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 289- Tony Ballard- A Convicted Felon on How Chess has Changed His Life
This week on Perpetual Chess, Tony Ballard, who is serving a 294-month prison sentence for attempted murder, tells the remarkable story of how chess has changed his life. Tony joined me via phone from a minimum security rehabilitation facility in Wichita, Kansas, where he currently lives. As you will hear Tony discuss, he had a difficult upbringing, and made some very regrettable choices in his early years, but while in prison, a love for chess took hold, and Tony credits the game as a transformative tool in his life. Tony is now working with a non-profit called The Gift of Chess. Their goal is to promote chess as a learning tool both within the prison system, and outside of it. Tony is taking online university classes and hopes to work in youth outreach when he is fully released from prison in 2025. This is a truly inspiring story of the many ways that chess can impact one’s life! Please read on for timestamps and links referenced. 0:00- We discuss Tony’s background, especially as it relates to chess. 3:00- Tony discusses his difficult early childhood, and the events that led to his receiving a 294 month prison sentence. Mentioned: Tony’s Zoom lecture for the non-profit organization, The Gift of Chess, Linktree for more info about The Gift of Chess non-profit, Russell Makofsky of the Impact Coaching Network 14:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/ 16:00- Tony describes his passion for chess, which blossomed once Tony was in prison. 23:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is Tony able to play chess online within his minimum security facility?” 27:00- How is chess perceived in prison? What would it take to grow chess in prisons? 35:00- What are Tony’s favorite openings? What’s his chess style? 38:00- What chess books did Tony read? Mentioned: Chess by Laszlo Polgar 40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 41:00- Tony discusses why he has been working on his endgames. https://linktr.ee/thegiftofchess 44:00- What are Tony’s chess plans, and what plans does he have for his life after his full release from prison? His release could happen by 2025? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bonus Pod- GM Andrii Baryshpolets on Why He is Running For FIDE President
With a FIDE election coming up on August 7, I am extending the invitation for FIDE Presidential Candidates to share their stories and their reasons to run for FIDE President. Brief timestamps and more information below. 1:00- Why is Andrii running for FIDE President? 9:30- What would Andrii look to accomplish as FIDE President? 15:00- What does Andrii think of Magnus Carlsen’s suggestions of format changes? 21:30- Would Andrii keep his day job if elected? 25:00- Has Andrii heard stories of impropriety in prior FIDE elections? 28:00- Andrii discusses his love for the Yugoslav line of the King’s Indian and his favorite chess memories. List of voting countries and delegates here- https://congress.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/List-of-FIDE-Member-Federations-having-voting-powers_7-June-2022.pdf More info about Andrii’s candidacy on the Baryshpolets-Nielsen campaign website here: https://fightforchess.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Breaking News Bonus Pod- Chess24 Reporter Tarjei Svensen on Magnus' Decision not to Defend his Title
GM Magnus Carlsen has officially announced that he will not defend his World Championship title, and we are joined by tireless Chess24 reporter, Tarjei Svensen to get the inside scoop on this decision and to begin to assess the implications. Thanks to Tarjei for joining on short notice! 0:00- Why didn’t the news surprise Tarjei? Mentioned: Tarjei’s July 18 Chess24 article , The Magnus Effect Podcast 9:00- How was the news received in Norway? 14:00- What was the reaction of other top players? Including GM Ding Liren, who Tarjei spoke with today? 18:00- Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com and Aimchess.com, if you sign up for Aimchess.com, use the code “Perpetual30” or this link to save 30%. 19:00- Is China a likely host for a Nepo-Ding match? 21:00- What really happened in Magnus meeting with FIDE in Madrid? 24:00- Would it have made a difference to Magnus if Hikaru had come in 2nd in the Candidates? 27:00- How likely would Magnus be to return if the format changed? 30:00- What else do we have to look forward to as chess fans? 33:00- Thanks so much to Tarjei for joining us! Be sure to follow him on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP 288- GM Peter Heine Nielsen Takes us Behind the Scenes of the 2012 World Championship Match between Anand and Gelfand
