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- 5:18  (recorded Wednesday, June 5) -Ben discusses his personal history at the National Open, the Nimzo-Indian defense, and dispenses some chess advice 

Glenn Panner- 16:03-   (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) 28:08-  (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 34:14  -  (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. 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/30F7kQGQGyqi64sh3hdCmU? si=6cb9062c05134a7d

And check our her YouTube Channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/@kamrynheidi

Kevin Scull-  -43:57  (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! 

Check out the Chess Journeys podcast here: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/1kNbZLQE6JvbAyfOlv7ZNY?si=755f03091b9e462c

Lennart Ootes- 53:30- (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-  1:02:33 (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)- 1:14:40 -(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- 1:24:41 (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

Check out his Chesssharkz Twitch stream with Tony Padron here:

https://www.twitch.tv/chesssharkz

ElaynahTV - 1:38:51-  (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

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