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/

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https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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