This week’s Perpetual Chess is the 2nd in a series, a special edition, oral history of the 2012 World Championship, brought to you courtesy of GM Peter Heine Nielsen. Peter, of course, is an accomplished Grandmaster and a renowned opening theoretician who has worked as a trainer for 8 World Championship match winners, first with GM Viswanathan Anand, and in recent years with GM Magnus Carlsen. For this podcast, Peter takes us behind team Anand’s mindset and preparation, as they helped Vishy prepare to defend his title against GM Boris Gelfand in May of 2012. This continues a series, as Peter discussed Anand’s 2010 match with GM Veselin Topalov in Episode 177. For a chess history enthusiast like myself it is such a treat to get a blow by blow account of a World Championship match from someone who had a prominent role in the match and a ringside seat. Please read on for timestamps, links to topics referenced can be found on the podcast webpage. You can review any of the games from the match discussed here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1025310 03:30- Since we are discussing events of 10 years ago, I thought we should ask: Does Peter think that he has a good memory? 11:00- We begin by discussing the 2012 pre match training camp, in Bad Soden, Germany in January of 2012. Peter convened with Anand and fellow team members, GMs Radoslaw Wotjasek, Surya Ganguly, and GM Rustam Kasimzdhanov. 21:00- How did the team feel about Gelfand as an opponent for Vishy? 32:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/ 33:30- Does Peter get more nervous as a competitor or a trainer? 36:30- Peter describes the background and mindset once the team arrived in Moscow for the match, in May of 2012. 41:00- What was the team’s method for testing Vishy’s memory on opening lines? What about for Magnus in more recent years? 46:30- The match begins, and Gelfand springs a surprise by playing the Grunfeld defense! (The game ends in a draw) How did the team feel? 50:00- The match takes shape, with 5 more draws before a victory. What was the mood after 6 games? 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- Gelfand strikes first! What was the mood after Game 7? 1:02:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did the team change match approaches after Game 7? 1:06:00- Anand strikes back! How did the team mood alter when Vishy won Game 8? 1:10:00- Anand tried the Nimzo-Indian for the first time in Game 9. How did it go? 1:15:00- Has Peter discussed the World Championship match with Gelfand in recent years? 1:20:00- Peter discusses Game 10 1:22:00- Despite two more draws, Peter shares why he felt the mood started to shift during games 11 and 12. 1:28:00- How did the team feel heading into the rapid playoffs? 1:34:00- Do opening surprises have added value in a faster time control? 1:35:00- What went right for Vishy to prevail in the Rapid playoffs? 1:39:00- After winnig the match did they feel euphoria more or relief? 1:41:00- Since Gelfand was sort of on home turf, were they worried about any Russian subterfuge? 1:44:00- Are non-team members who provide opening advice generally compensated for their assistance? 1:46:00- Did it bother the team that Kasparov was rumored to have offered to help Gelfand.? 1:48:00- How does Peter look back on the match 10 years later? Thanks to Peter for joining the podcast. Links you need below: The Chicken Chess Club on Apple Podcasts https://twitter.com/PHChess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP 287- GM David Howell joins for a FIDE Candidates Wrap Up plus World Championship Match Scuttlebutt, and his 2022 OTB and Commentating Plans
As the dust settles on the FIDE Candidates tournament and its attendant news, three- time British Champion and popular Chess24 commentator GM David Howell joins me to assess the news. As you might expect, we discuss the World Championship plans of David’s friend GM Magnus Carlsen, and we discuss both of the potential World Championship matchups, based on Magnus’ decision about whether to retain his title. David also assesses the performances of other notable players including GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Ding Liren, and GM Alireza Firouzja. In the second half of the interview we focus on David’s own career. David will be heading to India soon to represent Great Britain in the Olympiad, and he discusses his recent and upcoming tournaments. Lastly, David discusses his plans for commentating in the coming months and how he balances it with his playing career. I always appreciate David’s insights and modesty, and there is lots to learn from this conversation. Please read on for timestamps, for referenced links go to the podcast webpage here: Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Prior appearance: Episode 176 with GM David Howell 02:00- What are David’s thoughts about Magnus Carlsen and the World Championship cycle and any potential format changes ? 12:30- Patreon mailbag question: Is Magnus’ memory for chess positions on a par or better than other top players? 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 18:00- David shares his thoughts on Nepo’s dominant performance in the FIDE Candidates, as well as his other observations. 25:00- What did David think of the quality of the games in the Candidates? Could Nepo give Carlsen a better match in a rematch? 31:00- What chess improvement lessons can we learn from the Candidates? 35:00- We briefly discuss Firouzja’s disappointing showing in the Candidates. 38:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/ 40:00- How is David’s OTB game as he prepares to represent Great Britain in the upcoming Chess Olimpiad? 45:00- David discusses his upcoming course with Magnus Carlsen, “Grind like a Grandmaster” Mentioned: Chessable Tweet regarding the Course 46:00- British Olimpiad Team 49:00- David discusses playing the 2021 FIDE Grand Swiss, where he was close to qualifying for the 2022 Candidates, but lost a crucial game to GM Alireza Firouzja. 55:00- How is David enjoying work as a Chess24 commentator with WGM Jovanka Houska and Kaja Snare? 1:06:00- What does David think about the current trajectory of chess? 1:08:00- How is David enjoying doing the podcast The Late Knight Show? 1:13:00- David reviews his performance in the most recent World Rapid and Blitz tournament 1:16:00- How would David assess a Ding-Nepomniatchtchi match? 1:20:00- Thanks so much to David for sharing his insights! Here is how you can keep up with him: Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidHowellGM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidhowellchess/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Book Recap #27 - GM Yasser Seirawan's Play Winning Chess
Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss the beginner-oriented chess book, Play Winning Chess, by legendary GM, Yasser Seirawan. I am joined by Sam Robinson, who is a 28 year old, Chicago-based chess enthusiast. Sam got into chess in recent years, and this was one of the first chess books that he read. For him, it was the book that really started to demystify the subtler parts of the game. It was also my first time reading Play Winning Chess, and I found it to be a solid choice for newer chess players or for chess trainers looking to sprinkle some good anecdotes and instructive games into their lessons with newer players. Tune in to hear our conversation about the pros and cons of GM Seirawan’s landmark book. Timestamps and links can be found below. 0:00- Sam delves into his background and what got him into chess. 05:00- What resonated with Sam about Play Winning Chess to the extent that he wanted to discuss it? Mentioned: Book Recap #11- Yasser Seirawan’s Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce 08:00- Which Formats are Available - Book- Play Winning Chess (Everyman Chess) Ebook- ttps://everymanchess.com/products/winning-chess-strategies-revised-edtion?variant=17966519943230 Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/play-winning-chess/course/89222/ 09:00- Yasser’s bio and chess origins 11:00- What rating range would find this book most useful? 13:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out what’s new from them here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 15:00- How useful is Yasser’s construct of the four principles of chess: Force, Time, Space and Pawn Structure 19:00- Likes, dislikes and memorable quotes from Play Winning Chess 26:00- Does the difficulty of the material escalate too quickly? 32:00- How useful is Yasser’s concept of a “space count”? 36:00- We briefly discuss some YouTube videos that are great for beginners. Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew’s Chess Fundamentals, Naroditsky’s Speed Run, Hanging Pawns 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com 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- Improvement takeaways from this book 49:00- What grade would we give this book? What similar books might I recommend? Mentioned: Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, Winning Chess Strategy for Kids, First Book of Morphy, Chess Steps, Chess by Laszlo Polgar, My First Chess Opening Repertoire 51:00- Thanks so Sam for helping out! Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/sam_robs Or on Chess.com here: https://www.chess.com/member/samrobs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP 286- Adult Improver Dr. Nicholas Vasquez on How and Why he Finally Got Serious about Chess Improvement
On this month’s Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess I am joined by Dr. Nicholas Vasquez. Dr. Vazquez is a dad and emergency physician who finds chess a welcome escape from a very stressful job. Despite the fact that chess is escapism for him, Dr. Vasquez has recently decided to get serious about chess improvement. He started working with a coach (NM Han Schut), playing tournaments, and working on puzzles from Chess Steps and Chessbase. Nicholas has learned a lot of lessons, and seen significant progress, raising his Chess.Com rapid rating from about 1350 to 1650 over the last couple of years. Dr. Vasquez shared lots of great insights in our interview, and I am confident that you will find this interview helpful and entertaining. You can find more information on all of the topics referenced, as well as timestamps below. 0:00- Be sure to subscribe to How To Chess on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-chess/id1572917817 0:02- After some time away, what event re-interested Nick in chess? Mentioned: The Chess Steps Method, Episode 142 with Han Schut, Episode 274 with Adult Improver Paul Hedrick, Episode 167 with IM Jop Delemarre, Step 2 Thinking Ahead 09:00- With a hectic life, does Nick ever struggle with finding motivation for chess study? 15:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others, here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/ 16:00- When Nick plays training games, does he use a chess set or a screen? 20:00- Nick shares the training regimen that his coach, Han Schut has devised for him. 25:00- Nick shares what he is learning from competing in the LiChess4545 league. Mentioned: GM Jesse Kraai’s video “An Easy System Against the French” 28:00- What does Han’s trainer consider to be the key pillars of his success? What does it mean to “orient” oneself to a chess position? 32:00- What is Nick’s approach to openings? 34:00- What do Han and Nick prefer Chessbase tactics? 38:00- Which book helped Nick the most? Mentioned: The Improving Chess Thinker by NM Dan Heisman, Think Like a Super GM by GM Michael Adams and Philip Hurtado 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- A few features to be aware of on Chesskid.com: Summer Clubhouse : https://www.chesskid.com/learn/articles/summer-chess-clubhouse You can check out FunMaster Mike’s videos either on Chesskid itself or on YouTube for kids. If you decide to sign your kid or your student(s) up for Chesskid, be sure to use this link to save 30% on a Chesskid Membership https://www.chesskid.com/membership/promo/perpetual 46:00- Was Nick surprised by the intensity of OTB chess? 54:00- Nick discusses the importance of feeling part of a community. Mentioned: ChessDoJo discord 57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is there stuff Nick needs to work on outside of doing the Steps Method?” 1:05:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Vazquez for joining the show. You can play/reach him on Lichess here: https://lichess.org/@/nvasquez Or Chess.com here: https://www.chess.com/member/nfv1972 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FIDE Candidates Round 12 Update- IM Christof Sielecki on Nepo's Dominance, Alireza's Struggles and the Tight Battle For 2nd Place
Award Winning Author, Chessable Author, and Noted Opening Theoretician, IM Christof Sielecki joins me to discuss the FIDE Candidates Tournament through 12 rounds. Topics include: Nepo's dominance, the important battle for 2nd place, Alireza's struggles, Nakamura's Quick Draw in Round 12, the Quality of Play, and whether Magnus might be enticed to defend his crown if the World Championship format were tweaked. Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com and Aimchess.com. Here are a few of the articles, and videos we referenced: Hikaru's Round 12 Recap Click here to Download the Episode Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com and Aimchess.com. Here are a few of the articles, and videos we referenced: Chess by the Numbers Updated Probabilities Hikaru's Round 12 Recap MVL's Interview with Chessbase Tarjei Svenson for Chess24 on GM Kramnik's Comments The Games from the Candidates Nepo discussed a letter from FIDE in the postgame interview on Chess.com’s Broadcast GothamChess' Round 3 Recap Check out all of IM Christof Sielecki's Chessable Courses here: https://www.chessable.com/author/Chessexplained/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess MVL's Interview with Chessbase Tarjei Svenson for Chess24 on GM Kramnik's Comments The Games from the Candidates GothamChess' Round 3 Recap Check out all of IM Christof Sielecki's Chessable Courses here: https://www.chessable.com/author/Chessexplained/ 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 285- IM Irina Bulmaga on her New Chess Training Regimen, the best Open Tournaments in Europe, and her Current Chess Goals
IM Irina Bulmaga is a Chessable Author, a writer, a 5 time chess Olimpian, and the highest rated woman player in Romania, where she now lives. Before emigrating from Moldova, Irina was the 2 time National Woman’s champion in her native country. But as Irina will tell you, she probably spends more time traveling for competitive chess than she spends in any one country. In fact, she thinks she might be the most active chess professional on the European circuit. Irina joined me on a brief break between tournaments to recap some 2022 tournament successes. We also discussed her upcoming plans for the Olympiad and her lifelong goal of chasing the Grandmaster title. This was a fun conversation filled with personal reflection, tournament recommendations and chess study tips and plans. Please read on for more details, links, and timestamps. 01:00- Irina reflects on her recent tournament performances. Mentioned: Irina’s Chessbase Tournament Report 07:00- Why does Irina think she prefers playing in open tournaments rather than women’s tournaments? Mentioned: Irina’s Blog 12:00- How has getting a coach for the first time ever helped Irina’s game? What books has she read? Mentioned: Think Like a Super GM, Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Improve Your Chess Calculation GM Lubomir Ftacnik 19:00- As a 5 time Olimpiad member, How is the tournament different from others? 27:00- 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 29:00- Does Irina enjoy the life of an itinerant chess professional? 33:00-In Irina’s opinion, how could professional chess be improved? 35:00- What big open tournaments would Irina recommend for chess amateurs? Mentioned: Isle of Man (Chess.com International), Gibraltar International Chess Festival, Sunway Sitges Chess Festival 38:00- What is Irina’s favorite tournament of any type? European Men’s Championship 41:00- Does Irina think sexism is worse in chess than in other walks of life? 45:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find IM Andras Toth’s new course, IM Irina Bulmaga’s, as well as so many others here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/ 53:00- What tournaments does Irina have planned in addition to the Olimpiad? How was the experience of playing competitive chess in Cuba? Mentioned: European Women’s Championship 58:00- How many languages does Irina speak? 1:00- Does Irina still hope to chase the GM title? 1:03:00- Thanks so much to Irina for joining me! Here is how to keep up with her: Chessable course: https://www.chessable.com/the-smyslov-ruy-lopez-3g6/course/114883/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/irinabulmaga?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iribulmaga/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FIDE Candidates Round 6 Update- GM Jonathan Tisdall on the tournament so far
We’ve got 6 rounds in the books and GM Ian Nepomniathchtchi and GM Fabiano Caruana are comfortably in first and 2nd place, respectively. GM Jonathan Tisdall is an American born, Norway based author, journalist and is the 3 time champion of Norway. Jonathan has been covering high level chess for decades, so it was great to get his thoughts on the first 6 rounds of the Candidates. Is he surprised by Nepo’s dominance? What has gone wrong for Firouzja and Ding? Do the current leaders make it less likely that we will see Magnus defend the crown? It has been a fascinating tournament so far, and it was fun to discuss it with GM Tisdall! 03:00- GM Jonathan Tisdall joins the show. Mentioned: Chess by the Numbers Blog 15:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out GM Anish Giri’s Candidates videos on his YouTube ,and go Pro to get the course here: Learn chess online: openings, tactics & more - Chessable.com 16:00- Will Magnus defend against these guys? 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- Do we like the fact the clocks don’t have increments for this tournament? 39:00- Why does Nepo excel against everyone but Magnus? 45:00- Double blindness! We were referencing this moment in Anand’s game” https://twitter.com/norwaychess/status/1534982377293893633?lang=bg https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2288820 53:00- When will Jonathan’s next book finally come out? Mentioned: Nick Doody 57:00- We almost forgot to talk about GM Ding Liren! 1:00:00- Thanks to GM Tisdall for joining the show! You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/GMjtis?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 284- GM Eugene Perelshteyn and FM Nate Solon on How to Improve Your Chess Evaluation Skills plus the lessons we can learn from Magnus' blitz games
This week I am joined by two accomplished players, trainers, and co-authors, Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn, and FM Nate Solon. Together, Nathan and Eugene have written the forthcoming book, Evaluate like a Grandmaster. As highly-accomplished players and trainers, Nate and Eugene noticed that there wasn’t a lot of chess literature helping players improve their ability to evaluate positions. They have written a great book to help address this problem. In our conversation, they highlight some of the lessons from the book, including an important discussion of the perils of relying too heavily on numerical engine evaluations. We also discuss some of the standout points and anecdotes from Nate and Eugene’s other work. Nate is a data scientist who writes a great, free chess newsletter called Zwischenzug, and Eugene is a respected opening theoretician who has recently released his first Chessable course, The Grand Prix Attack Reloaded. As always, you can find more details, relevant links, and timestamps below. Prior Appearances by Eugene and Nate : Episode 31 with GM Eugene Perelshteyn Book Recap #17- Zurich 1953 with FM Nate Solon and GM Andy Soltis 02:00- Why write a book on evaluating positions? 09:00- Where do they find the puzzles? For what rating level is the book best suited? 12:00- Why does Nate think that the “centipawn” evaluation system is flawed? 20:30- Patreon mailbag question: “When calculating, how can we know when to shift from crunching potential moves to evaluating a position?” 25:00 What did GM Romani Dzindzichashvilli teach Eugene about evaluating positions? 27:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find the free “Endgame Strategy” Lesson from GM Sam Shankland here: https://www.chessable.com/course/115673 28:00- Nate’s takes! What does Nate consider the “bare essential” chess improvement checklist to hold oneself accountable? 38:00 How well do club level players really know their openings? 52:00- 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 53:00- Eugene tells the story of playing Magnus OTB at Isle of Man Masters in 2017. 1:00:00- What can we learn from Magnus’ approach to a recent Titled Tuesday? 1:07:00- How did Eugene find an unexplored move on move 5 in his Chessable Course, The Grand Prix Attack Reloaded? 1:12:00- Eugene shares a few stories about legendary, deceased Grandmaster, Alex Wojtkiewicz 1:17:00- Nate is an accomplished adult improver, he discusses how his background in poker helped his mental game in chess. 1:20:00- Parting book recommendations! Mentioned: Zurich 1953, Perfect Your Chess, The Questions of Modern Chess Theory, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Dan Heismans books, GM Jacob Aagaard’s books, IM Kostya Kavutskity’s Chessable Course: Endgame Studies 101 Thanks to Nate and Eugene for joining us! Here are the key links to keep up with them: Evaluate like a GM website Nate’s Newsletter: Zwishenzug Eugene’s Chessable Course: The Grand Prix Attack Reloaded Nate’s Twitter Eugene’s Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP 283- Top Trainer GM R.B. Ramesh on How to Improve Your Chess Calculation, and the keys to GM Praggnanandhaa’'s success
This week on Perpetual Chess we talk about chess improvement with one of the premier chess trainers in the world! GM R.B. Ramesh has worked with many of India’s top players including GMs Vidit Gujirathi, Harikrishna and Adhiban. I caught up with Ramesh on the night before he would commence a training camp with one of India’s Olimpiad teams. This team included Ramesh’s star student, GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, who is one of the top junior players in the world and recently made headlines by defeating Magnus Carlsen. GM Ramesh is an author, including of the excellent new book, Improve Your Chess Calculation. In our conversation, we discussed Chess in India as it prepares to host the Olimpiad, the keys to Praggnanandhaa’s success, plus Ramesh answers many listener questions related to chess improvement. There is always so much to learn from GM Ramesh, and this conversation is no exception! Prior Interviews: Episode 144 with R.B. Ramesh Episode 166 with GM R.B. Ramesh and GM Jacob Aagaard 0:00- GM Ramesh joined me shortly before starting a training camp for one of India’s Olimpiad teams. How does he prepare materials for these phenoms? 08:00- What was it like to work with GM Praggnanandhaa as a younger chess student? 14:00- GM Ramesh has written that training should be more challenging than competing OTB. Is this approach feasible for adult improvers? 16:30- Ramesh shares visualization advice for adult improvers. 23:00- Patreon mailbag question- “At what rating is it appropriate to begin training with blindfold puzzles?” Mentioned: Visualize series on Chessable 30:00- 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 31:30- GM Ramesh considers Anand a personal hero and now knows him personally, Is he surprised by GM Anand’s success at 2022 Norway Chess? 39:00- How did Ramesh react the first time GM Praggnanandhaa beat GM Magnus Carlsen? 43:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Will Ramesh do a Chessable course? How many books will be in his series?” 45:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What is Ramesh’s advice for handling tough losses?” 52:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are some common calculation mistakes that even GMs make?” 55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What can we learn from the success of another of Ramesh’s students, WGM Divya Deshmukh? 57:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can find the free “Endgame Strategy” Lesson from GM Sam Shankland here: https://www.chessable.com/course/115673 59:30- Are chess players as a whole getting better at calculation? Mentioned: Free excerpt of Ramesh’s book here. Mentioned: GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess 1:07:00- How does Ramesh define “the drawback principle”? 1:10:00- What advice can Ramesh share for knowing when to stop calculating within a variation? 1:14:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Ramesh observe from Firouzja’s phenomenal success? Does he have any Candidates predictions?” 1:17:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ramesh have an opinion on the fact that Indian players can no longer compete in the British Championship” (which Ramesh won in 2002)? 1:19:00- With the Chess Olimpiad set to take place in Chennai in July, Ramesh shares his thoughts on the explosion of chess in India. 1:24:00- In our last interview, Ramesh gave a ton of book recommendations. Is he keeping up with new chess books? Mentioned: Judit Polgar’s Quality Chess Series, New in Chess Books, Quality Chess Books, Thinker’s Publishing 1:28:00- Thanks so much to Ramesh for sharing some of his chess expertise. Here are links for ways to keep up with him: Improve Your Chess Calculation ProChessTraining.com Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP 282- 2022 FIDE Candidates Preview Double Episode with GM Robert Hess and Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the Chess by the Numbers Blog
The wait is almost over! With the 2022 FIDE Candidates Tournament beginning June 17, we present one last deep dive on this chess-history defining tournament. The winner of this tournament is slated to play GM Magnus Carlsen in the 2023 World Championship match if it takes place. I am joined by two separate guests to discuss the players and what we can expect. First up is GM Robert Hess. Robert, of course, is an insightful and popular commentator who will be traveling to Madrid to cover the event live with his Chess.com team. Robert and I discuss each player individually, as Robert shares his reflections on what he has observed from many years of observing these players up close. Robert’s other appearance on the podcast was nearly 5 years ago, so after an hour of FIDE Candidates talk, we spend some time catching up on other chess-related matters. Following Robert, I am joined by Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the “Chess by the Numbers” blog. I always enjoy getting Tai’s insights, which are primarily derived from an Elo-rating based model. Who is statistically most likely to win? How do Tai’s numerical assessments differ from those of other models and the betting markets? Tune in to hear some fascinating Candidates discussion! You can find brief timestamps below, and more detailed ones on the podcast website here. FIDE Candidates info here 01:00- Intro with details on the Candidates format and Schedule. Prior GM Robert Hess appearance 05:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com you can find the free “Endgame Strategy” Lesson from GM Sam Shankland here: https://www.chessable.com/course/115673 7:45- How does Candidates prep compare for Robert and his announcing team compare to prep for an event like the World Championship? 13:00- What can Robert share about GM Jan-Krystof Duda? 16:45- GM Teimour Radjabov 20:00- GM Hikaru Nakamura 29:30- GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi 35:00- GM Richard Rapport 41:00- GM Fabiano Caruana 47:15- GM Alireza Firouzja 55:45- GM Ding Liren 1:07:00- How does Robert approach commentating on an event like the ongoing “I am not a GM” tourney on Chess.com? 1:15:15- Robert’s OTB exploits! How did it feel to draw GM Viswanathan Anand in 2018 and defeating GM Sam Shankland in 2019. 1:24:45- Global Chess Championship more info here 1:26:30- How does Robert work on his commentary? 1:35:30- Robert’s Book Recs: 1:36:30- Does Robert get recognized in public much? 1:42:45- What is Robert looking forward to most about the Candidates? 1:46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of 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%. 1:48:00- Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the Chess by the Numbers blog joins to give an analytical perspective on the FIDE Candidates. We begin by discussing what differentiates the Candidates from other tournaments. 1:56:15- What do the betting markets and Tai’s model say the probabilities are for each player? Mentioned: BWIN odds here, Smarter Chess Probabilities here 2:06:00- Which player does Tai think the betting market undervalues? Thanks so much to Tai for joining us again. Be sure to subscribe to his blog and support his work via his website. Follow him on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP 281- Dr. Stuart Margulies tells the story behind the classic, best-selling book, Bobby Fischer Teacher Chess
This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by Dr. Stuart Margulies, the co-author of the legendary, best-selling chess book, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. First published in 1966, and written along with Donn Mosenfelder and Fischer himself, this book has sold more than 1.25 million copies, and many believe it to be the best selling chess book of all time! Dr. Margulies tells the story of the modest beginnings of the book, and of his first and subsequent encounters with his fellow New Yorker, Bobby Fischer. Stuart is 89 years of age, but has vivid memories of Fischer and many other key New York City chess figures. Stuart worked as an educational psychologist, and also shares his take on the whether playing chess can positively impact reading scores, a subject about which he wrote a paper in the 1990s. It was so much fun to hear Stuart’s reflections on his life in chess! More details and timestamps can be found below. 0:00- Stuart shares his earliest first-hand memories of Bobby Fischer Mentioned: Alan Kaufman, Jack Collins, FM Asa Hoffman 0:08- We discuss the origins of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess Mentioned: Donn Mosenfelder, Leslie Ault, IM Raymond Weinstein, IM Michael Valvo, Shelby Lyman, Episode 250 with FM Asa Hoffman 16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com 17:00- We discuss more about the history of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, including the origins of its title. Mentioned: Dr. Frank Brady, Fischer-Larsen 1958 28:00- Stuart discusses the one time he beat Fischer in a casual game, and shares more about his personal interactions with Fischer. Mentioned: The Kevitz defense, Shernaz Kennady 44:00- 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%. 45:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Margulies and his collaborators decide to use a format that had no chess notation? Mentioned: Secrets of Spectacular Chess 50:00- Stuart discusses his own, and others people’s research into the effect of chess instruction on kids’ reading scores. Mentioned: Margulies’ Whitepaper: The Effect of Chess on Reading Scores, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, GM Levon Aronian 58:00- Stuart describes his encounters with GM Nicolas Rossolimo and a young GM Judit Polgar Mentioned: FM Jude Acers, Abraham Kupchik, Irving Chernev, Al Horowitz, Fred Reinfeld 1:07:00- What was the motivation for writing Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess? 1:13:00- As such a sharp 89 year old, does Stuart have any mental and physical health tips? Mentioned: New in Chess Magazine, GM Genna Sosonko’s books , A Change of Air by Ivan Gold can be found the compilation Nickel Miseries, Endgame by Dr. Frank Brady 1:21:00- Thanks so much to Stuart 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
Book Recap #26- Discussing Alexei Shirov's Fire on Board with Mitchell Fabian
After a one month hiatus, Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss another classic chess book- GM Alexei Shirov’s Fire on Board. This 1997 game collection book shows the games of one of the world’s best attacking players at the peak of his powers. Joining me to discuss the book is Mitchell Fabian. Mitch is a 26 year old dad, actuary and avid chess student who suggested this book because he felt that it helped his chess tremendously. In addition to many wild slugfest games and creative ideas, the book covers an interesting time in chess history, when the World Championship Title was disputed by different organizations. We cover all of this in a fun conversation about a challenging, but informative book. More details and timestamps below: 0:00- We welcome Mitch Fabian to the show and he discusses why he chose Shirov’s Fire on Board. Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiiy 6:00- For what rating is Fire on Board best suited? Mentioned: Seirawan’s Play Winning Chess 12:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com, the premier chess education website. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com 13:00- Patreon mailbag question: Any hot takes on the Shirov-Kasparov World Championship match that was supposed to take place in the late 1990's but never did? Mentioned: Fire on Board 2, Luis Rentero Suarez 24:00- Back to the book! We discuss the book’s structure and share some quotes from a great foreword by GM Jon Speelman Mentioned: Topalov-Shirov 2004 with 47… Bh3!!! 36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of 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%. 37:00- We share a few of things that struck us about Fire on Board Mentioned: Attack with Mikhail Tal, Episode 273 with GM Johan Hellsten, GM Vasilios Kotronios, Lifetime Repertoires: Jan Gustaffson 1. E4 e5 , Everyman Chess “E Book” of Fire on Board 48:00- Should we be concerned about some errors in the book that modern engines identify? Mentioned: GM Samuel Sevian, Shirov-Kramnik 1994 51:00- Mitch and I share a few other things we like about Fire on the Board. Mentioned: Book Recap #1- The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios 1:04:00- We wrap the book discussion before segueing to some adult improvement discussion with Mitch. In Mitch’s honor I will be making a modest donation to The US Chess School. 1:05:00- Mitch is quite an accomplished adult improver so before we wrap up he shares some improvement recs. Mentioned: Chess Dojo Discord, GM Eugene Perelshteyn 1:16:00- Thanks so much to Mitch for joining us! Here is where you can find him: Chess Dojo Discord Twitter Chess.com Lichess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices