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
Similar Podcasts
El Camino del Héroe
Un podcast donde analizamos películas y series de la cultura pop y todo lo que las rodea. Datos interesantes, detalles ocultos, teorías, debates, recomendaciones y mucho para aprender. Con: Lucas Valli, Camila Bordi, Leticia Bellini, Luciano Torres Toranzo y Milagros Crespo. Twitter: https://twitter.com/caminoheroe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caminodelheroe. Si querés apoyar lo que hacemos, podés darnos una mano sumándote al CLUB DEL HÉROE en https://bit.ly/3xZdTT0 o https://patreon.com/heroe See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How To Chess
A Weekly, Rapid-Fire Chess Podcast Devoted to Helping You Improve Your Game. Hosted by Ben Johnson, brought to you by Chessable.com
Linux User Space
This is a podcast focused on connecting user space with the community. We invite you to join us as we explore the many things that impact you, the user. We’ll experiment with the Distros and Desktop Environments that we all love, we’ll discuss the current hardware and technology impacting our lives and we’ll also talk about the different topics affecting the community. All along the way we’ll share stories and anecdotes about our journey through the Linux User Space.
Episodes drop every other Monday.
EP 308- GM Srinath Narayanan- Lessons Learned and Imparted from Training Some of the Chess World's Brightest Young Talents
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 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
EP 307- IM Dean Ippolito. A Longtime Trainer, Author and Champion Competitor on the Adjustments one Should Make for the Modern Tournament Landscape
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, Dean has seen the rise of Nakamura and Caruana, and gotten to play against some world class players in his extensive chess travels. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below. 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
EP 306- Adult Improver Vishnu Warrier. Can a 31 year old USCF 2100 make become a GM? Vishnu wants to find out!
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
EP 305- WIM Andreea Navrotescu- The latest on the FIDE Women's World Championship Cycle + Her Life as one of France's top Players and Presenters
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 really 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 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 featuring 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- What are Andreea’s interests outside of chess? 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 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
EP 304- Neal Bruce- What We Can Learn from the Studying the Classics
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 games 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
EP 303- Adult Improver Kyle Boddy- A Pioneer in Sports Analytics and Peak Performance on His Approach to Chess Improvement
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 insightful guy. 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
EP 302- Chess Improvement Q and A with IM Andras Toth- One of YouTube's Best Chess Teachers
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- Ad BReak 28:00- 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 48:00- BREAK 2 , 49:00- How is Andras’ YouTube channel doing? 51:00- What videos on his Channel would Andras recommend to someone who has never watched it? Mentioned: The Amateur’s Mind Series 53:00- 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
Bonus Pod- GM Hans Niemann is suing Magnus, Chess.com and Hikaru Nakamura! Law Professor David Franklin joins to Assess What Might Happen From Here
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
Ep 301- Computer Science Professor and IM, Dr. Kenneth Regan on the Carlsen/Niemann controversy and the Current State of Cheating in OTB Chess
This week we are rejoined by Dr. Kenneth Regan. Dr. Regan is, as many of you will be 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 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 a lot 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://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcudElmRsQYTwULtd_gnFw 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: https://rjlipton.wpcomstaging.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP 300- Swedish Chess Legend, GM Ulf Andersson on his Encounters with Kasparov, Karpov and Fischer and How he Keeps up With Chess Today.
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 flawless, and he shares many details about these memorable encounters. Ulf still follows modern chess closely, and also discusses his favorite modern players and games, and describes his daily life today. He splits time between Germany and Sweden. It was quite an honor to hear a lifetime’s worth of chess stories as they happened to ULF. Timestamps of people and topics discussed can be found below. 0:03- Ulf joined me from his part-time home near Cologne, Germany, how does he spend his time 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
Bonus Pod- FM Nate Solon joins to Discuss Chess.Com's Report about the Carlsen/Niemann Controversy
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. 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
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