Perpetual Chess features weekly conversations with the chess world's best players, trainers and accomplished amateurs about their careers, current projects, best practices and the latest in chess news. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com
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EP 299- Chess Blogger and Trainer, FM Dennis Monokroussos on how Toiletgate compared to the Current Scandal, Lessons from Tal and Petrosian and the Importance of Playing with Different Styles
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 how 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- Dennis discusses an amazing sacrificial game he 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 sub to his blog and reach him about lesson or Ashland University scholarship inquires 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
Book Recap #29- Discussing The Longest Game by GM Jan Timman a Great Book which Tells the Story of the Kasparov-Karpov matches
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
Bonus Pod- GM Jonathan Rowson and GM David Smerdon discuss the Carlsen/Niemann Saga
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 Chess Champion of the UK. 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
EP 298- Adult Improver Hans Henning on Why he Loves Studying Openings, and How Chess Helps Give Him Purpose
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
Bonus Pod- GM Alex Fishbein and IM Greg Shahade share their thoughts on the latest developments in the Carlsen/Niemann Sinquefield Cup Controversy
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
EP 297- IM Carissa Yip on her love for the King’s Indian Defense, Why Levon Aronian is her favorite player and the ups and downs of her first Chess Olympiad.
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
Bonus Pod- GM Jacob Aagaard joins for an update on the Sinquefield Cup Controversy
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
EP 296- Award Winning Author/Trainer, GM Jacob Aagaard on Endgame "Rules of Thumb", the Wave of Young Phenoms, and the World Championship Format
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
Bonus Pod- Chess World in Turmoil as Magnus Carlsen Suddenly withdraws from Sinquefield Cup Amid Speculation that GM Hans Niemann used Engine Assistance
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
Episode 295- GM Gregory Kaidanov- One of the US’ top players and trainers on Maintaining Motivation, Imparting Lessons to Students, and his Long Journey from the USSR to the US.
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
Bonus Pod- How to Chess Podcast- GM Johan Hellsten on How to Analyze Your Own Chess Games
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
EP 294- GM Fabiano Caruana on Engines, The Evolution of Chess, the Candidates Tournament, and the World Championship Cycle.
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
EP 293- Olympiad Trip reports with Lula Roberts aka "LulaRobs" and Team USA captain, IM John Donaldson
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
EP 292- Adult Improver Karen Boyd on What She Learned from a Busy Summer of Tournament Chess, and Why she Always "Plays Up" Against Tougher Competition
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
Bonus Pod- How to Chess Podcast- How to Approach Studying the Endgame with GM Sahaj Grover
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