov, GM Peter Svidler 34:30- How did the project of annotating the games compare to that of researching Smyslov’s life? 37:00- How does this book compare to GM Genna Sosonko’s Smyslov on the Couch? 41:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Chessable has a new course on the Najdorf by GM Anish Giri, and you should also check out Andrey’s free course on The Two Knights Defense here: https://www.chessable.com/two-knights-defense/course/18646/ 42:30- What was it like to go to Moscow to visit Smyslov’s estate? Masterpieces and Dramas of the 20th Century by Sergei Voronkov 49:30- Was he hindered by the Soviet government? Did Smyslov ever consider defecting? Mentioned: GM Mikhail Botvinnik 54:00- What was Andrey’s experience like growing up in the Soviet Union? Mentioned: Everything was Forever Until it was No More 58- How much was Smyslov’s music career affected by his chess aspirations? 1:03:00- How were Smyslov’s career, and chess generally, affected by World War 2? Mentioned: Bazya Dzagurov, Mikhail Botvinnik, Isaac Boleslavsky 1:08:00- How did it Andrey persuade GM Peter Svidler to write the foreword for his book? Mentioned: GM Peter Svidler, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Vasily Yemelin, GM Aleksei Lugovoi, GM Sergey Klimov, FC Bayern Munich, and Baden-Baden Bundesliga teams, GM Pentala Harikrishna, GM Viswanthan Anand 1:13:00- What has Andrey learned about chess from studying hundreds of Smyslov’s games? 1:17:00- Andrey book giveaway! If you write a 5 star review on the Perpetual Chess Apple Podcasts page- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-chess-podcast/id1185023674 email a screenshot to Ben at Perpetualchesspod.com by January 8, 2020 to win a copy of the book 1:18:00- Thanks so much to Andrey for writing this book and joining the show! You can keep up with Andrey the following ways: Chess.com- https://www.chess.com/member/ddtru Facebook-Andrey Terekhov | Facebook Twitter- https://twitter.com/ddtru If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices