The 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad begins September 11, 2024 in Budapest, and will feature many of the world’s top players. It is always a fun tournament for players and fans alike with its unique format and the opportunity for players to represent their countries. Joining me to help preview this year’s edition is 14- time British Chess Olympian, author, and 3 time British champion, GM Jonathan Speelman. Before Jon joins me, I discuss storylines I am excited for, including Magnus’ return to classical chess, a star-studded Indian team, and the Olympiad debut of a young British star. At the 14 minute mark, GM Speelman joins me to share some of his own Olympiad memories, as well as to share his thoughts on this year’s edition. The Olympiad is always one of my favorite tournaments to follow, and you can be sure that Perpetual Chess will be following and covering this year’s edition in detail. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store.  https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh 0:12:00- 10 storylines I am excited for the in the Olympiad Mentioned: You can see the Olympiad rosters: Thanks to our longtime sponsors, Chessable.com!  If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro 14:00- GM Jonathan Speelman joins me and reflects on his Olympiad experiences as a player and trainer.  Mentioned:  Kasparov-Speelman 1980  https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1069881 36:00- Jon shares his thoughts on this year’s Olympiad.  Mentioned:  2700chess.com  55:00- Jon reminsices about the 1988 Olympiad, the young Polgar sisters and “Grandmaster Clash” Check out Grandmaster Clash here: Grandmaster Clash - 28th Chess Olympiad 1988 with Stephen Fry 1:00- Predictions?  1:00- Thanks, as always to GM Speelman for joining me, you can subscribe to this Twitch channel here:  https://www.twitch.tv/jonspeelman 1:02- If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 6, almost two years to the day after their fateful game at the Sinquefield Cup, Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann will meet at Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship. They will play in front of an audience in Paris, France.  Joining me to discuss the history of this feud, and the details of this match is popular commentator, YouTuber and Twitch streamer GM Ben Finegold. Does Hans have a chance given his impressive play lately? Since Magnus has been refusing to play Niemann, is there a chance that Magnus won’t show up to the match? What openings might we expect?  We dive into these questions and many more in our conversation.  All the information you need about the match is here: https://www.chess.com/events/info/2024-speed-chess-championship Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com! Check out my new course here, Identifying Critical Moments in Chess, here: https://www.chessable.com/identifying-critical-moments-in-chess/course/248353/ 1:30- Hans has been on a massive heater and has cracked the top 20 in Classical for the first time.  Can he actually win?  5:00- Does Ben agree with Hikaru that Magnus has a particular edge in bullet? Mentioned: Hikaru on Hans-Magnus in Paris https://youtube.com/shorts/y3MkTIlEILY?si=oLR4rc7a3EZrqrku 7:30- Should we expect Hans’ ascent to continue? 11:00- Ben’s thoughts on Hans’ recent interview with GM Daniel Naroditsky https://youtu.be/ZFBAuihQYgw?si=QGCenzk5sKeZlEGv 25:00- Where is the prize money for Hans’ tour coming from?  Mentioned: Hans tweet https://x.com/HansMokeNiemann/status/1827750674873958819 26:00- We discuss IM Daniel Rensch’s response to Hans’ recent interview https://x.com/DanielRensch/status/1821536477924438528 32:00- Predictions Thanks as always to GM Ben Finegold for joining. You know where to find him! If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Adult Improver Series of Perpetual Chess returns, as I am joined by Solveig Friberg, who streams on Twitch as “The Rookie Redhead.” Solveig is a relatively new chess player who discovered the game via a Norwegian national TV broadcast of one of Magnus Carlsen’s World Championship matches. A few years later, she has attained a rating of 1570 FIDE, built a large online audience, published her first Chessable course (Breaking 1000)  as a Twitch streamer, and has even had the opportunity to interview players like Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana. We begin our conversation by discussing the unique popularity of chess in Norway- it is very popular as a spectator sport, but that has not translated into a thriving competitive chess scene. Why might that be? We also discuss Solveig’s own chess journey.  Solveig shares a lot of study recommendations and core beliefs based on her experience as a chess player and her professional background as an educator. Solveig is a particularly firm believer in the importance of finding a community, and did not see her chess take off until she found online “chess people.” Solveig is an inspiration for anyone who is coming to chess as a working adult with a busy life.  Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com- in addition to Solveig’s course, be sure to check out GM Sam Shankland’s latest, and if you sign up for Chessable Pro, please use the link below. https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro 2:00- Solveig got into chess by watching coverage of the Magnus-Nepo match on national TV in Norway. What is the coverage like in Norway? What is the OTB scene like there?  Mentioned:  Solveig on Chess Journeys, Episode 91: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rwxKkso2M2IPITLOEt4hc?si=86bec8cf1aa34f5d Solveig on Sjakksnakk  https://open.spotify.com/episode/1c0FBix4q4OSvPdz6nbGSf?si=63cf7ec45f5f441d 9:00- How did Solveig find a chess community?  To find the “chess people” on X, make an account, send a message and conclude it with the #chesspunks https://x.com/hashtag/chesspunks?src=hashtag_click To apply or suggest someone to be a guest on the Adult Improver Series, use this google form: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adult 17:00- How did Solveig’s professional background impact her approach to chess improvement?  22:30- What was Solveig’s approach to studying chess?  27:00- We discuss chess pub nights and the Good Knight Chess Pub in Oslo, Norway 29:00- What would Solveig have done differently to improve at chess if she could start over? 32:00- Patreon mailbag question- what are some common mistakes that beginners make, and how can they avoid them? 36:00- Solveig’s resource recommendations Mentioned: Hanging Pawns YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@HangingPawns Build Up Your Chess Series https://www.chessable.com/the-fundamentals-1-build-up-your-chess/course/19145/ Chess Tactics from Scratch  https://www.chessable.com/chess-tactics-from-scratch-understanding-chess-tactics/course/27821/ Also available as a book- https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Scratch-Understanding/dp/1907982027 37:00- What was it like for Solveig to interview Hikaru Nakamura about gender issues in chess?  Mentioned: Watch the interview here: https://x.com/RookieRedhead/status/1801228262170882212 46:30- What is theme of Solveig’s Chessable course, Breaking 1000? 52:00- What are Solveig’s streaming goals? Does she ever stream in Norwegian? 1:00:00- Thanks to Solveig for joining me, here is how to keep up with her: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rookie_redhead/?hl=en X: https://x.com/RookieRedhead And her Chessable Course: https://www.chessable.com/breaking-1000/course/237622/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Dr. Howard Burton is a documentary filmmaker and author. Howard holds a PhD in theoretical physics and an MA in Philosophy. He is also the founder of the award-winning multimedia initiative Ideas Roadshow. Their latest documentary, Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration, is a 4 part documentary that shows the cultural impact and history of chess from its origins to modern times. It is very informative and well produced, and features many familiar faces including GM Hou Yifan, IM Daniel Rensch, GM David Smerdon and Award Winning Chess Teacher Elizabeth Spiegel. In conjunction with the documentaries, Dr. Burton has written a book of opinion essays about the role of chess in culture, called Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess. It is enjoyable and provocative and discusses all that is right as well as what could be fixed within the chess world. Our conversation touches on both Howard’s book and his documentaries, and as his work does, helps to contextualize the role of chess in the world. Topics include the shortcomings of FIDE, Howard’s admiration for Paul Morphy, whether chess skills are transferable beyond chess, and Howard’s own history with chess Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. 0:00- What framed Howard’s approach to separating his book of essays and documentaries? 07:00- As somewhat of an outsider to chess, how would Howard change the chess world if he could? 13:00- What should the role of a chess governing body be?  26:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 28:00- What does Howard admire about Paul Morphy? Why does Howard think that Morphy isn’t placed on the same level as Fischer?  Mentioned: Paul Morphy: Pride and Sorrow of Chess  36:00- How do the misogynistic statements of Fischer and Kasparov affect chess culture?  Mentjioned: GM Alejandro Ramirez under Investigation for Misconduct  44:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 45:00- How did Howard interview people from all over the world for Through the Mirror of Chess?  Mentioned: Seven Games: A Human History, Episode 263 with Oliver Roeder 52:00- Does Howard play much chess?   Howard’s One Move at a Time Interview  55:00- What frustrates Howard about suggestions related to the transferable skills of chess?  Mentioned: Brooklyn Castle featuring Elizabeth Spiegel  1:02:00- What role can chess play in social empowerment? Mentioned: Tunde Onakoya, Russell Makofsky of The Gift of Chess, GM Pontuss Carlsson  Thanks to Howard for joining the show! Here are the links to keep up with him:  Chess.com Blog (including more thoughts on Fixing FIDE)  Info on watching the documentary here: Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration And Get the Book Here:  Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I am joined by IM Yaacov Norowitz. Yaacov is a trainer, a Chessable author, and a speed chess specialist who has won the World Open Blitz tournament 5 times.   He has a Chess.com peak blitz rating of nearly 3000. Yaacov has a unique background, and he had some entertaining stories to tell about topics that include :  His over 12000 blitz and bullet games against Hikaru Nakamura. Yaacov has known Hikaru since Hikaru was age 6, before he started playing competitive chess.  His early interactions with Gotham Chess, whom Yaacov taught  when Levy was a kid.  Yaacov’s  “dacha method” approach to chess learning  How Yaacov’s strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing impacted his chess playing.  Yaacov also is an avid chess reader and has plenty of book recommendations. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below.  0:00- Yaacov discusses his early blitz battles with a young Hikaru Nakamura and how Yaacov became a blitz specialist?  8:00- What differentiated Hikaru’s bullet peak from that of everyone else? Has Yaacov played other bullet wizards, Alireza and Andrew Tang?  14:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 16:00- What did Yaacov learn from his coach, the legendary player GM Roman Dzindziashvilli? Also what is “The Cheesecake Opening”?  22:00- Yaacov loved to read chess books as a kid. What were his favorites?  Mentioned: Dojo Talks Podcast Episode 72, Capablanca’s Endings, Chess Praxis, How to Reassess Your Chess, Logical Chess Move by Move  27:00- How did Yaacov balance playing blitz and playing classical chess?  32:00- What were Yaacov’s blitz battles against GM Viswanathan Anand like?  36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 37:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Will Yaacov make a Chessable course on his “dacha theory” of chess learning?”  44:00- Yaacov discusses the origins of his collaboration with Elijah Logozar, a former Adult Improver guest.  50:00- Yaacov was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family. How did chess and religion intersect for him?  57:00- Yaacov taught IM Levy Rozman as a kid.  What was he like? 58:00- Yaacov discusses his chess academy, Yaacattack.com  1:02:00- How does Yaacov advise one to spend their chess study time?  1:04:00- Thanks to Yaacov for joining the show!  Website- Yaacattack.com  The Yaac Attack Stonewall Chessable course-https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-stonewall-for-white/course/31827/ The Yaac Attack- Caro Kann for Black  https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-caro-kann-for-black/course/49678/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Perpetual Chess Book Review Series Chess Books Recaptured  returns to discuss the award winning book, San Luis 2005 by GM Alik Gershon and Igor Nor. San Luis 2005 chronicles a crucial tournament in modern chess history, a double round robin whose winner determined the FIDE World Champion. The tournament featured nearly all of the top players of the time including GM Viswanathan Anand, Judit Polgar, Peter Svidler, and the winner, GM Veselin Topalov. As we discuss, GM Vladimir Kramnik was conspicuously absent, as he was already champion of a competing World Championship Faction that was originally founded by GM Garry Kasparov. Kramnik ultimately played the winner of this tournament in a 2006 Championship reunification match.    My guest co-host is Dr. Christopher Chabris, a renowned author, cognitive scientist and USCF Master. As Christopher and I discuss, it is a beautiful book with lucid prose and great photos and game analysis. The tournament it covers did not have a suspenseful ending, but it did contain some drama in the form of cheating accusations that were lodged against the tournament winner. As we discuss, these unproven accusations have a lot of parallels to the Carlsen-Niemann scandal. We also discuss why tournament books “don’t sell” and compare this book to other classic tournament books like Zurich 1953. Lastly, I catch up a bit with Dr. Chabris on his OTB tournament plans, and his forthcoming book  Nobody’s Fool: Why we Get Taken in and What we Can do about it. As always, timestamps and links for topics discussed can be found below.  Prior appearances by Dr. Christopher Chabris: Episode 95 with Christopher Chabris  Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris  Book Recap #4: Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov  Book Recap #15: Secrets of Practical Chess and Attack the Strongpoint  Book Recap #25 (Mammoth Games)  02:00- Why did we choose San Luis 2005? Mentioned: Book Recap #17- Zurich 1953 with FM Nate Solon and special guest GM Andy Soltis  04:00- Historical context: What was happening with the World Championship cycle in 2005?  Mentioned: Linares! Linares! By Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam 14:00- Chessable Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 16:00- We discuss the origins of the books and the background of the authors  Mentioned: 2008 Chessbase article about the book, Lichess Study with the Games from the Tournament   23:00- Why do they say books recapping tournaments “do not sell”?  Mentioned: Zurich 1953, New York 1924, World Championship 1948 29:00- We share a few quotes from the Intro and preface by GMs Nigel Short and Mihail Marin.  36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 38:00- What notable games took place?  Anand-Adams 2005, Polgar-Kasimdzhanov, Kasimdzhanov-Polgar, Leko-Topalov, Wijk an Zee 1975 by Lubomir Kavalek 48:00- Why was Toplov accused of cheating in this tournament? Was there merit to this claim? 57:00- Dr. Chabris shares his thoughts on the Carlsen-Niemann scandal  Mentioned: Discussion of the Niemann/Carlsen saga with GMs Jonathan Rowson and David Smerdon  1:04:00- Patreon mailbag question: Has Chris’ expertise in cognitive science helped his chess game? 1:10:00- What chess books are we looking forward to?  Mentioned: Book Recap #30 with Carsten Hansen, Dojo Talks- The Best Chess Books, Quality Chess coming in 2023   Thanks to Dr. Chabris for helping out with this book discussion!  You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/cfchabris Order his forthcoming book here:   Nobody’s Fool: Why we Get Taken in and What we Can do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by a young star of the chess world, Dutch GM and Chessable Author GM Jorden van Foreest. Just 23 years of age, Jorden already has a wide range of chess experience. As a player, Jorden has a peak rating of 2715 and was the Dutch National Champion in 2016 and the Tata Steel Champion in 2021. He also has already had the opportunity to work extensively with his Dutch compatriot, GM Anish Giri, as well as on the preparation team of GM Magnus Carlsen. Jorden reflects on all of these experiences, as well as shedding some light on top-level opening prep. He also offers his opinion on why he is known for his creativity as a player. Fun interview! You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.  0:00- Be sure to Sub to How to Chess on your favorite podcast app as Season 3 approaches:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-chess/id1572917817 And you can sub to the free weekly chess round up, The Perpetual Chess linkfest here:  https://benjohnson.substack.com 02:00- We discuss Jorden’s in-tournament prep and how he finds his famously creative opening ideas, particularly the exchange sacrifice he uncorked against Anish Giri in 2023 Tata Steel. Mentioned: van Foreest-Giri 2023 ,  Jorden’s C Squared interview, Jorden’s Gotham City Podcast Interview  15:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Jorden find the balance between venturing his creative lines and playing solid, tested lines?”  17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 19:00- Is Jorden a naturally creative player or is it a skill he developed?  21:00- What did Jorden do to learn to limit blunders?  Mentioned:  Jorden’s mom’s RealChess App is here! https://vanforeest.com/realchess/index.html Survive and Thrive on Chessable by FM Dalton Perrine  https://www.chessable.com/survive-thrive-how-to-blunder-less-and-defend-better/course/80629/ 24:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Jorden think contributes to his family’s unusual success at chess?”  26:30- What did Jorden observe about Magnus Carlsen’s chess talent while doing training camps with him?  29:30- Is Jorden using PC based or cloud-based engines? What type of cloud engine does he use?  More info on the possibility of leaked prep in the Carlsen-Nepo match here: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/r4cw22/was_the_prep_for_game_3_leaked/ 35:30- Jorden takes us behind the scenes of his recent appearance with Anish Giri on Khalid and Sophie, a Dutch general interest talk show appearance  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IMPMAruaV0 38:00- Does Jorden agree with Magnus Carlsen that classical chess could be phased out? 40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 42:00- What tournaments are coming up for Jorden? 44:30- How does Jorden work on his game now?  Mentioned: Rock Solid Chess by GM Sergei Tiviakov  46:00- How did Jorden decide to do a course on The Tarrasch Defense? Free Short and Sweet version- https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-tarrasch-defense/course/139270/  Full version-  https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-tarrasch-defense/course/128906/ 50:30- Who does Jorden favor in the Ding-Nepo match? Would he consider working on one of their teams?  56:00- Thanks to Jorden for joining me!  You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jordenvforeest?lang=en https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-tarrasch-defense/course/139270/  Full version-  https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-tarrasch-defense/course/128906/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Mihail Marin has spent his life surrounded by chess in varying professional capacities and has the wealth of wisdom and stories you might expect from such experiences. He is a polyglot, a prolific and award winning author, a top trainer, and a 3 time Romanian national Chess champion. GM Marin is also the friend and frequent collaborator of GM Judit Polgar, and eventually helped Judit write her landmark books after befriending her family in the early 1990s. In our interview, we discuss all of these experiences, as well as Marin’s memorable games against Viktor Korchnoi and Boris Spassky and his new books about GM Bent Larsen and GM Vladimir Simagin. GM Marin had so many fun stories to share and such a rich perspective on so many chess champions. Timestamps and topics discussed can be found below.  0:00- We begin by discussing Mihail’s record of Chess Olimpiad participation and trying to count how many languages he speaks. :)   Mentioned: Olimpbase.org, Magic Mountain  13:00- Mihail discusses how he works with engines.  20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 21:00- What did Mihail think of Tata Steel 2023?  Mentioned: Giri-Carlsen 2023, Carlsen-Abdusattorov 2023  27:00- What does Mihail think of the fact that Carlsen says he will take a break from Classical Chess?  Mentioned: Caruana-Korchnoi 2011  32:00- Mihail discusses his games with Korchnoi, Spassky and Karpov.   Mentioned: LiChess Study with Marin’s games with Korchnoi 52:00- Mihail spent some time with Tal shortly before he died. What was that like? Mentioned: Tal-Gomez 1992  56:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 59:00- Mihail has been the second, friend and co-author with GM Judit Polgar many times over the years, how did his friendship with the Polgar sisters begin?  Mentioned: San Luis 2005 World Championship  1:17:00- We discuss MIhail’s latest book, Learn from Bent Larsen, did Mihail ever meet the legendary Danish GM? (Also available on Forward Chess), including a Patreon mailbag question 1:27:00- Learn from the Legends is a renowned book. Which players does Mihail’s forthcoming sequel cover?  Mentioned: Lajos Portisch, Lev Polugaevsky, Paul Keres  1:40:00- Does Mihail write with a specific audience in mind?  1:43:00- We discuss Mihail’s book Learning Chess With Simagin Mentioned: Chessbase interview by by Conrad Schormann  1:54:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will Mihail’s series on the English Opening ever be on Chessable? 1:58:00- Mihail discusses some players that played with a “computer like” style, even before chess computers, such as Bobby Fischer. He also discusses the legendary opening preparation of GM Efim Geller.  2:10:00- Thanks to GM Marin for sharing his vast chess knowledge! Here are some ways to keep up with him: Facebook  Learning Chess With Simagin Learn from Bent Larsen (Also available on Forward Chess) If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess an author, an American Chess Magazine columnist, and the recently-crowned World Champion of correspondence chess, Dr. Jon Edwards. Correspondence chess historically was played by mail, without assistance. These days it is played by email, with engine assistance allowed. The current format makes for incredibly accurate games that often end in draws. So what enabled Jon to win the Championship? Did luck play a role?  Jon is an expert on how modern engines work, and what they say about various openings. We discuss the current opening battlegrounds of top engines, and discuss how correspondence chess has evolved as engines continue to get stronger. Should the rules of correspondence chess be tweaked because so many games end in draws? Among many other topics, we also discuss Jon’s massive chess book and chess stamp collections, and why Petrosian is his favorite player. Please read on for timestamps and links related to topics discussed.  0:00- How has Jon’s life changed since winning the title of World Correspondence Chess Champion?  Mentioned: FM Alex Dunne passed away, Jon Edwards wins 32nd World Correspondence Championship  08:00- It is pretty rare to win in modern correspondence chess. What happened in the two games that Jon won in the championship tournament?  14:00- What type of computer does Jon use to power his chess engines?  17:00- We take a quick detour to discuss Jon’s early investment in Apple Stock in 1984.  24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 25:00- Jon tells me how engines are evaluating a handful of openings, including the Najdorf and the Semi-slav.  Mentioned: Chinese database referenced here: https://www.chessdb.cn/queryc_en/ 34:00- Why does Jon prefer correspondence chess to OTB chess?  38:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Would Jon consider doing a course on advanced uses on Chessbase?”  44:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 45:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What type of engine does Jon use?” Mentioned: Stockfish 15.1 52:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Jon think of the idea of changing the format of the correspondence championship due to the preponderance of draws?” 54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Are there stylistic changes made in how correspondence games are played based on the strength of the engines?”  Mentioned: Dubov-Karjakin 2020, Joppen vs. Petrosian 1954, Edwards-Lobonov  59:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the biggest contributions of correspondence chess to OTB chess?”  1:01:00- Does one see the French defense or the Caro Kann at top level Correspondence Chess? 1:04:00- Jon discusses his large chess book collection and his chess stamp collection.  Mentioned: Great Moments in Modern Chess 1:11:00- Jon discusses why Petrosian is his favorite player  Mentioned: Joppen vs. Petrosian 1954, Joseph Platz  1:16:00- Jon mentions his current favorite stock investment. :)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with another Tata Steel focused bonus pod. As we recorded the venerable tournament has 3 rounds left and has been filled with beautiful games and fascinating storylines. We are re-joined by renowned author/ Chessable author, FM Michiel Abeln to assess what we have seen so far. Timestamps of topics and players discussed are below.  0:00- What has struck Michiel about the first 10 rounds of the Masters tournament?  06:00- We briefly discuss the Challengers section.  09:00- We discuss the performance of the players one by one, beginning with GM Vincent Keymer 14:30- GM Arjun Erigaisi  16:00- GM Jorden van Foreest 18:45- GM Parham Maghsoodloo  23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 25:00- GM Gukesh  Mentioned: Vanessa West’s Recap of Round 10 for Chess.com 32:00- GM Ding Liren  35:00- GM Praggnanandhaa 38:00- Rapport, Caruana and Aronian  Mentioned: Erigaisi-Rapport 2023, Caruana-Carlsen 2023 46:00- GM Wesley So  47:00- GM Magnus Carlsen  51:00- GM Anish Giri  53:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 55:00- Anish Giri continued… 59:00- Finally… GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov 1:05:00- Michiel’s closing thoughts Thanks again to Michiel for joining us from the Netherlands. Here is how to keep up with his work: Twitter- https://twitter.com/MichielAbeln His Book- The Anand Files His Chessable Courses- Trompowsky Simplified- https://www.chessable.com/the-trompowsky-simplified/course/134623/ The Leningrad Dutch-  https://www.chessable.com/leningrad-dutch-an-uncompromising-attacking-opening/course/72081/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Adult Improver Series of Perpetual Chess returns today. It is a series devoted to sharing the stories of dedicated chess amateurs. This week’s guest is Kamryn Hellman. Kamryn is a 23 year-old who got swept up by chess in 2021 after seeing Queen’s Gambit. At that time she learned the game from scratch, and in the subsequent time she has become immersed in the culture and brought her Chess.com rapid rating to a peak of over 1900. Kamryn has also gotten involved in her local chess community and has enjoyed her forays into tournament chess, despite the challenges that it created. I was really impressed with Kamryn’s quick rise in the chess ranks, and also her analytical approach to improving her game. She shared lots of useful advice in our interview, and it was fun to hear her story. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.  Resources mentioned in intro:  Spotify Adult Improver Playlist  Adult Improver Webpage  Submit Your Info to Potentially be a Guest on the Pod  Support Perpetual Chess Via Patreon Also be sure to subscribe to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, for a free weekly email of the week’s biggest chess stories and chess improvement related blog posts.  0:04- After Kamryn discovered chess via Queen’s Gambit, how did she dive deeper into the game?  Mentioned: Gotham Chess  0:09- How did Kamryn begin to find a community IRL? Was she welcomed at her local chess club?  Mentioned: Todd Wolf 14:00 - Kamryn is doing some teaching of beginners. Does she think it helps her chess?  16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 18:00- What was the tournament experience like? How has Kamryn learned to deal with nerves?  27:00- What is Kamryn’s approach to analyzing her games?  33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Kamryn work on her thought processes? 36:00- Does Kamryn have any other hobbies that have helped with her approach to chess? 38:00-  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 40:00- How does Kamryn approach working on endgames? Mentioned: GM Naroditsky’s Principles of Chess Endgames  44:00- What motivates Kamryn to work so hard on her game? Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s Chess Queens  46:00- How does Kamryn study openings?  53:00- Compared to most adults, Kamryn’s unusual rise in the  ratings have been meteoric.  How does Kamryn contextualize the unusual gains she has made?  58:00- What other content creators does Kamryn enjoy?  Mentioned: Hanging Pawns, Eric Rosen teaches Andrea Botez the London  59:00- Has Kamryn read any chess books that have really helped her?  Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Everyone’s First Chess Workbook, Best Lessons of a Chess Coach  1:02:00- What do Kamryn’s friends think of her chess obsession? 1:04:00- What is Kamryn’s advice for new chess enthusiasts? 1:06:00- Thanks so much to Kamryn for joining me! You can follow her on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/kamrynheidi If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve got some bonus content for you guys, as renowned author/ Chessable author FM Michiel Abeln joined me on the first rest day to discuss the ongoing Tata Steel Chess tournament. Tata Steel is an annual tournament in the Netherlands which routinely attracts many of the world’s top players as well as rising stars. It is run concurrently with tournaments open to all, and is celebrating its 85th anniversay this year! We recorded the podcast the day after Anish Giri beat Magnus Carlsen in impressive fashion, but we focus more on the “big picture” of the tournament rather than the current standings. Michiel and I discuss questions such as: What makes Tata Steel such a special tournament? What is it like to be there right now? What should amateurs who are considering attending or playing in the tournament in the future know? Which players and games have impressed Michiel so far? Michael lives near the tournament venue and has been visiting it for over a decade, so he was very helpful in putting this year's event into context. He has also been writing about the tournament for The Week in Chess. Tata Steel has such a storied legacy in the chess world and it was great to get some perspective from a knowledgeable local about the past and present of this classic tournament! Our Prior Interview: Episode 156 with Michiel Abeln  04:00- What would surprise a recreational chess player who decided to show up and play in the Open Tournament at Wijk an Zee?  Mentioned: Kings, Queens and Rookies (new book from New in Chess) 07:30- How much can fans interact with the top players there? Who has Michiel seen there? 16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 17:00- Patreon mailbag Question: Are the youngsters taking over in the open tournaments in Wijk an Zee?  Mentioned: Episode 186 with GM Erwin L’Ami, Elina Roebers-Erwin L’Ami 2023 25:00- Michiel discusses the formats of the amateur tournaments  32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 34:00- What are some of the standout games worth reviewing from the tournament?  Pragganandha-Ding Liren 2023, Gukesh-Ding Liren 2023, Giri-Gukesh 2023, Giri-Carlsen 2023, Rapport-Caruana 2023 46:00- Michiel’s shares his closing thoughts on Tata Steel. Here are the links to keep up with him…  Twitter- https://twitter.com/MichielAbeln His Book- The Anand Files His Chessable Courses- Trompowsky Simplified- https://www.chessable.com/the-trompowsky-simplified/course/134623/ The Leningrad Dutch-  https://www.chessable.com/leningrad-dutch-an-uncompromising-attacking-opening/course/72081/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is 21-year old former youth champion, GM Awonder Liang. As a scholastic player, Awonder broke many records including becoming the youngest US player to reach a rating of 2000 (USCF), the youngest to beat an International Master, as well the youngest to beat  a Grandmaster. These days, Awonder is a student at University of Chicago and is more devoted to his studies than his chess. Nonetheless, Awonder’s love for the game is evident, and he recently played in two strong tournaments even though he did not prepare as rigorously as he once would have. In our conversation, Awonder was able to contextualize his remarkable chess success and discuss both what made him great, and what may have led to  contemporaries of his like GM Alireza Firouzja and Arjun Erigaisi surpassing him in rating ( for now at least.) It was fun to hear Awonder reflect on his career as if he were an old man, and I look forward to seeing how his bright future unfolds.  0:00-  You can subscribe to my free newsletter here- ” https://benjohnson.substack.com Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Find out more about the Create Your Own Course Contest here: https://t.co/wUQCi0gqaC 0:03- Awonder joins the pod! Awonder has mostly been taking a break from chess while at the University of Chicago. How did it feel to play two high level tournaments recently? 0:06- Did Awonder consider pursuing chess rather than university?  0:08- Does Awonder prefer classical or online blitz? 11:00- We discuss Awonder’s Chicago Open performance 15:00- How did Awonder prepare for the Summer Chess Classic, where he finished shared 2nd?  19:00- Awonder’s thoughts on the Chicago Open cheating scandal  23:00- What makes Awonder so good at chess?  33- What does it mean to have a good chess memory?  36:00- Did Awonder read a lot of chess books?  38:00- How does Awonder use engines?  42:00- What is the story behind Awonder’s famous 2022 Scotch Gambit win over GM Levon Aronian? Mentioned: https://www.chess.com/events/2022-us-chess-championship/05/Liang_Awonder-Aronian_Levon 45:00- What are Awonder’s other favorite games of his?  Mentioned: Liang-Caruana 2022 50:00- Awonder’s summer plan 52:00- Awonder’s post graduation plans   1:06:00- Awonder’s favorite chess memories  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the hardest-working man in chess. He is Twitch Streamer, Chess.com commentator, and ambitious improver, FM James Canty. I have been a fan of James for a long time, so I was glad to finally get to ask him some questions about what motivates him to work so hard on his game. Naturally we also discussed what James specifically is studying, his pursuit of the IM and GM titles, and some of his favorite chess improvement resources. I find it energizing and motivating to talk chess with James, and I think you all will as well. As always, timestamps for topics discussed can be found in the show description.  02:00- What motivates James to keep working on his OTB game? What is his goal? Mentioned: Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, GM Maurice Ashley 05:00- What is James’s current study regimen? How does he balance working on his game with streaming tons of chess? Mentioned: Test Your Tactical Skill, GM Kenny Solomon, GM Amon Simotowe  16:00- What are James’s favorite Chessable courses and books?  Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation, Thinking Inside the Box, Encyclopedia of Combinations, Woodpecker Method, Tactics Time, Benedictine’s Visualization Series  28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 29:00- James discusses his love for the Scotch Gambit and his pending Chessable courses  35:00- What is his upcoming tournament schedule? What did James have to learn about how FIDE ratings and norms work?  Mentioned: 2023 Charlotte Open  44:00- Does James ever get burnt out from chess?  47:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 48:00- Patreon mailbag question: What inspires James’s dedication to fitness and weight lifting?  59:00- True or false: James is a rapper as well?  1:00:00- What did James learn from legendary trainer, GM Roman Dzindziashvilli?  1:02:00- What was James’s fondest memory from attending the Global Chess Championship in Toronto?  Mentioned: GM Wesley So, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, IM Danny Rensch, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Robert Hess, GM Wesley So’s Chessable Courses, Chessgames.com 1:06:00- What advice does James give to younger players?  Thanks so much to James for sharing his passion for chess with us! Here are all of the links to keep up with him: YouTube: Twitch: Twitter:  Merch Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are rejoined by 2019 Swiss National Champion, blogger and trainer, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always extremely insightful on matters related to chess improvement, and has recently released a video course sharing his own recommended approach. The course, Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos, tackles many of the questions commonly contemplated on the pod, such as which aspects of the game to prioritize, how to analyze games and how to approach opening study. Noel even has a section on how one should learn any discipline, and relates his experiences as a tennis and poker improver. Lastly, Noel shares some thoughts and his own experiences on cheating in tournament chess and discusses his continuing recovery from a brain injury. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below.  Prior Interview with Noel- Episode 248 with GM Noel Studer  02:00- Patreon mailbag question: I am working hard on my chess, but I am not improving. Should I give up on the possibility of improvement?  13:00- We discuss Noel’s chess course. What audience did Noel have in mind? How did he go about making the course?   19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 20:00- We discuss a few of the chess improvement recommendations from Noel’s course that resonated with me, and the reasons that they struck a chord with me.  28:00- What was the primary contributor to Noel’s chess growth when he was an up and coming player?  Mentioned: GM Artur Yusopov, Lee Child “Jack Reacher” Novels, The Tim Ferris Podcast  33:00- Why does Noel think it's important to write down one’s thoughts when reviewing OTB games?  37:00- What did Noel learn from doing calculation-training with GM R.B. Ramesh and GM Sam Shankland?  44:00- How would Noel respond to someone who says that his course, at $297, is too expensive? 48:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 49:00- Has Noel read any good books lately?  Mentioned: Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism 50:00- What has Noel learned about chess learning through trying to improve at tennis and poker?   1:04:00- We discuss top level chess, especially the Magnus/Niemann saga and the issue of cheating in chess.  Mentioned: Episode 310 with John Hartmann, Belgian IM Stephen Docx expelled from tournament, Episode 301 with Dr. Kenneth Regan  1:22:00- What is next for Noel? How is his health?  Thanks to Noel for joining me, you can keep up with him by subscribing to his blog! Blog- https://nextlevelchess.blog/ Course- Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are joined this week by a legend of British chess, GM Jonathan Speelman! Jonathan is a three- time British champion, a two-time World Championship Candidate  an author, Chessbase.com columnist, and a trainer. He has been ranked as high as #4 in the world in 1989 and has worked as a second for GMs Viktor Korchnoi, Vishy Anand and Nigel Short. As you might imagine, such a wealth of chess experience gives Jonathan an endless array of stories and a great perspective on what differentiates top players. Jonathan considers questions such as these:  Why does he consider Ivanchuk the most talented player he has ever encountered?  Could Anand potentially have beaten Kasparov in 1993?  Could Jonathan have been World Champion?  Does he regret pursuing chess after studying mathematics at Oxford?  It was quite an honor to hear GM Speelman’s modest reflections on a brilliant career. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below.  0:00- John shares his thoughts on Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship, which recently culminated with Hikaru Nakamura defeating Magnus Carlsen in the final.  Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Andrew Tang  08:00- GM Speelman has said that GM Vasyl Ivanchuk is “the most talented player he has ever encountered.” What differentiates Chucky?  Mentioned: Ivanchuk-Van Forest 2022 (featuring 26. Nd7!), More on the game from GM Speelman here, Info on “A Grimshaw” here, Novotny here, Karpov-Spassky 1974, Karpov-Korchnoi 1974, Karpov-Unzicker 1974 18:00- GM Speelman reflects on the experience of working on Korchnoi’s, Short’s and Anand’s teams.  31:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Shopify! To try out their payment service for $1 a month, please visit the link: shopify.com/chess. 33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Jon discover a novelty via a Norwegian Newspaper to surprise GM Nigel Short in the Candidates? Mentioned: GM Jonathan Tisdall, GM John Nunn 40:00- What are Jonathan’s recollections of his Candidates match vs. GM Jan Timman?  46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 47:00- Many chess greats, like Fischer, Kasparov, and Jonathan himself have grown up without a dad, does Jon think there is a reason for this? 48:00- What was Jon’s approach to chess when he was climbing the ranks in his 20s?  1:00:00- Did Jon watch any of the Trent-Hambleton chessboxing match? 1:02:00- Jon shares stories about Larsen, Tal and Ljubomir Ljobojevic.  Mentioned: Speelman-Larsen 1978, Ljubojevic-Speelman 1980  1:11:00- Jon has always had poor vision. Has it impacted his chess?  1:13:00- What are Jon’s Twitch streaming plans? 1:15:00- What are Jon’s plans for his Chessbase Column? 1:20:00- Thanks so much to Jonathan for joining us! Here is how to keep up with him: LiChess Coaches Page: https://lichess.org/coach/Jon_Speelman Chessbase Column: https://en.chessbase.com/author/jon-speelman Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jonspeelman Jon’s Game Collection is still available on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Speelmans-Best-Games-Batsford-Chess-ebook/dp/B00PIWLT6O Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As 2022 draws to a close, I am (re)joined by Chess Life Magazine editor and Award Winning Journalist John Hartmann to reflect on a year of seismic change in the chess world. First and foremost, cheating in chess has been thrust to the forefront in the wake of the Carlsen/Niemann scandal. We review the latest legal developments in this particular story and also provide some details on a new chess cheating scandal from a tournament in Spain. John and I also discuss the big “chess business” news of 2022. As we discuss, it is hard to predict the ramifications but it is likely to eventually lead to lots of changes in how chess events are presented. Lastly, of course, Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the World Championship Cycle. Will people still tune in to watch Ding face Nepo in 2023? Is Magnus right that Classical Chess’ popularity is receding?  After reviewing the news, I catch up with John Hartmann on recommended chess books, the health of US Chess and chess generally, and we even discuss what we learned from our own tournament games in 2022. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below. Happy New Year Everyone!  0:02:00- We provide an update on the Niemann/Carlsen scandal and discuss the biggest story of the year, cheating in chess.  Mentioned: The Sunway Sitges Invitational, FM Andy Woodward, FIDE World Rapid & Blitz  13:45- A new scandal related to cheating is breaking now, as a Belgian IM was banned from a tournament for refusing to be searched with a metal detector. More info here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/stefan-docx-expelled-from-benidorm-open Mentioned: GM Arthur Kogan, GM Romain Eduoard’s Tweet  24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 25:00- We provide an update on Big Story #2- The Chess.com Merger with The Play Magnus Group, which is now complete 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 42:00- Big story #3, Magnus stepped down from the World Championship cycle. What does this mean for the cycle going forward?  48:00- We provide an update on the Woman’s World Championship Cycle. GM Tan Zhongyi will face GM Lei Tingjie for the right to face GM Ju Wenjun for the World Championship.  49:00- Is US Chess seeing continued interest in tournament chess?  Mentioned: GM Awonder Liang, GM Christopher Yoo, JJ Lang, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, Ladan-Abrahamyan 2022, Cover Stories with Chess Life with WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova  59:00- Quick tangent on the upcoming Tata Steel tournament.  1:02:00- Quick update on our own years in tournament chess  Mentioned: My interview with GM Jesse Kraai for ChessDojo, The Streak App (Its actually $5), FM Nate Solon  1:09:00- Has John checked out any new chess books this year?  Mentioned: Reinfeld’s Immortal Games of Capablanca, Cambridge Springs 1904, Albert W. Fox, A Chess Life on and Off the Board by John Hilbert, A Life at Play by Lubomir Kavalek, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Learning Chess with Vladimir Simagin by GM Mihail Marin, GM Jacob Aagaard’s A Matter of Endgame Technique, 1001 Endgame Exercises for Beginners by IM Thomas Willemze, Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championships Volume 3  Thanks to John for rejoining!  His Twitter: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess To Subscribe to Chess Life Magazine you can sign up for a US Chess membership here (even outside of the US): https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess If you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess If you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is author, psychology professor and avid chess player, Dr. Joel Sneed. In the professional realm, Joel is a practicing clinical psychologist, and his research focuses on the topics of late life depression and cognitive impairment. A casual chess game with a patient led to Joel's discovery of competitive chess, and since then he has always found time for the game. In addition to co-authoring some excellent chess books, Joel has achieved very unusual gains for an adult learner. Joel began tournament chess at age 33 with a 1200 rating, and at age 48 is rated over 2000! Joel thinks that part of the reason for his success has been his emphasis on the psychological side of chess, as discussed in his latest collaboration with GM Boris Gulko, Analyzing the Chess Mind. The book provides both traditional game analysis from GM Gulko, as well as more general advice about chess psychology from both the GM and the Professor. It was fascinating to hear Joel’s story, and there is much to learn from his book and from our conversation! Please read on for timestamps and topics discussed. 01:00- Joel tells the story of his starting to discover tournament chess through working with a patient at a psychiatric hospital.  07:00- What has chess taught Joel about himself? Why was he initially attracted to the game?  Mentioned: Episode 300 with GM Ulf Andersson  13:00- Joel hasn’t played a tournament since May, why not?  17:00- Joel discusses how he began to collaborate with his co-author, legendary GM Boris Gulko.  19:00- What advice would Joel give to a friend who is having trouble finding the motivation to return to tournament chess?  Mentioned: IM John Watson  25:00- Patreon mailbag question: What advice does Joel give to someone who wants to get into a beneficial mindset before a tournament?  35:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 37:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Joel’s advice for someone who is prone to bullet chess addiction and tilt? Mentioned: Episode 216 with Dr. Jana Krivec 50:00- How has studying his own chess tendencies helped Joel in his activities that take place away from the chess board?  57:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 58:00- What chess lessons did Joel learn from the golf book, Golf is not a Game of Perfect?  1:07:00- What were the biggest contributors to Joel’s slow and steady rise from 1200 to 2000 USCF?  1:11:00- What are Joel’s favorite chess books, besides his own Lessons with a Grandmaster collaboration with GM Boris Gulko?  Mentioned: The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald, How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman  1:17:00- What is meant by “Ego is a limited resource?”  1:22:00- Thanks so much to Joel for joining me. You can email him at prof.sneed at gmail dot com  Be sure to check out his books with GM Boris Gulko as well:  Analyzing the Chess Mind: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Analyzing-Chess-Sneed-Boris-Gulko/dp/1784831123/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YLXPM3IWVAKS&keywords=Analyzing+the+Chess+Mind&qid=1671420382&s=books&sprefix=analyzing+the+chess+mind%2Cstripbooks%2C109&sr=1-1 Forward Chess: https://forwardchess.com/sample/analyzing-the-chess-mind Lessons with a Grandmaster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode was recorded at Suite Recording Studios in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and is also available with video on the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel.  Chess Books Recaptured returns, this time to discuss 10 books for the price of one! My guest co-host is FM Carsten Hansen, who returns to the pod to join me in selecting and discussing different chess books for different chess experience levels. Carsten is a prolific author, the book reviewer for American Chess Magazine, and a Chess Life magazine columnist. In addition to a lot of book talk, we discuss Carsten’s chess-improvement efforts and OTB plans, and a few of his recent collaborations with IM Cyrus Lakdawala. There is always so much to learn from Carsten, and I am confident we have selected worthwhile book recommendations for chess enthusiasts of many backgrounds.   02:00- How do we define an “underrated” chess book?  04:30- Aside from reading chess books, who are some of our favorite chess content creators? Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Andras Toth, IM John Bartholomew, GM Daniel King, Chess Feels, C Squared, Chicken Chess Club, Ladies Knight with Isabella Choko  8:30- Book #1- Open Files by Uhlman and Schmidt  12:00- Book #2- Arkell’s Endings by and GM Keith Arkell   16:00- Book #3- World Chess Championship 1948. Contact the translator, Jan Verendel via his website: https://verendel.com/ 18:00- Book #4- Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making by GM Ramesh 23:00- Book #5- Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss by GM Patrick Wolff  Mentioned: Episode 189 with GM Patrick Wolff   Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 27:00- Book #6- Instructive Chess Miniatures  by FM Alper Efe Ataman  30:30- Book #7- Rewire Your Chess Brain by IM Cyrus Lakdawala  Mentioned: Episode 197 with IM Cyrus Lakdawala,  Endgames Studies 101 on Chessable 37:30- Book #8- The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald  42:30- Book #9- Positional Chess by IM Shaun Talbut  Mentioned: Move First, Think Later by IM Willy Hendriks  Mentioned: Improve Your Positional Chess by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 182 with IM Willy Hendriks  47:00- Book #10- Universal Chess Training by GM Wojciech Moranda  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 54:00- How is Carsten currently working on his chess and blitz games?   Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual by CrafyRaf, The Dirty Harry Sicilian by IM Christof Sielecki, Play the Orangutan by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen 1:11:00- Bonus book talk! Carsten showcases a few books that aren’t translated into English but should be.  Mentioned: Larsen Volume 1, 30 Years at the Chessboard by Jens Enevoldsen 1:19:00- Which of Carsten’s recent books would he recommend most highly? Mentioned: The Anti-Alapin Gambit, The Smyslov Workbook, The Chess Wizardry of Wotowa, Back to Basics: Chess Openings 1:24:00- Some of Our Favorite Books of 2022: . Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championship, Albert W. Fox: A Life on and Off the Chess Board by John S. Hilbert, Evaluate like a Grandmaster, Think Like a Super GM 1:25:00- Thanks to Carsten for joining me in studio!  You can check out his books here: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Carsten-Hansen/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ACarsten+Hansen Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/carstenchess If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community and be able to submit questions for guests and receive other perks, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is GM Srinath Narayanan. Srinath is a 3 time Asian Junior Champion, a popular Chessable Author and a high-level trainer. GM Srinath has worked with many of India’s brightest young talents including, GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nihail Sarin. I caught Arjun at an interesting time, as both Arjun and Nihail had just won events in the star-studded Tata Steel India tournaments. What does it feel like when your longtime students are suddenly outperforming world elites like Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So? How does Srinath adjust the training plans of his students as they go from 2500 to 2700? We also talked about openings, as Srinath has co-authored (with GM Sahaj Grover) standout Chessable courses on The London System and the Catalan. We also discussed chess improvement, engine use, and we got Srinath’s take on the Carlsen/Niemann saga. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below.  0:00- What has surprised Srinath about the rise of his students, GMs Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nihail Sarin?  Mentioned: Srinath’s Recent interview with IM Sagar Shah of Chessbase India’  15:00- GM Erigaisi unleashed some epic opening preparation in a game against Sarin in their recent Tata Steel India Tournament. Did Srinath have a hand in the prep? Mentioned: CORRECTION- The article mentioned is by IM V Saravanan, my apologies  V Saravanan article highlighting Erigaisi’s amazing prep  20:00- What training methods did Srinath use with GMs Sarin and Erigaisi? 29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 31:00- Since he has co-written Chessable courses on both the London System and the Catalan, how would Srinath compare the two?  39:00- Srinath is an advocate of playing training games in an opening to learn it. Can improvers do this against a computer or is it better to find a training partner?  45:00- When discussing engine evaluations, Srinath says “not all zeroes are equal”. What does he mean by this?  49:00- Does Srinath have any tournaments coming up? Mentioned: FIDE World Rapid and Blitz  54:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 55:00- Srinath shares his thoughts on the Niemann/Carlsen story and cheating in chess generally.  Mentioned: His Tweets About it, Niemann-Erigaisi 2022 1:11:00- What is Srinath’s chess-improvement advice for ambitious amateurs?  Mentioned: Move First and Think Later, On the Origin of Good Chess Moves  1:17:00- Thanks to GM Srinath for joining. Here are links to keep up with him: Chessable Courses YouTube Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by trainer, author and 6 time New Jersey state chess champion, IM Dean Ippolito. Dean has been an accomplished active player for decades, and a major theme of our conversation is the increasingly unforgiving nature of modern competitive chess. As Dean explains, players at all ages and levels are better prepared and more skilled than ever before. Competing with them is a challenge, but Dean relishes the opportunity to put his best foot forward and shares helpful advice for players of all levels who are looking to do the same. Dean was a lifelong New Jersey resident who recently relocated to Charlotte, in part to compete in events at the Charlotte Chess Center. Most recently, Dean played in the star-studded US Masters tournament. We also discuss Dean’s new book, Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers. The book draws on Dean’s decades of teaching experience and is a good choice for scholastic players and amateurs rated below 1500 or so. Lastly, Dean shares some fun stories from his years of high-level chess. As an accomplished veteran of the US Chess scene, Dean has seen the rise of Nakamura and Caruana and many others, and in his extensive chess travels, he has had memorable games against some world class competitors . You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.  0:00- You can subscribe to my free weekly chess news round up, the Perpetual Chess linkfest here: https://benjohnson.substack.com 1:00- Dean reflects on the ups and downs of his chess career as it relates to his ratings up and downs, which translates to good universal advice for OTB players.  10:00- What would it take for Dean to become a Grandmaster?  Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman (Ratings Discussion) 15:00- What has Dean observed about adults sometimes losing interest in competitive chess?  20:00- What adjustments has Dean made for modern tournament chess?  Mentioned: The Woodpecker Method  34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 36:00- What was the US Masters and North Carolina Open like in Charlotte?  Mentioned: FM James Canty, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, GM Aman Hambleton, GM Daniel Naroditsky  45:00- What training will Dean do to try to earn the GM title?  55:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 56:00- Why write a chess book? Mentioned: The Art of Attack in Chess, Get the E-Book here 1:04:00 - Dean has decades of experience running chess clubs/academies. What advice does he give to those thinking of opening one?  1:11:00- What are Dean’s favorite chess memories?  Mentioned: Ippolito-Sasrikan 2017, Morozevich-Ippolito 1997, GM Awonder Liang, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Parimarjan Negi  1:29:00- Thanks to Dean for joining me! Here is how to reach him: Email- Dean at deanofchess dot com Book- Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers.  Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/deanofchess/?hl=en Twitter- https://twitter.com/deanofchess?lang=en Webpage- https://www.deanofchess.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vishnu is a 31 year old tech consultant, chess author and dad who has been waking up at 4 AM to study chess for hours before his family and work life begins. Vishnu shares his study routine and chess resource recommendations from studying chess intensively in recent years. Vishnu also candidly discusses his long term goal of becoming a GM, a goal that many would say is impossible for someone with so many other responsibilities to achieve. Lastly,  Vishnu’s shares some of his best advice from his new book,  The Chess Bible – Most Instructive Tips, Axioms, One-Liners & Mantras. Although I am not sure if Vishnu will be able to achieve his ultimate goal, I enjoyed talking chess with him and can’t wait to see how his chess journey continues to unfold. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links.  0:00- Why does Vishnu work so hard on his chess? What are his goals?  Mentioned: Vishnu’s rating page is here 4:30- Why does he think no one has ever gone from the 2100 level to GM in their 30s? What makes Vishnu think he can be the first?  8:00- Vishnu details his study routine.  10:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Vishnu utilizes his Chess.com premium membership by making Puzzle Rush a part of his daily routine. If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual). Mentioned: GM Noel Studer’s Next Level Chess Blog  12:00- Vishnu continues discussion of his daily chess study routine? Mentioned: Chess Tempo, ChessMood.com, Blog Post- How Grandmasters Memorize Openings  25:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 26:00- How has Vishnu’s routine changed? How often does he compete?  30:00- Vishnu shares a few book recs: Small Steps to Giant Improvement, Soviet Middlegame Technique  33:00- How does Vishnu deal with frustration and naysayers?  Mentioned: FM James Canty, GM Ben Finegold, GM John Shaw  38:00- Does Vishnu’s tournament routine change with a tournament coming up?  42:00- What has Vishnu learned from ultra marathon runner David Goggins?  47:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 48:00- We discuss Vishnu’s book. He shares the inspiration for The Chess Bible – Most Instructive Tips, Axioms, One-Liners & Mantras and shares a few axioms…  Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman’s How to Reassess Your Chess, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy  1:01:00- What improvement advice would Vishnu give to other improvers?  Mentioned: 45 Positional Methods and Techniques, Chess Training for Post Beginners  1:04:00- Thanks to Vishnu for joining me! You can find him on Facebook or email him at kvwarrier108 at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As suspense builds in the FIDE Women’s World Championship Cycle, I am joined by one of France’s top female players to discuss what has transpired so far, and what is coming. My guest is WIM Andreaa Navrotescu. Andreaa is a Romanian-born, French-based chess player, Twitch streamer and commentator. Andreaa joined me shortly after returning from Monaco, where GM Lei Tingjie defeated Anna Muzychuk in a tense match, to advance to the next stage of the cycle. Andreea was there working as FIDE Press Officer. She described the atmosphere in Monoco and helped us preview the matches which will be starting next week in Uzbekistan. We also discuss Andreea’s own chess career, including her favorite memories, her content recommendations, her upcoming tournaments, and her current goals as a chess player. I very much enjoyed chatting with Andreea and look forward to tracking her career as well as the continuation of the FIDE Women's Candidates tournament.  0:00-   To nominate a chess educator for the Andy Lerner award, please go to this link: https://chessintheschools.org/andy-lerner-excellence-in-chess-education-award/ 2:45- Andreea joins the show and begins with a trip report of what it was like to be in Monaco for the FIDE Women’s Candidates quarter-final match, and to talk about which participants remain. GM Lei Tingjie has advanced to the semi-finals over the Muzychuk sisters and GM Humpy Koneru.  More info on the Women’s World Championship cycle here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Candidates_Tournament_2022%E2%80%9323 15:00- Did the players bring trainers to help them prepare? Mentioned: GM Srinath Narayanan, GM Yuriy Kryvorucho  18:00- Who does Andreea consider the favorite in the bracket that features GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Tan Zhongyi?  20:00-Andreea shares some final reflections on the Women’s World Championship cycle so far including what chess lessons she took away 25:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 26:00-Andreea discusses her chess development in Romania and France. What chess lessons did Andreea learn from her dad, IM Catalin Navrotescu?  32:00- Is GM Alireza Firouzja well known in France?  36:00-Andreea discusses her study regimen and her current chess goals.  Mentioned: Sam Shankland’s Chessable Courses, GM Romain Edouard, GM Veselin Topalov  45:00-Andreea describes her experience at the Olympiad. Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen  50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 52:00- Andreea discusses her upcoming tournament schedule and how she trains for an upcoming tournament 59:00- Andreea discusses her Twitch streaming plans, as well as the popularity of chess Twitch streaming in France.  Mentioned: Fiona Steil-Antoni, IM Julien Song, GM Laurent Fressinet   1:07:00- Outside of chess, what are Andreea’s interests?  1:09:00- Thanks to Andreea for joining the show! Here is how to keep up with her: Twitter- https://twitter.com/andy_rekt_chess Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/andy_rekt_chess/ Linktree- https://linktr.ee/andy_rekt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recorded June 8, 2024 at the National Open in Las Vegas  Chess Books Recaptured returns to revisit an old book which now has a modern twist. My System by Aron Nimzowitsch is one of the best-selling and most recommended chess books of all time, but the original version has not aged well in some respects. In Book Recap #18, IM Christof Sielecki and I highlighted some of the classic book’s shortcomings as viewed through a modern lens. Luckily, GM Alex Fishbein decided to update the book for a 21st-century audience. The result is My System: Fast Track Edition, from Russell Enterprises (also available via Forward Chess). During my recent trip to the National Open in Las Vegas, Alex joined me to discuss My System’s legacy, his personal history with the book,  and why he decided that the chess world needed a better version. Following our chat, Alex took some questions from the audience, and briefly shared his thoughts on my book, Perpetual Chess Improvement. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  You can hear my discussion of prior editions of My System with IM Christof Sieleki in Book Recap #18- https://open.spotify.com/episode/1lkGXPkegq9flj5zEoGAxi?si=f82aa751388a4476 0:02- GM Alex FIshbein joins! How does My System compare to Nimzo’s other classic, Chess Praxis?  3:30- What was the genesis of Alex deciding to edit/create the fast-track edition of My System? 12:00 - What were the challenges of translating the book? 27:00- What did Alex do with variations that modern engines say were incorrect? Mentioned: Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean  35:00- Audience question- “Would Alex consider editing a “fast track edition” of any other classic books?’ Mentioned: Alekhine 1924 39:00- Audience question- “Did Alex include other concepts to the book in addition to those that were written about in the original?”  41:00- Audience question: “What foundational chess concepts are excluded from this book?” 43:00- Audience questions:  “Is Alex familiar with the book by Raymond Keene, Nimowitsch: A Reappraisal?”  “What about The Blockade?” 44:00- Audience question:  “How much shorter is the fast track edition compared to the regular?” 44:00- Audience question; “Would he do a fast track edition of “Praxis” by Nimzowitsch?” 46:00- Audience question: “Do older books still matter as learning tools, as compared to playing games?”  49:00- Audience question:  ‘What is the best way to read a chess book?’  Mentioned: The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal  53:00- Alex shares his thoughts on my book, Perpetual Chess Improvement.  Thanks to GM Alex Fishbein for joining me in Las Vegas!  You can check out the new edition of My System, as well as his other books on Amazon, Forward Chess and other booksellers.  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alex-Fishbein/author/B075N1DG4Z?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true https://forwardchess.com/product/my-system-fast-track-edition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I am joined by longtime friend of the podcast Neal Bruce. Neal learned chess from scratch at the age of 40, and is immersed in a multi-year chess study plan that currently focuses on studying the game collections of some of some of chess’ greatest players. As bibliophiles, Neal and I are particularly interested in books featuring legendary games, but one can also study classics through online databases or YouTube serieses. In this podcast, Neal updates us on his study routine, and we rank some of the best “game collection” books we have come across. We also weigh the importance of studying games. Is it an indispensable part of any chess player's routine? Is there a “right way” to study them? What will be next for Neal? It is always inspiring to hear of Neal’s commitment to lifelong learning! Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed and books referenced.  Neal Bruce’s prior appearances:  Book Recap #6- Discussing the Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce .  Book Recap #11- Discussing Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce  Episode 240- “Pawn Book Championship” How to Chess 04- What to Expect when Attending a Chess Tournament with Neal Bruce  02:00- Why did Neal decide to study a bunch of game collection books? How many games has he played through?  06:00- Why should one study annotated games? What has doing so taught Neal? 17:00- How should one study games? Digital? Board? Two Physical Boards?  Mentioned: Chessable, Forward Chess, New in Chess Book Reader  26:00- What can one expect to gain from going through games?  28:00-   Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 30:00- We review specific books. Starting with ones for newer players  Mentioned: First Book of Morphy, Logical Chess Move by Move, Masters of the Chessboard, Winning Chess Brilliancies, Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking, The Most Instructive Chess Games Ever Played  (Neal’s highest recommendation)  39:00- What intermediate level books has Neal reviewed? What struck him about Alekhines games? Botvinnik’s 100 Selected Games, Understanding Chess Moves by Move, Alekhine’s Chess Games 1902-1946, How I Beat Fischer’s Record by GM Judit Polgar, Karpov’s Strategic Wins by Tibor Karolyi, Karpov Move by Move, Ivanchuk Move by Move 48:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 49:00- How do we approach playing through variations?  Mentioned: Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel  53:00- What are Ben’s favorites out of the 32 books that have been reviewed on the podcast? Mentioned: The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games, How I Beat Fischer’s Record , Logical Chess Move by Move, Chess Tactics from Scratch  1:02- What is my favorite chess history book that I have reviewed?  Mentioned: Book Recap #20- Korchnoi’s Chess is My Life  1:07:00- What is Neal learning to code at age 53?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Adult Improver Series of Perpetual Chess returns with an insightful guest with a passion for openings and tournament chess. Kyle Boddy is the founder of an influential and successful baseball performance training company, Driveline Baseball., which started as a one-man operation, and now boasts 50+ employees and many professional athletes as clients. Having been introduced to chess as a kid, Kyle actually regained his interest in the game in recent years while working in a Major League Baseball clubhouse. In our conversation, Kyle discusses why he loves chess, and compares it to his other competitive interests of poker, Magic the Gathering, and of course, baseball. We also tackle questions such as: How does a sports data expert approach chess data? Why does he love openings? Why does he love tournaments? What does he do to promote chess in his community? This was a fun conversation with an innovative thinker. You can find timestamps below, and links to topics referenced on the podcast webpage. 0:00- Links - Perpetual Chess Linkfest - https://benjohnson.substack.com/ If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess 5:00- Kyle Boddy joins the pod and shares his unique chess origin story, which began in his childhood and gained steam when he started playing with a few well known major league baseball players.  7:30- Kyle’s favorite chess content creators  10:00- How did Kyle learn to stop depending too much on the engine?  Mentioned: Kyle’s blog 12:00- What is Kyle’s chess study routine? What tournaments has he played? 15:30- What is Magic the Gathering?  18:00- Kyle’s approach to online chess  19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 20:00- How does Kyle balance a desire to improve with just wanting to have fun?  22:00- Is MLB star Joey Votto studying chess much?  23:00- Might Kyle be studying openings too much? 26:00- What openings does Kyle play? Why did he choose 1. D4?  31:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 32:00- If you are interested in getting free Chesskid.com premium memberships for any new school chess program you can email Ranae Bartlett at ranae at chesskid.com 34:00: Kyle discusses the community outreach he is doing in Seattle, WA.  38:00- As an innovator in data science, does Kyle see any innovations that could be made in the chess world?  44:00- Does Kyle read many chess books?  46:00- What are Kyle’s long term chess goals?  49:00- Kyle tried bullet chess to help him learn to make quicker decisions OTB, did it help?  53:00- How did Kyle develop strength as in endgames?  55:00- Has Kyle traveled to any huge weekend Swiss tournaments yet?  Mentioned: Hikaru Nakamura on the Lex Fridman podcast, WIM Megan Lee, Larry Hedder   57:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Kyle deal with “chess tilt?”  1:01:00- Was Kyle’s career impeded by the fact he didn’t finish university?  Mentioned: MLB pitcher Ryan Buchter, Phillies coach Caleb Cotham  1:07:00- Did Kyle see chess in clubhouses aside from the Cincinnati Reds?  1:12:00- Kyle’s World Series Prediction!  1:14:00- Thanks to Kyle for talking chess (and baseball!) with me. Here are links to keep up with him: Twitter- https://twitter.com/drivelinebases?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor His Blog- https://www.kyleboddy.com/2022/02/27/scc-u1200-chess-tournament-report-feb-26-2022/ Driveline Baseball- https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by one of the best chess online chess teachers in the world, IM Andras Toth. Andras is an Australia-based Chessable author, YouTube presenter and Twitch streamer. Andras’ background as a teacher enables him to explain chess strategy very clearly, in a no-nonsense style. It had been a while since Andras and I had talked, so it was doubly fun to catch up with him. In our interview, Andras answers tons of listeners' questions related to chess improvement, discusses some favorite recent chess books, and talks about the ups and downs of the life of a chess content creator. It is always fun and informative to talk chess improvement with IM Andras Toth!  Recorded October 10, 2022  0:00- How does Andras manage to avoid discussing chess drama such as the Carlsen/Niemann controversy?  5:00- What qualities and habits has Andras observed in people who have improved significantly at chess?  7:00- Why do players sometimes struggle to convey their increased skills to better OTB performance?  14:00- If study material is not sticking, should one study it multiple times?  Mentioned: Yusopov Improve Your Chess Series 18:00- Has Andras read any good new chess books? Any suggestions for books about pawn structures?  Mentioned: How to Chess with Andras Toth , Improve Your Chess Calculation by R.B. Ramesh (Now on Chessable), Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios (also on Chessable), GM Andy Soltis’ Pawn Structure Chess, Winning Chess Middlegames, an Essential Guide to Pawn Structures by GM Ivan Sokolov  28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 30:00- What would your approach be if you were trying to go from 1700-1900?  Mentioned: Chess Principles Reloaded by IM Andras Toth, GM Magnus Carlsen on the Lex Fridman Podcast  37:00- What was it like to work GM Judit Polgar on a Chessable course?  Mentioned: Master your Chess with Judit and IM Andras Toth  41:00- How can one better learn to play less materialistically?  44:00- Does Andras have recommendations for learning King’s Indian/Benoni structures?   Mentioned: Lifetime Repertoires: Modern Benoni, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios LiChess Opening Explorer 50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 51:00- How is Andras’ YouTube channel doing?  52:00- What videos on his Channel would Andras recommend to someone who has never watched it? Mentioned: The Amateur’s Mind Series 54:00- Does Andras get tempted to do more “clickbaity” content? What about Twitch clips or videos of him playing blitz?  1:01:00- What is Andras working on now?  1:02:00- Thanks to Andras for joining the pod! Here are links to keep up with him: Twitter-  https://twitter.com/chesscoachandra?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/author/ChesscoachAndras/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYZTGsTO5TbCaA1O0wcBzw Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/chesscoachandras If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.  https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the bombshell news that GM Hans Niemann is suing Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com, and Hikaru Nakamura, we brought in a legal expert to help us make sense of the case. I am joined by Professor David Franklin. David is a Constitutional Law Professor and an appellate lawyer, who is also a chess enthusiast who had already been following the Carlsen/Niemann story closely. In our conversation, David answered important questions about the legitimacy of the lawsuit, and which potential scenarios are likely to unfold from here. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.  0:00- I review a few key points about the Niemann lawsuit.  Mentioned: Here is the Niemann complaint 6:30- Thanks to our chess sponsors, Chessable and AImchess. If you decide to subscribe to Aimchess, use this link or the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  08:00- Professor David Franklin joins the podcast.  9:00- Did he expect a lawsuit? 11:00- Can Magnus be held accountable for damages in the U.S. as a Norwegian citizen.  13:00- Is this writing style in the complaint likely to impact the case’s outcome?  17:00- Is David surprised that collusion is included in the case?  19:00- Should we take the $100 million amount in this seriously?  20:00- Was David surprised that Hikaru is in the lawsuit?  Mentioned: Akiva Cohen Esq. Twitter Thread 23:00- What is the strongest claim in the case?  36:00- What is the timeline for likely events that will be forthcoming in the case?  41:00- What charges or parties might be struck/removed from the case?  44:00- Do any frivolous elements in the case make it less likely the case will succeed?  45:00- What does David think of the “big picture” issue of OTB cheating?  46:00- Thanks to David for sharing his expertise, you can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DFranklinChi If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are rejoined by Dr. Kenneth Regan. Dr. Regan is, as many of you will are already aware, is one of the world’s leading experts at engine cheat detection. He is an IM at chess, and is the rare individual with domain expertise in chess, statistics and computer science. Dr. Regan has degrees in mathematics from Princeton and Oxford and is a Professor in Computational Complexity Theory at the University of Buffalo. As a chess player, Ken was the 1977 US Junior co-champion and once held the record of youngest USCF Master since Bobby Fischer. Dr. Regan joined the podcast to share some of his findings about the Carlsen/Niemann controversy and to discuss chess cheating more generally. More details can be found below. 0:00- This podcast may be best watched via YouTube. You can sub/Watch at the video of this podcast the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/UsEIBzm5msU To subscribe to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest you can submit your email address    at the bottom of the most recent post here: https://benjohnson.substack.com/p/perpetual-chess-linkfest-9-october 02:00- Dr. Regan joins the show. What did Dr. Regan think of the Chess.com Report about GM Hans Niemann?  Mentioned: James Altucher interview with Dr. Regan- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hf-V4WFq2k 2019 Perpetual Chess Interview (Episode 136): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNQ__09_fE 08:00- Dr. Regan shares some of his data regarding how the amount of time one has impacts chess strength.  17:00- What data was Dr. Regan able to gather from the famous all night bullet match between GMs Alireza Firouzja and Daniel Naroditsky during the 2022 FIDE Candidates tournament.  19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 20:00- What does Dr. Regan think of Chessbase’s “Let’s Check” as a cheat detection measure?  24:00- Dr. Regan discussing these blog posts: https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/2022/09/21/cheating-at-chess-not-again/ https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/2016/11/30/when-data-serves-turkey/ 32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 32:30- Dr. Regan shares and discusses some of his data on GM Hans Niemann  41:00- Dr. Regan discusses his research and post called ‘Pandemic Lag’ as well as a few other informative articles  https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/2021/07/30/pandemic-lag/ Chessbase article by Frederic Friedel regarding typical prodigy progress  https://en.chessbase.com/post/tracking-a-player-s-progress FM Nate Solon’s look at GM Hans Niemann’s centipawn losses https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/did-hans-niemann-cheat 55:00- Patreon mailbag question: What did Dr. Regan think of GM Fabiano Caruana’s comments regarding the efficacy of his model?  Mentioned: C Squared Podcast  1:03:00- Patreon mailbag question: How can Dr. Regan’s model catch cheaters if it is only looking at a sample size of one game?  1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: Why does Dr. Regan’s model exclude chess knowledge?  1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: Would it be harder to catch cheating if done only a few times per game?  1:13:00- Patreon mailbag question: What precautions can clubs and organizers take to help prevent cheat?  1:18:00- Dr. Regan discusses his post “Measuring Fidelity to a Computer Agent” https://cse.buffalo.edu/~regan/chess/fidelity/ 1:20:00- Does Dr. Regan’s data even hint at Hans Niemann cheating OTB? 1:26:00- How would Dr. Regan use his data for chess improvement?  1:30:00- Thanks to Dr.Regan for joining us and sharing his research! You can keep up with his research via his blog (co-authored with Richard J. Lipton): https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by a legend of the game, one of the best players in the world in the 1970s and 1980s, Swedish champion, and legendary positional player, GM Ulf Andersson. Ulf doesn’t play as much as he did at his peak, but he still exudes passion for chess, and has accumulated a litany of stories about his games with fellow legends. Ulf regales us with stories about his clashes with Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, Viktor Korchnoi, Bent Larsen, and so many others. At the age of 71, his memory for these encounters is quite impressive! Ulf also discusses his favorite modern players and games, and describes his daily life today. Ulf splits time between Germany and Sweden. It was quite an honor to hear a lifetime’s worth of chess stories. Timestamps of people and topics discussed can be found below. 0:03- Ulf joined me from his part-time home near Cologne, Germany, how did he end up there?  0:05- How does Ulf keep up with the chess world? How did he approach chess improvement in his earlier years?  0:09- Question from Chess Historian and Blogger Douglas Griffin: Does Ullf think that faster time controls have decreased the quality of endgame play? How have increments affected chess overall?  13:30- Who are GM Ulf Andersson’s favorite modern players? 15:30- What did Ulf think of Magnus’ decision not to defend his title?  16:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 18:00- What are Ulf’s memories of GM Mikhail Tal?  22:00- Ulf mentions that he finds tournament chess more stressful than he used to it? When did he start to feel this way? 24:00- What was it like to play Fischer at the peak of his power?    28:00- What were GM Ulf Andersson’s impressions of Korchnoi? 32:00- Ulf describes his matches with legendary Danish GM Bent Larsen.  37:00- What were Ulf’s interactions with Kasparov like? What was the difference between Kasparov and Karpov in personality?  43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 44:00- What was it like to meet and play Soviet legend GM David Bronstein? What about his friend GM Jan Timman?  48:00- Ulf discusses an infamous loss of his against IM Michael Basman, sometimes called, “The Immortal Waiting Game.” 50:00- Ulf discusses the 15 hour, 300 plus board simul he played in 1996.  57:00- Uf gives his perspective on the epic clash between Gukesh and Abdussatorov at this year’s Olympiad.  59:00- Ulf discusses some of the top current Swedish player’s approaches to maintaining their nerves and playing fighting chess.  1:09:00- Ulf discusses his interactions with GM Viswanathan Anand  1:13:00- Shirov’s famous move Bh3! Wwas inspired by a game Alexei played against Ulf. Does Ulf know this story?  1:16:00- How did Ulf achieve his peak rating in his 40s? Ulf also discusses the differences between open and closed tournaments.  1:20:00- Ulf discusses his correspondence chess career. 1:28:00- Ulf describes his life in Germany, and also back in Arboga, Sweden, where he does not even have a computer! Mentioned: GM Robert Hungaski, GM Sandra Mareco 1:35:00- Ulf discusses coaching the Argentinian Olympiad team in 2014.  1:41:00- Does Ulf do any coaching? 1:47:00- Ulf’s favorite games 1:51:00- What are Ulf’s favorite chess memories?  1:55:00- Kasparov-Karpov Seville 1987 1:56:00- Thanks so much to Ulf for sharing his passion to a lifetime devoted to chess!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Perpetual Chess is back with another bonus pod, as the Carlsen/Niemann story continues to see new developments. This week’s major news is that Chess.com has issued a report with a full accounting of their actions around the Hans Niemann story. Joining me to discuss it is FM Nate Solon. Nate is a data scientist, 2018 Massachussets State Chess Champion, an Author, and a blogger who has recently been writing about the controversy, There was tons to discuss from this report, so I was happy to have Nate help me do so. Notes and brief timestamps can be found below.   CORRECTION- There were a couple of times I misspoke in this pod in distinguishing between online and OTB cheating.I want to clarify that I was not disputing whether Hans cheated online, and any time I mentioned questions about whether Hans cheated it was only in relation to whether he cheated OTB. My apologies- Ben 0:00- What are the major conclusions from the Chess.com report?  Mentioned: Chess.com report link here:  https://www.chess.com/blog/CHESScom/hans-niemann-report Hans’ Most Recent Chess.com Account https://www.chess.com/member/hansontwitch 15:00 - Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ We discuss the data Nate laid out in his Monday post, Did Hans Nieman Cheat 22:00- Back to the report. We discuss the analysis within Chess.com’s report of Hans’ OTB results.  41:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 42:00- We answer some listener questions related to the scandal.  Mentioned: David Smerdon’s thoughts on the report here: https://twitter.com/dsmerdon/status/1577490212342870022?s=20&t=SSwdxc-1W8b1Ot9qukkx8w Episode 271 with GM Hans Niemann  1:13:00- Thanks to Nate for joining me and sharing his insights. Here are links to keep up with him:  Twitter Substack Blog  Evaluate Like a GM Website  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is FM Dennis Monokroussos. Dennis is a chess trainer who is a frequent presenter for Chesslecture.com and has been the state champion of both Nevada (where he grew up)  and Indiana. Dennis has been blogging about chess on his excellent blog, The Chess Mind, since 2005. In our conversation, we discuss how the chess world, and the blogging platforms have changed since 2005. Dennis also shares plenty of useful chess improvement advice and tells some funny stories about his most memorable games and his chess travels. It was fun and informative to finally chat with someone whose writing I have enjoyed for many years. More details and timestamps are below.    2:00- Dennis started chess blogging in 2005. What was the chess world like then?  10:00- How does the current Carlsen/Niemann scandal compare to Kramnik/Topalov “toiletgate”? 13:00- Why does Dennis often annotate top games in addition to recapping them on his blog?  17:00- Why did Dennis move his blog to a platform called Substack?  20:00- Dennis discusses his open letter to Dr. Kenneth Regan, and Dr. Regan’s response. 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 26:00- Dennis discusses his climb up the chess rating ladder and shares improvement advice  Mentioned: Chess Book Collectors Facebook Group  42:00- What do GM Mikhail Tal and GM Tigran Petrosian have in common? What was it like to play Tal in a simul?  48:00- Does Dennis agree that one should do lots of tactics?  49:00- What can we expect in the 2022 US Championship, which is essentially an invitational super-tournament these days?  56:00- Patreon mailbag question- What is the story behind the amazing sacrificial game Dennis played in 1999 (link below) ? https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1531040 1:03:00- Dennis discusses another memorable sacrificial game, his win over top US GM, Leonid Yudasin. https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1531057 1:06:00- Dennis attended 2 World Championships, the 1995 and the 2007 World Championship tournament in Mexico City, What was it like?  1:15:00-  Thanks to Dennis for sharing his chess experiences! You can subscribe to his blog and reach him about lessons or Ashland University scholarship inquiries via his blog: https://thechessmind.substack.com/ The Perpetual Chess linkfest signup is here:  https://benjohnson.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Perpetual Chess is back with another book review, discussing GM Jan Timman’s excellent book, The Longest Game. It is part game collection and part historic guide to GM Garry Kasparov and GM Anatoly Karpov’s series of 6 World Championship Matches between 1984 and 1990. While the 2023 World Championship looks unlikely to feature the #1 player in the world, fans in the late 1980s got to repeatedly see the clear #1 and clear #2 battle in long matches! These battles resulted in some timeless, tense chess games, and plenty of far-fatched but true stories related to the behind the scenes machinations of the matches. Joining me to discuss it all, is Marko Bulatovic, who selected this book because he is both a chess and history aficionado. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.  0:00- Background on my co-host, Marko Bulatovic and why he chose the book The Longest Game  14:00- Does the +2 overall record of Kasparov in the 6 World Championship matches misrepresent how close the matches were?  17:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 19:00- We briefly discuss GM Jan Timman’s bio, and the formats the book is available in.  Mentioned: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1jQxTXneIGjf24eXkLKFwb?si=03f82d8088644b67 New in Chess Ebook- https://www.newinchess.com/the-longest-game Amazon/Kindle- The Longest Game: The Five KasparovKarpov Matches for the World Chess Championship: Timman, Jan: 9789056918118: Amazon.com: Books 23:00- We go through the most epic match of all, the 48 game 1984 match. Was the match really suspended to protect Karpov? 35:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 36:00- We share and discuss a few of our favorite quotes.  1:02:00- Final thoughts on the book!  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Perpetual Chess is back with another bonus pod discussing the ongoing Magnus Carlsen/Hans Niemann controversy. The major news of the week was that GM Magnus Carlsen issued a statement on Monday confirming that he suspects GM Hans Niemann of cheating. To discuss the story, I am honored to be joined by 2 Grandmaster guests who offer significant domain expertise beyond the chess world. First up is GM Jonathan Rowson, a renowned author and philosopher and the 3 time British Chess Champion. My conversation with Jonathan is centered around the human element of this story, and how we can hope to avoid biases in our interpretation of the information at hand. Following GM Rowson, I am joined by Dr. David Smerdon. GM Smerdon is a 7 time Chess Olympian for his native Australia, and an award winning chess author. David has worked with both Dr. Kenneth Regan and also the Chess.com cheat detection team. David’s primary field is development economics, but he has a statistical background and devotes significant time to chess-related research. As we discuss, in addition to chess cheating, David has published a paper related to gender issues in chess. I found it helpful to hear the grounded perspective of 2 of the chess world’s most insightful thinkers. As always, timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.  0:00- Intro and review of recent events: Sub to Perpetual Chess Linkfest 5:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 6:00- GM Jonathan Rowson joins (recorded September 28) 6:00- 3 key questions to ask ourselves 19:00- Should we draw a distinction between cheating in online and OTB chess?  29:00- Are we likely to get a resolution to this case?   32:00- What are sensible anti-cheating measures?  35:00- Jonathan reflects on his recent return to OTB competitive chess  39:00- What behavioral biases should we be alert for as we evaluate the information presented?  48:00- What opinions has Jonathan heard from his GM peers?  Mentioned:  Carlsen-Niemann 2022 Mishra-Niemann 2022 53:00- Thanks to Jonathan for joining the show! Here are links to keep up with him.  Twitter  The Moves that Matter His website His Chessable Courses  You can hear our prior interview here. (Episode 150)  56:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 57:00- GM David Smerdon joins (recorded September 27) 58:00- What does David’s research suggest about why people cheat at chess?  1:08:00- David has seen Chess.com’s list of banned players, obviously he can’t reveal names, but is there anything he can say about it?  1:13:00- David discusses some of GM Fabiano Caruana’s comments on the controversy from the C Squared podcast 1:20:00- David discusses the Let’s Check feature on Chessbase. We are referring to video’s such as this one by FM Yosha Iglesias, which makes a good-faith attempt to analyze Han’s games with data.  Mentioned: IM Ken Regan interview with James Altucher  1:30:00- Does David have a personal opinion about whether Hans cheated OTB?  1:33:00- Could one be termed "guilty" of cheating OTB based on data alone?  1:40:00- David discusses his fun and useful statistical tool, the Fighting Chess Index (FCI).  1:45:00- David discusses his research on gender and chess.  Mentioned: BBC News: Chess Commentator Sacked for Sexist Remark 1:57:00- Thanks to David for sharing his insights! Here are some of the ways to keep up with him: Twitter: https://twitter.com/dsmerdon David’s Chess Blog:  https://www.davidsmerdon.com/ Award Winning Book The Complete Chess Swindler  You can hear our prior interview here. (Episode 30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s pod is a special edition featuring 10 different short interviews from the 2024 National Open in Las Vegas. We feature stories and perspectives from GM Ben Finegold, adult improver return guests, other chess podcasters, and even two different Grandmasters named Daniel Fernandez! Big tournaments like the National Open are great opportunities to bond over a shared love of chess, and I hope this episode helps encapsulate the many ways that chess can touch our lives,  teach us lessons, and bring us together. Timestamps and a brief description of each interview and guest can be found below.  GM Ben Finegold- 6:45  (recorded Wednesday, June 5) -Ben discusses his personal history at the National Open, the Nimzo-Indian defense, and dispenses some chess advice  Glenn Panner- 17:30-   (recorded Friday, June 7) The tournament co-organizer discusses the tournament history , the recent cheating story from the Chicago Open, and the cheat detection methods being used at the National Open.   GM Daniel Fernandez (US) 31:00-  (recorded Friday, June 7) The first of our GM Danil Fernandez guests, a Houston based player and trainer discusses how the stresses of playing compare to the stresses of coaching, and the advice he gives to his students who are competing in the tournament.  Kamryn Hellman 40:15  -  (recorded Saturday June 8) The popular streamer and YouTuber reflects on her first big tournament and the recent chess lessons that she has learned. You can hear more from Kamryn in Episode 314.  And check our her YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@kamrynheidi Kevin Scull-  -49:50  (recorded Saturday June 8) - The host of the Chess Journeys podcast reflects on the highs and lows of an ongoing tournament and discusses why he is trying to read fewer chess books!  Be sure to sub to the Chess Journeys podcast! Lennart Ootes- 59:30- (recorded Saturday June 8) - The renowned chess photographer and multimedia maestro compares photographing amateurs to photographing his usual subjects, the top pros of chess. Check out Lennart’s beautiful photos here: Lennart Ootes And his National Open photos here: https://www.chessphotoshop.com/National-Open-2024-Las-Vegas Kyle Boddy-  1:10:00 (recorded Saturday June 8) -I am rejoined by the founder of Driveline Baseball to discuss why he makes time for the National Open in the middle of the baseball season,and to share the lessons he has learned from IM Calvin Blocker, IM Marc Esserman and others. You can hear more of Kyle’s chess story in Episode 303.  GM Daniel Fernandez (UK)- 1:21:00 -(recorded Sunday, June 9) The U.K. based player, author and trainer discusses what he is doing in an effort to push through mental barriers and the importance of physical training at the GM level.  GM Kayden Troff- 1:31:15 (recorded Tuesday June 11)- Kayden’s primary role at the National Open was to provide free post-mortem analysis of amateur games. What type of mistakes did he see recur after reviewing dozens of games over a long weekend?  Check out Kayden’s epic game here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1753125 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETcq8kmlMic You can find the Chesssharkz Twitch stream with Tony Padron here: https://www.twitch.tv/chesssharkz ElaynahTV - 1:46:30-  (recorded Friday,  June 14) The popular chess streamer and newly minted podcaster discusses how the women’s tournament compared to the Open event, and the challenges of streaming a tournament.  Check out Elaynah’s Twitch stream here: https://www.twitch.tv/elaynah And her new podcast with Dylan Quercia here: https://chesslounge.podbean.com/  Photo in thumbnail of ElaynahTV by Lennart Ootes- https://www.chessphotoshop.com/National-Open-2024-Las-Vegas And thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com. If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use this link to help support the pod: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns for another detailed conversation with a very dedicated amateur. 35 year old Hans Henning is a Dublin based chess enthusiast, who has a demanding job in tech sales, but is also spending multiple hours per day studying chess. Hans first gained interest in chess through Ludwig Ahgren and Pogchamps and since then has made steady progress up to a LiChess blitz rating of around 1900. In our conversation, Hans shares some personal details about why he finds chess so motivating, and why he has a particular love for studying openings. Hans also shares some great recommendations for books, courses, and study methods. As always, more info to topics referenced and timestamps can be found below.  Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here: https://benjohnson.substack.com/ 0:00- What motivates Hans to spend tons of time studying chess?  Mentioned: Checkmate Pattern Manual, Common Chess Patterns  7:30- How in Hans’ opinion, should one train chess?  11:00- How did Hans pull himself out of a depressive period? 14:00- Does Hans worry that he could be fighting an uphill battle by trying to improve at chess in his 30s and beyond?  16:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 17:00- Why does Hans love openings and choose to emphasize opening study?  Mentioned: CT-Art, ChessDojo 30:00- What did Hans learn about managing opening files from GM Sam Shankland and Killer Chess Training?  34:00- Does Hans worry about spending so much money on chess improvement?  38:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 39:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Karen discusses her favorite Chess.com premium features, which includes GM Johan Hellsten’s “Lessons feature”, I also discussed the “Play Like …” feature. If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual). 41:00- What was it like to get lessons with renowned trainer, GM Johan Hellsten? After working with Johan and other trainers why did he ultimately decide to work on his own?   48:00- Hans describes his OTB chess experiences  53:00- Hans shares some book and resource recommendations!  Move First Think Later, How To Study Chess on Your Own, Think Like a Super GM, Understanding Chess Move by Move, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, Endgame Strategy 1:00:00- Thanks to Hans for joining us! You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/IamHansHenning If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:  Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with another bonus pod discussing the ongoing controversy involving GM Magnus Carlsen and GM Hans Niemann. This week there have been significant new events and information brought to light, and I am joined by 2 separate guests to review the developments and help sort it out. After reviewing the key events and quotes, I am joined by GM Alex Fishbein (9:00) and then IM Greg Shahade (1:11:00). The interview with Alex was recorded Wednesday night, September 21, and Greg’s interview was recorded Tuesday September 20. Thanks to them both for sharing their insights!  0:00- Links from Intro:  Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here: https://benjohnson.substack.com/ Fabiano/Cristian Chirila C Squared Podcast:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCFB_rNGTaw&feature=youtu.be Sinquefield Cup Arbiter statement: https://twitter.com/ChrisBirdIA/status/1572615484654358529?s=20&t=so_SVkkCpU_B6vw1AJfTyw 8:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 9:00- GM Alex Fishbein joins the show 9:00- Was there anything unusual in Alex’s 3 OTB games against Hans?  15:00- How likely does Alex think the “prep leak theory" is?  24:00- Does Alex agree with GM Jacob Aagaard’s shoplifting/bank robbing analogy from last week’s bonus pod?  33:00- The crux of the issue is that chess has always been played partially based on an honor system  41:00- Is it true that its easier to cheat online than live?  46:00- How likely is one to encounter cheating in a typical OTB tournament?  1:00:00- Alex sums up his thoughts about what may have happened in St. Louis  1:10:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 1:11:00- IM Greg Shahade joins the show  Thanks to my guests for joining the show! If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by the 2021 US Women’s Champion and one of the top junior female players in the world, IM Carissa Yip. I talked with Carissa in  early September, at an interesting juncture in her life- she had just concluded her first Chess Olympiad, and was setting out for California, soon to begin her freshman year at Stanford University. This gave Carissa an opportunity to reflect on her past and future in chess and beyond. We discussed the following questions: What went right (and wrong) for Carissa and the US Women’s Olympiad Team? Why does she love the King’s Indian Defense? How did she get to her current chess level, and what would she need to do to advance even more? How does she plan to balance academics and chess? Plus Carissa told some fun stories involving interactions with GM Levon Aronian, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Garry Kasparov, and others. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up- https://benjohnson.substack.com/ 0:01-  Carissa discusses her day-to-day as she was on the verge of beginning life as a Stanford University freshman.  4:30- How did Carissa prepare for the Women’s Chess Olympiad, where the U.S. team finished tied for third place? How was the event?  Mentioned: GM Melih Khachiyan, GM Alejandro Ramirez  14:00- How did she interact with the team? Mentioned: Levon Trolling, Carissa Yip (Note this is a Chess.com not Chessbase India video (as I said). My mistake):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxqiTZBAWFM 18:00- Carissa discusses her critical win over IM Tania Sachdev in the last round  and her love for the King’s Indian defense.  Mentioned: Sachdev-Yip 2022,    22:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 23:00- What parts of her game is Carissa trying to work on?  Mentioned: Carissa’s Ladies Knight podcast appearance, The Giant Chess Puzzle Book 32:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who are Carissa’s favorite players of the past and the present?  36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 37:00-  Patreon mailbag question: How does Carissa plan to balance academics and chess?  43:00- What is the real story behind GM Andrew Tang’s photo, taken with GM Magnus Carlsen?  Mentioned: Episode 241 with GM Andrew Tang, Andrew Tang blog post   50:00- Thanks to Carissa for joining the pod!  You can keep up with her: Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/carissayipchess Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carissayip/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with another bonus pod to discuss the Sinquefield Cup controversy with Tuesday’s guest, GM Jacob Aagaard. Jacob has worked with Hans personally, and like the rest of the chess world has been following this story very closely. There has been no statement from GM Magnus Carlsen, but there have still been many developments worth discussing in the past week. Timestamps of topics discussed are below, thanks to Jacob for rejoining us!  Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here: https://benjohnson.substack.com/ 0:00- What are the key events of the last week? What does Jacob think of the cheating theories? Mentioned:  St. Louis Chess Club Arbiter’s Statement: https://grandchesstour.org/blog/2022-sinquefield-cup-chief-arbiter%E2%80%99s-statement James Altucher Podcast with IM Kenneth Regan  GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann  https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856 20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 21:00- We discuss a couple other of the videos and posts regarding whether Hans potentially cheated OTB before the Sinquefield Cup.  Mentioned: Atlanta Kings Research Todd Bryant’s Response to above research  Nikos Ntirlis’ Additional Response (Not mentioned on the podcast) 29:00- Why does Jacob think that Hans is “the perfect test to expose the fallibility” of our current anti-cheating measures?  35:00- Jacob’s discusses the statement issued by Chess.com Mentioned: Chess.com statement  https://twitter.com/chesscom/status/1568010971616100352?s=20&t=lM603tHenLUdoXSKjm4aBQ 42:00- Patreon mailbag question: Even as a recreational player, it is frustrating to get emails that you played online cheaters. Should online cheaters be punished more harshly?  49:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 50:00- Why hasn’t Magnus issued a statement? What does Jacob think about his handling of the World Championship announcement?  Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold Video 59:00- Jacob discusses IM Ken Regan’s recent interview on The James Altucher podcast  Mentioned: Carlsen-Niemann 2022, Video Version of Altucher Ken Regan Podcast, Background on the 2010 French Olimpiad cheating case here Thanks to Jacob for hopping back on and sharing his thoughts!  Book- A Matter of Endgame Technique Quality Chess- http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ Killer Chess Training Facebook- 365 Chess Academy / Killer Chess Training | Facebook GM Jacob Aagaard’s Twitter- https://twitter.com/GMJacobAagaard?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by award winning chess author and renowned trainer, GM Jacob Aagaard. It has been more than 2 years since our last long-form interview, and we had tons of topics to cover. We discussed topics including the rise of the top young talents in the chess world, potential World Championship format chances, and chess business news. There was also plenty of talk about chess training and improvement. Our talk about improvement was particularly focused on endgames, because Jacob has recently released an ambitious and highly informative new book, A Matter of Endgame Technique. This book is nearly 900 pages in length and is packed with practical tips and illustrations of moments at which Grandmasters have gone wrong in endgames. Although Perpetual Chess is an audio only format, we tried to extract a few lessons that listeners can apply to their own games. GM Aagaard is never hesitant to share his opinions, and I always learn a lot from speaking with him. You can find timestamps of the topics discussed, as well as links for topics referenced below.  0:01-  Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up- https://benjohnson.substack.com/ GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann  https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856 0:02- Jacob discusses the “tidal wave” of young chess talents emerging from India and elsewhere. In 10 years, how many of the top 20 players in the world does he predict will be from India? 13:00- Which young players does Aagaard consider most likely to someday be World Champions? Mentioned: Gukesh-Abdussatorov 2022, IM Levy Rozman Gukesh Interview  21:00- What in particular precipitates Jacob’s suggestion that IM Vaishali R may someday be Woman’s World Champion? 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 25:00- What was Jacob’s reaction to the news that Chess.com is acquiring The Play Magnus Group?  35:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “What does Jacob think of potential changes to the World Championship Format?”  51:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 53:00- What chess lessons can we learn from Jacob’s great new book A Matter of Endgame Technique?  Mentioned: Think Like a Super GM, Under the Surface, Chess Tactics from Scratch, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Thinking Inside the Box  1:05:00- What is “The Steinitz Rule”? 1:11:00- What is “The Shankland Rule”? 1:16:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “What books similar to Thinking Inside the Box does Jacob recommend?  Mentioned: Chess Structures, GM Johan Hellsten, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, The Road to Chess Improvement  1:20:00- What does Jacob think of GM Firouzja’s game? 1:24:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “Does Jacob think it is important for trainers to occasionally play?”  Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center, IM Kassa Korley  1:30:00- Jacob discusses his pending emigration back to his native country, Denmark  1:33:00- What is the structure of Jacob’s training academy, Killer Chess Training?  Mentioned: GM RB Ramesh 1:41:00- Thanks to GM Aagaard for joining us! Links below: Book- A Matter of Endgame Technique Quality Chess- http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ Killer Chess Training Facebook- 365 Chess Academy / Killer Chess Training | Facebook GM Jacob Aagaard’s Twitter- https://twitter.com/GMJacobAagaard?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The chess world has been rocked this week by the sudden withdrawal of GM Magnus Carlsen in the early rounds of the Sinquefield Cup. Although only explained by a cryptic tweet, this unprecedented action has been widely interpreted as an allegation of foul play by GM Hans Niemann, who had defeated Magnus in the prior round.. This has been a complex story with tentacles reaching all over the chess world and making headlines beyond it. In this podcast I briefly attempt to catch listeners up on the key events, and then welcome IM Greg Shahade to try to provide a bit of clarity about what we know right now. Greg is the founder of the Pro Chess League and the US Chess School and in the latter role has observed Hans' chess talent as he has risen up the ranks. Greg shares his perspective of Hans' personality, and of the overall story. Links to the important topics referenced can be found below 0:00- I go through the timeline of events and share a few thoughts.  18:00- IM Greg Shahade joins to discuss the news A few quick notes and links Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up- https://benjohnson.substack.com/ Chess Reddit Megathread https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/x7igg5/megathread_hans_niemann_allegations/ Hans Niemann Round 5 interview-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=CJZuT-_kij0 GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann  https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856 Chess.com statement  https://twitter.com/chesscom/status/1568010971616100352?s=20&t=lM603tHenLUdoXSKjm4aBQ My March 2022 Interview with GM Hans Niemann https://open.spotify.com/episode/6SNm7UTFwTtzEnabV1p2in?si=6d79b33cdeaf4a5d Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com and Aimchess!  Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ Aimchess- https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week our guest is a renowned trainer, and one of the most accomplished players on the American Chess circuit, GM Gregory Kaidanov. GM Kaidanov was ranked as high as top 20 in the world, and has accumulated a wealth of chess wisdom and memorable stories from his decades in the game. In our interview, Gregory takes us through his famously difficult journey from the former Soviet Union to Kentucky, and shares great chess advice based on his observations while coaching many scholastic champions and future GMs as well as adult chess enthusiasts. Speaking of adult chess enthusiasts, Gregory himself remains active as a chess player and recently qualified for one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, the FIDE World Cup. Gregory discusses how he stays motivated and how he has adjusted his tournament planning over the years. This is a long, but fun conversation. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Show notes and timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.  0:00- GM Gregory Kaidanov qualified for the FIDE World Cup at 62 years of age! What motivated him to play the qualifier in El Salvador? Mentioned: Episode 149 with GM Robert Hungaski, Episode 280 With GM Ben Finegold, Mike Klein’s 2009 profile of GM Gregory Kaidanov: http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/2009/2009_All.pdf 9:00- As a full time trainer and occasional player, how does GM Kaidanov choose which tournaments to compete in?  Mentioned: Sitges Spain 2022 11:00- How does GM Kaidanov work on his own game?  Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, IM John Donaldson  16:00- GM Kaidanov discusses the underrated utility of “solitaire chess” as a training method, and he shares advice on how to approach it.  Mentioned: GM Bent Larsen, Episode 291 with GM Alex Fishbein 23:00- Who is GM Kaidanov’s favorite player to study via solitaire chess?  25:00- What was it like to play his chess hero, Anatoly Karpov?  Mentioned: GM Dmitry Gurevich, GM Alexander Shabalov  28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 30:00- Gregory tells the incredible story of his difficult emigration to the USA.  Mentioned: Ken Troutman, GM Alex Fishbein  40:00- How does Gregory describe his journey to GM? 49:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 50:00- Gregory discusses working with some of his students, including GM Maurice Ashley, GM Ray Robson, and IM Josh Waitzkin  1:01:00- What was it like to work with GM Vasyl Ivanchuk? 1:08:00- Does GM Kaidanov follow top tournaments? What has he learned from the games of GM Gukesh and Abdussatorov? 1:14:00- Who is Gregory’s favorite modern player to study? 1:15:00- What was it like to play a young Anand? What was it like to play against 3 of the Zurich 1953 participants from Zurich 1953 in the same tournament? Mentioned: Kaidanov-Anand 1987, Taimanov-Kaidanov 1988, Grischuk-Kaidanov 2018 1:30:00- What does Gregory think of the current crop of Under 21 players rated over 2700? 1:32:00- Gregory’s take on the Magnus announcement 1:34:00- Gregory tells an educational story involving GM Valery Chekhov and the legendary former World Champion Mikhail Tal. 1:41:00- What can chess teach us that can help us in life? 1:45:00- Thanks so much to Gregory for a fantastic conversation!!  You can reach him via his website here: https://kaidanov.org/index1.html If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Season 2 of The How to Chess Podcast concluding, we are sharing one more "bonus pod" on this feed. This How to Chess episode features the renowned trainer and author, GM Johan Hellsten. In the interview, Johan shares tips for reviewing your chess games, and shares a few mistakes he commonly encounters from his students. To make sure you don't miss an episode of How to Chess, be sure to subscribe to it separately: You can Subscribe to How to Chess on all of the major podcast Platforms: How To Chess on Apple Podcasts Spotify And here is the Perpetual Chess interview with GM Hellsten which I referenced: Perpetual Chess Podcast: EP 273- GM Johan Hellsten on Chess Improvement, the Inspirations for his "Mastering Chess" Book Series, and his favorite OTB Memories on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by the third highest rated chess player of all time, GM Fabiano Caruana. Fabiano joined me from the St. Louis Chess Club just days before he was set to begin a string of elite competitions there. This presented the opportunity for Fabiano to reflect on what has been an action packed and noteworthy 2022. Topics include:the 2022 Candidates, the World Championship Cycle, and Magnus’ decision to step down, what it feels like to be in a slump, the continued evolution of chess engines, the rise of teen talents and the evolution of chess, and lots more. It was quite an honor to speak with Fabiano, timestamps for topics discussed can be found below.   0:00- To subscribe to receive the Perpetual Chess Linkfest for free in your inbox, you can submit your email address at the bottom of the most recent post here: https://benjohnson.substack.com/p/perpetual-chess-link-fest-2-august Sinquefield Cup info:  https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-chess-tour-watch/live World Chess Hall of Fame info https://worldchesshof.org/exhibitions 4:30- Fabiano joins! When did Fabiano find out that Magnus won’t be defending his title? Does that change his perspective about the 2022 Candidates?  11:30- Fabiano discusses his and Team USA’s performance at the Chess Olympiad 15:00- Fabiano has mentioned he didn’t review his World Championship games much. Does he usually review his games?  Mentioned: Peter Doggers interview with GM Fabiano Caruana: https://www.chess.com/news/view/fabiano-caruana-interview-carlsen-nepomniachtchi 20:00- Was it hard to discuss chess openings with his USA teammates since they are often rivals?  22:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here:  24:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did the results of young stars at the Olympiad presage a new chess world order?  Mentioned: GM Arjun Erigaisi  26:00- Fabiano discusses the evolution of engines and the impact on young players.  34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 36:00- Does Fabiano have the same drive and energy as he did as a teenager? 38:00- What advice would Fabiano to a player like GM Hans Niemann? Has he seen GM Hans Niemann’s interviews? 41:00- What is Fabiano’s chess media consumption like?  43:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did Fabiano enjoy announcing with GM Robert Hess and IM Danny Rensch? Mentioned: Episode 282 FIDE Candidates Preview with GM Robert Hess  46:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Fabiano think Nepomniatchtchi or Ding is more likely to win their match?  51:00- Would Fabiano be open to making the World Championship a mix of Classical and Rapid?  56:00- Does Fabiano think Magnus should have been more explicit about his World Championship plans prior to the Candidates?  1:00:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Fabiano think he would have had the same chess success if he was raised somewhere other than New York City?  Thanks so much to Fabiano for joining me! Here is the link to watch him in the Sinquefield Cup starting on September 1.  https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-chess-tour-watch/live If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s double episode features one more look back at the historic 2022 Chess Olympiad. We are joined by two different guests who  just returned to their homes from Chennai. Our first guest is Lula Roberts, a 24 year-old popular Twitch streamer who got the chance to represent her country (Jersey) at the Women’s Olympiad. Lula retells her chess results and her many memorable moments at what she hopes will be her first Olympiad of many.  Speaking of many Olympiads, our second guest is return guest and award winning author and historian, IM John Donaldson. John served as captain of the United States’ team for the 14th time, so he was able to draw on his vast knowledge of prior Olympiads to contextualize this one. In addition to discussing the Olympiad, John is a leading scholar of Bobby Fischer, so we discuss John’s latest Fischer research and his upcoming projects later in the interview. It was a lot of fun to get two vastly different perspectives on the Olympiad, and I am already looking forward to the next one in 2024! 0:00- Intro, brief discussion of the results of the Olympiad 4:00- Thanks to our presenting sponsors, Chessable.com, be sure to check out Grind like a Grandmaster, and Levon Aronian’s new course, along with the rest of their huge catalog of chess courses.  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 4:45- Lula Roberts joins the show!  5:00- How did the opportunity for Jersey and Lula to compete in the Olympiad present itself?  Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s book Chess Queens  8:00- Lula discusses the tournament itself, as well as how she spent time in between rounds  24:00- Did she like the team dynamic as opposed to individual tournaments? 26:00- What has Lula’s approach to chess improvement been?  30:00- How did the Reykjavik Open compare to the Olympiad for Lula?   37:00- Thanks to Lula Robert for joining the show! Here is how you can keep up with her: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lularobs Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lularobs 38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 40:00- IM John Donaldson joins the show just after returning home to the U.S. John gives an overview of the tournament from his perspective.  Mentioned: Chessbase Interview with GM Ivan Sokolov, coach of the Uzbek team, Giri vs. Vidit Death Match  1:06:00- What is a typical day like for the captain of the team at the Olympiad?  1:21:00- How will John look back on this tournament?  1:31:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does John have any plans to publish additional Fischer physical books?  1:33:00- Is it true that Fischer liked to yell “Bobby Kill!” during his blitz games as a teen?  1:34:00- More info on the Spassky-Fischer exhibition in St. Louis is here: https://explorestlouis.com/event/1972-fischer-spassky-the-match-its-origin-and-influence/2022-09-27/ 1:3700- Has John heard anything about the health of GM Boris Spassky recently?  Mentioned: Episode 64 with GM Melih Khachiyan  1:47:00- Thanks, as always to IM John Donaldson for joining the show! If you haven’t already be sure to read Bobby Fischer and his World.  Bobby Fischer and His World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I am pleased to be joined by 4-time Latvian champion, GM Arturs Neiksans. In addition to his accomplished, (and ongoing)  competitive career, Arturs is a respected coach, commentator, Twitch streamer,  and Chessable Author. Arturs recently added a new line to his resume as he became the trainer of IM Levy Rozman! As Levy trains for the GM title, he has been posting instructive excerpts of his frequent lessons with Arturs. In our conversation, we hear Arturs’ perspective on the origins of their collaboration and what Levy needs to work on in order to potentially ascend to the next level. Arturs also reflects on his own bumpy journey to the GM title and shares plenty of general improvement advice and . Lastly, as chess cheating has (again) been in the news, Arturs provides his personal perspective on the unfortunate fall from grace of his fellow Latvian player, GM Igors Rausis (who later changed his name to Isa Kasimi, and is now deceased). It was a pleasure to talk chess with Arturs, and I look forward to learning more from him both on his own channels, and on that of Gotham Chess!   Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro 0:02- How did GM Arturs Neiksans become Levy Rozman’s coach? What does Levy need to work on to become a GM? 17:00- Arturs quit chess at 18 and came back at 27. What drove him away and what brought him back?  23:00- How will Arturs balance responsibilities like playing on the Latvian national team with coaching Levy? 28:00- How challenging was it for Arturs to become a GM in his late 20s? 35:00- It was Arturs who saw GM Igors Rausis (who was caught cheating during an OTB tournament) attempting to compete under a new identity. What was the story behind that? 44:00- What was Arturs approach to chess study as a kid?  48:00- Does Arturs play a narrow or broad opening repertoire? 51:00- Thanks to Arturs for joining me!  Here is how to keep up with him: Chess.com https://www.chess.com/member/gmneiksans YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrqQ5BlmmGkaVmraYQw-IQ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gmneiksans Chessable courses: https://www.chessable.com/author/GMNeiksans/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Karen Boyd is a 56 year old mother, wife and chess lover with a background in computer programming. She often appears in the videos and streams of her husband, GM Ben Finegold, but she also does a ton of the work behind the scenes, producing Ben’s content. Despite Karen’s busy life, she has been making lots of time for chess study and joined me after a busy summer with plenty of chess tournaments in the United States. Karen assiduously documents her chess study, and has been averaging about 3 hours per day of study when not on the road. She showed some good results in the World Open, and is on the verge of eclipsing her personal high rating of 1421. In our interview, she discussed her background, her study regimen, her goals, her relationship with Ben, and why she thinks she currently finds tournaments more enjoyable than her husband does. I really admire the dedication that Karen is showing to chess and look forward to seeing her continued chess progress. More details, timestamps and relevant links can be found below.   0:00- If you or someone you know is interested in appearing as an adult improver, you can submit their info via the online form here: Interested in Appearing on the Pod as an Adult Improver? — The Perpetual Chess Podcast 1:00- Karen has been studying chess for 3 hours per day and traveling far and wide to play in many tournaments. Why?  Mentioned: Check out Karen’s study log here: https://atlchessclub.com/ChessLog/ChessStudyLog.pdf 5:00- How does Karen feel about her recent progress, after a busy summer.  10:00- Why does Karen prefer classical chess?  Mentioned: Justin Morrison of Kids Chess Zone  16:00- Karen’s husband, GM Ben Finegold, has said he is retiring from OTB chess. Does Karen think he will change his mind someday?  19:00- What are Karen’s current chess goals?  Mentioned: How to Beat Your Dad at Chess, Chessable’s Checkmate Patterns Manual  22:00-  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their new courses include a new one by GM Levon Aronian, and GM Magnus Carlsen and GM David Howell recently released a free lesson, Grind like a GM!  Check out what's new here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 24:30- Karen discusses her chess beginnings.  31:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Karen and GM Ben Finegold meet?  Mentioned: GM Var Akobian  35:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Karen think she is treated differently a) because she is a woman? b) because she is married to a GM? 39:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Karen discusses her favorite Chess.com premium features, which include the tactics trainer.  If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual).   42:00- What was Karen’s inspiration for her study log? 43:00- How do Karen's two coaches, FM Aviv Friedman and NM Spencer Finegold, work with her to improve her chess? 45:00- What is Karen’s approach to openings?  48:00-How would Karen characterize (or describe) her strengths and weaknesses as a ches player? 51:00- Why does Karen “play up” in higher sections? 53:03- Are there days where Karen doesn’t feel like doing chess? 56:00- Karen’s closing advice  58:00- Thanks so much to Karen for joining the show. Here are some of the ways you can follow her chess progress: Twitter- https://twitter.com/Karen_Chess1 Twitch-  https://www.twitch.tv/karen_chess GM Ben Finegold’s Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/gmbenjaminfinegold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here is the most recent episode of the How to Chess Podcast. If you enjoy it, please be sure you are subscribed to How to Chess on its own feed. The How to Chess archive features insightful interviews with GM Peter Svidler, GM Vladimir Kramnik, FM Peter Giannatos, with lots more to come. You can Subscribe to How to Chess on these Platforms: How To Chess on Apple Podcasts Spotify Be sure to check out GM Sahaj Grover's course, Timeless Techniques: Strategic Endgames, here: https://www.chessable.com/timeless-technique-strategic-endgames/course/42898/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Alex Fishbein has been one of the top players in the US for decades and remains a frequent competitor on the American chess circuit. He is a four-time US Championship participant and is the Tennessee state champion. Alex is also a chess writer. His most recent book, The French Exchange Comes to Life, is a uniquely presented and instructive guide to a somewhat misunderstood opening. Alex also has a successful career away from the board. He works as a Director in Fixed Income at TD Securities. In our conversation, we discuss Alex’s storied OTB career. Born in the USSR, Alex has learned from many Soviet-era legends and tells memorable stories about Mikhail Tal and Viktor Korchnoi. Alex also shares tips for staying sharp into one’s 50s and discusses how chess learning has changed. Alex’s dad and son are chess masters as well, so he has had a close-up-view of the evolution of chess learning. This was a really fun conversation.   Notes and timestamps on topics discussed can be found below. 0:00- We begin with a trip report on the Norway Open, which Alex and his son attended and in which they competed. They also witnessed the Norway Invitational featuring Magnus Carlsen, Maxime Vachier Lagrave and many other elite players.  08:30- What advice would Alex give to people frustrated by playing lots of underrated players?  Mentioned: GM Patrick Wolff  15:00- Patreon mailbag question: In the increasingly competitive tournament chess climate, what  kinds of goals does Alex set for himself these days?  Mentioned: GM Dmitri Gurevich  19:00- Which older player did Fishbein consider a role model? Alex goes into great detail about a unique and instructive way that he likes to study great players.  28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. If you are a pro member be sure to check out NM Bryan Tillis’ Olympiad Course: https://www.chessable.com/blog/chess-olympiad-2022/ 29:00- What were Alex’s interactions with Korchnoi like? 34:00- Alex tells some great stories from his chess origins in St. Petersburg. He studied under legendary trainer, Vladimir Zak.  Mentioned: Russian Silhouettes by GM Genna Sosonko  44:00- What did Alex learn from legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky?  47:00- Tal stories!  54:00-  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 56:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What was it like to play Kasparov in a simul as a teen, as chronicled in the documentary American Gambit?”  More on the documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qChazvEx_IA https://en.chessbase.com/post/american-gambit-kasparov-vs-us-juniors Fishbein-Kasparov 1988 1:00:00- Alex discusses his career in finance and his decision not to pursue a career in chess.  1:08:00- Alex’s career advice for stronger young chess players.  1:10:00- Alex wrote a great book about the French Exchange, what do people misunderstand about this opening?  1:15:00- How have opening approaches changed over the years? How does Alex’s college- age son prepare?  1:18:00- Alex discusses his column for American Chess Magazine and on the updated versions of the Dvoretsky Endgame Manual with GM Karsten Muller.  1:25:00- Alex shares his thoughts on the Magnus Carlsen news.  1:29:00- Thanks to Alex for a fascinating interview! Here is his contact info: http://www.gmalexfishbein.com/ Or email afish at panix.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices