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.189 - GM Patrick Wolff
Two-time US Chess Champion GM Patrick Wolff retired from competitive chess in 1998 and has led a busy life away from the board. He is married with two kids, and has had a successful career in the hedge fund industry. Nonetheless, Patrick shares, he still thinks about chess “all the time,” and he follows top level chess whenever he can. On the topic of top level chess, in the 1990’s Patrick had a ringside seat to World Championship Level chess, as he was a member of young Viswanthan Anand’s inner circle. Patrick wrote a great book about these experiences, Kasparov vs. Anand, The Inside Story, and shares some vivid recollections from observing the historic 1995 World Championship up close. Patrick is also the author of the popular series, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess (newly updated with the title, Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss.) As his unique background might suggest, Patrick is full of insights and ideas about the past and future of chess, artificial intelligence in chess, and the ways that chess could potentially be promoted differently to increase its popularity even more.I greatly enjoyed our conversation, and I think you will too! More details and timestamps can be found below. 0:00- We begin by talking about GM Wolff’s current relationship with chess. Despite being retired from competitive chess for decades, a day doesn’t go by during which Patrick doesn’t think about chess, and he has had periodic binges of internet blitz addiction, which ultimately leave him unsatisfied. Mentioned: Chess24, Chess.com, GM Viswanathan Anand, Internet Chess Club, Christopher Chabris, GM Viktor Korchnoi. GM Vassily Smyslov, Anand-Wolff 1984 9:00- Patrick dives deeper into his working and professional relationship with GM Viswanathan Anand. He worked on his team for a few key matches, including his world championship match with Kasparov. Mentioned: PDF link for Kasparov vs. Anand, The Inside Story- here: http://chabris.com/pub/Wolff/index.html , GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, GM Boris Gelfand, Tim Henke, American Chess Journal featuring GM Wolff’s article about the 1992 Anand-Ivanchuk match can be read here: http://chabris.com/pub/acj/1/AmericanChessJournalPremiereIssue.pdf, Luis Rentero, Ivanchuk-Anand 1992 21:00- Patrick walks us through his decision to pursue a career outside of chess. Mentioned: IM Stuart Rachels, American Gambit documentary (not “American Grandmaster”, as I called it in the show) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYoEvvYi3YI 27:00- We return to the topic of GM Viswanathan Anand, as Patrick reflects on working on his team for the 1995 World Championship Match against Kasparov. Mentioned: GM Elizbar Ubilava, GM Jonathan Speelman, GM Artur Yusopov, Anand-Kasparov Game 11: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018626, GM Vladimir Kramnik 39:00- Chessable has many great ways to study the World Champions, including a brand new Free Endgame Course from World Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen. You can get it here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-endgame-lesson/course/48079/ 40:00- Patrick has a keen interest in the use of AI in chess and took this opportunity to expand here on a great lecture he gave regarding the topic at the St. Louis Chess Club. (Talk here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc6ePHTsqn0) Mentioned: AlphaZero, Leela, Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, IM David Levy, Deep Thought, GM Walter Browne, GM Alex Fishbein, Deep Blue, Hydra, GM Michael Adams, 47:30- We are all enjoying the recent online chess boom, but Patrick shared some fascinating ideas for ways to promote online chess even more. Mentioned: 2015 Patrick Wolff interview with GM Maurice Ashley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQgJO_bMZcQ, Chess24.com, CHess.com , GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Peter Svidler, IM Greg Shahade Professional Chess Association, 1:02:30- Patrick answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about which skills as a chess player have helped his career in finance, and then tells some stories about how chess has intersected with his professional life. Mentioned: Emanuel Lasker, Peter Thiel, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger 1:09:30- Patrick shares a few tips from his experiences doing blindfold chess exhibitions. Mentioned: GM Michael Wilder, GM Kenneth Rogoff, Peter Thiel 1:12:30- My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer was a formative book for Patrick. He discusses the reasons for its powerful impact and gives a few other book and improvement recommendations. Mentioned: Wolff-Rachels 1992, Fischer-Trifunovich, R. Byrne-Fischer, Pawn Structure Chess, Art of Defense in Chess, The Art of Attack in Chess, which is also available from Chessable, Alexander Alekhine. Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal, Zurich 1953 1:21:00- Patrick answers another listener question relating to whether he will ever write a chess book for intermediate players. 1:25:00- Thanks to Patrick for sharing his experiences! If you would like to reach him his email is: Patrick at grandmastercap.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.188 - GM S.P. Sethuraman
S.P. Sethuraman is a Grandmaster and Author based in Chennai, India. GM Sethuraman is known as a dynamic and well-prepared player, and he has earned lofty titles such as the 2016 Asian Chess Champion and the 2014 National Champion of India among many others. He has now put his formidable opening knowledge to use by publishing a new book with Thinker’s Publishing. Beat the Najdorf and Taimanov Sicilians. It offers sharp lines against two of the more popular Sicilian variations. We discuss this book, as well as topics ranging from the life of a traveling chess pro during quarantine, to the highs and lows of his career, to why chess players should practice yoga and meditation. I also enjoyed our usual discussion of chess books, chess engines, chess improvement and more. As always, please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We begin by discussing how coronavirus is impacting India and GM Sethuraman, and he discusses his new book, Beat the Najdorf and Taimanov Siclians Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand, GM R.B. Ramesh, Geert van der Velde of Chessable, Archangel Variation of the Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Najdorf, Siclian Taimanov, Daniel Vanheirzeele of Thinker’s Publishing, Sethuraman-Giri FIDE World Cup 2017, Anand-Ding Liren 2020 11:30- Chennai is one of the strongest chess cities in the world with both established and up and coming GMs among its residents. GM Sethuraman discusses how chess has grown there and in India generally, and answers a Patreon mailbag question about whether he has picked up any new hobbies during the time he’s been stuck at home. Mentioned: GM Baskaran Adhiban, GM Pragganandha, GM Aravindh Chatrambaram, GM Sasrikan, GM R.B. Ramesh , GM Surya Ganguly’s YouTube Channel, GM Wesley So, GM Vidit Gujrathi’s Twitch Channel, Chessbase India YouTube Channel 21:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. There are great courses for purchase as well as free of charge. One of the latest is GM Pascal Charbonneau’s free, Short and Sweet: Legendary Chess course. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-legendary-tactics/course/47106/ 22:30- What did GM Sethuraman learn from training with GM R.B. Ramesh Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard, GM Sam Shankland, IM Stuart Rachels 29:00- What were GM Sethuraman’s toughest losses and most memorable victories? Mentioned: Le Quang Liem vs. Sethurman 2019, Wei Yi vs. Sethuraman 2016, Le Quang Liem vs. Ganguly 2016 32:00- GM Sethuraman tells a story about how seeing an interesting game, Karjakin-Anand 2006, ignited a fierce interest for him in opening theory and made an impression on his trainer, GM R.B. Ramesh. Mentioned: GM R.B. Ramesh, https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1385670 36:00- What are GM Sethuraman’s recent preferred books and training methods? Mentioned: Python Strategy by Tigran Petrosian, Alekhine’s Greatest Games, Positional Decision Making in Chess by GM Boris Gelfand, Gata Kamsky: Chess Gamer, David Navara: My Chess World 40:45- How widely available and affordable are chess books in India? What is the “chess business” landscape like there? Mentioned: Chess.com India, Chessbase India, Chess24.com, 44:00- How would GM Sethuraman recommend that club players utilize engines? GM Lawrence Kaufman, GM Erwin L’Ami, Stockfish, LeelaChessZero 49:00 GM Sethuraman takes a couple of questions from the chess Twitter community Mentioned: IM Venkat Saravanan, Tal Chess Club in Chennai, Chessable 53:45- Thanks so much to GM Sethuraman for joining us. Keep up with him here: Twitter- https://twitter.com/sethuramanchess?lang=en Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/sethuramanchess/?hl=en Book via Thinker’s Publishing (with a link to a downloadable free preview)- https://thinkerspublishing.com/product/s-p-sethuraman-beat-the-najdorf-taimanov-sicilians/ Book via Forward Chess- https://forwardchess.com/product/beat-the-najdorf-and-taimanov-sicilians If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.187 - USCF Master and Cognitive Scientist Christopher Chabris returns!
Christopher Chabris is a renowned cognitive scientist, and co-author (with Daniel Simons) of the best selling book, The Invisible Gorilla. Long-time Perpetual Chess listeners will know that he is also a USCF Master, an adult-improver, and a chess dad, thus making him a great recurring guest. Since we have been discussing the science of learning a lot in recent conversations, I thought it would be a great time to check back in with someone with specific domain knowledge. Christopher walks us through the latest in scientific research, as it pertains to learning. This includes explanations of spaced repetition and how aging effects chess skill. Christopher also shares some thoughts about ways that chess learning could be properly studied scientifically. Of course, there was a lot more to discuss than just the science of learning, so Christopher and I also talked about the latest, greatest chess books, what he learned from an online camp with GM Jacob Aagaard. He also told a few more fun stories from his many chess adventures. As always, keep reading for more information and timestamps. 0:00- Since Christopher is a frequent Perpetual Chess Listener, we begin by hearing his perspective on the recent chess improvement tips that have been shared on the show, especially as they relate to the science of learning. Mentioned: Listen to Christopher’s prior Perpetual Chess interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/jm/podcast/ep-95-uscf-master-cognitive-scientist-christopher-chabris/id1185023674?i=1000421410393 Also Mentioned: IM Erik Kislik 8:45- What do we really know for sure when it comes to chess learning? Mentioned: Spaced repetition. Some of the information cited comes from a study by Yana Weinstein, Christopher R. Madan, & Megan A. Sumeracki- Teaching the Science of Learning Christopher recommends this book for a general overview of the science of learning: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013 GM Jacob Aagard, Perpetual Chess: Woodpecker Method book recap with Neal Bruce, Perpetual Chess Interview with NM Elijah Logozar, interleaving 20:30- Christopher tackles a couple of good Patreon mailbag questions relating to how one could conduct a study to test best practices in chess learning and how to correct any misconceptions that are cited about brain science in the chess world. Mentioned: GM Jan Gustafsson, Malcolm Gladwell 33:00- What do scientists know about aging as it relates to brain function? 37:45- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. One of the many free courses that I like is GM Alex Colovic’s Short and Sweet: Queen’s Gambit Declined. 38:00- Christopher gives a “trip report” on an online chess camp he did with renowned trainer, GM Jacob Aagaard. Also mentioned: GM Leonid Shamkovich, NM Bruce Pandolfini, IM Erik Kislik 49:00- Christopher’s son is playing chess fairly actively, and gives an update on his progress. Then he discusses the aspect of chess he is finding most challenging in his competitions these days, and how he is spending his study time. Mentioned: IM Jim Rizzitano, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy 57:00- Christopher is an avid chess reader, so he gives a detailed update on some chess books he has recently enjoyed. Mentioned: Gambit App Books here: http://www.gambitbooks.com/webapp/appbooks.html, The Anand Files, The Road to Chess Improvement, Game Changer Improve Your Chess Now, Secrets of Practical Chess, GM Jonathan Rowson We also mentioned, but haven't yet read the following: Think Like a Machine, GM Tukmakov ‘s Modern Chess Formula, The Powerful Impact of Engines 1:02:00- Christopher discusses some of the online leagues in which he has played and gives preparation tips as well as a general comparison of playing online compared to OTB. Mentioned: Lichess4545.com 1:16:30- Christopher was ready this time for the question of brushes with famous chess players! Mentioned: IM Dan Edelman, GM Anatoly Karpov, Deep Thought, GM Walter Browne, GM Patrick Wolff, GM Viswanathan Anand, Murray Campbell, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Fabiano Caruana, Dan Smith, Twitter Chess Tournament 1:25:00- Thanks as always to Christopher for stopping by and sharing his knowledge and stories. Here is his info: Website-http://chabris.com/ Twitter- https://twitter.com/cfchabris If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Book Recap #9 : My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer with guest co-host FM Donny Ariel
On this month’s edition of Chess Books Recaptured, I am joined by FM Donny Ariel to discuss one of the most acclaimed chess books of all time, Bobby Fischer’s My 60 Memorable Games. This book, of course needs little introduction. It is a game compilation that covers the period 1957-1967, a stretch that saw Fischer ascend from talented teen to the world’s elite. The book has been mentioned as a favorite countless times on Perpetual Chess, and was a formative one for both Donny and me. My co-host, like Fischer, is a New York native, who used to frequent the Manhattan Chess Club, and has heard stories passed down about Fischer throughout his chess-playing life. When Donny is not helping me recap chess books, he is a bankruptcy lawyer with 2 young kids at home, so I greatly appreciate his taking the time to help with this project. As always, you can find lots more details and timestamps below, and embedded hyperlinks are on the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog 0:00- We begin by talking about Donny’s background, and about the long shadow that Fischer casts in New York City, where Donny lives. Mentioned: Profile of a Prodigy by Frank Brady, GM Garry Kasparov on Fischer in the NY Review of the Books, GM Alex Fishbein, Fischer-Geller 1967, Fred Wilson books- https://www.fredwilsonchess.com/, The Art of Chess Analysis by GM Jan Timman, IM Kamran Shirazi, GM Larry Evans, 19:00- We share a few stories from those who had the experience of being alive when Fischer’s book came out in 1969. Mentioned: NM Fred Wilson, Richard Reich, GM William Lombady, Fischer-Gligoric Candidates 1959, Spassky-Fischer Game 1 1972 31:00- We discuss the available formats of the book. It is available on Kindle, but there it is not available on Chessable, Forward Chess or another e-book app that enables you to play through the moves. ,A LiChess study compilation here has all 60 games: https://lichess.org/study/fokh9Tmy,and Chessgames.com lists the games here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1000498, GM Jesse Kraai 34:00- My Great Predecessors Part 4 by Garry Kasparov is largely about GM Bobby Fischer, and it is a great way to study his games. It is available with MoveTrainer technology on Chessable.com: https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-4/course/29726/ 35:00- We read the introduction and then discuss the themes of the book a bit. Mentioned: GM Larry Evans, GM Emanuel Lasker, NM Nick Conticello, Fischer-Lombardy 1960, GM Mark Taimanov, GM Bent Larsen, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Peter Svidler 44:30- We share and discuss some of our favorite quotes from the book and talk about some of the most famous games. Mentioned: Fischer-Larsen 1958, Fischer-Larsen 1963/4, Agadmator’s Fischer-Botvinnik Recap, The Old Riddle of Fischer-Botvinnik by Karsten Muller for Chessbase.com, Botvinnik-Fischer brief YouTube footage, Szabo-Fischer 1960, Fischer-Tal 1961,Endgame by Frank Brady , Fischer-Lombardy 1960, Fischer-Bolbachan 1962, Walther-Fischer 1959, Fischer-Gligoric 1959 1:10:00- Why did he choose the title “My 60 Memorable Games?” Fischer-Celle 1964, IM Anatoly Lein, IM Kostya Kavutskiy 1:17:00- Getting back to our favorite games, Fischer-Geller 1967 is another fascinating game, despite its being one of the 3 in the book that Fischer lost. Mentioned: Fischer-Benko 1963, Pal Benko: My Life, Games and Compositions, GM Jan Gustaffson, Fischer-Najdorf 1962 1:29:00- What chess improvement lessons can we learn from My 60 Memorable Games? For what level student is it appropriate? Mentioned: GM Hikaru Nakamura,GM Jesse Kraai, Logical Chess Move by Move, Zurich 1953 1:48:00- Thanks to FM Donny Ariel for helping out! Next month’s book recap will be Blindfold Chess: History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games By Eliot Hearst and John Knott If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.186 GM Erwin L'Ami
35 year-old Grandmaster Erwin L’Ami has had quite a varied and interesting chess career thus far. He is one of the top players in the Netherlands, and has competed on every Dutch Olympiad team since 2006. He has had many impressive finishes in individal tournaments, including winning the 2015 Reykjavik Open. When not competing himself, Erwin is a highly respected opening theoretician, who has worked with former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov and currently works with perennial top 10 player, GM Anish Giri. All of this makes Erwin the perfect person to publish a Lifetime Repertoires course on the Caro-Kann defense for Chessable. In our conversation, we touch all aspects of his chess career. Topics included how he works with engines, the life of a traveling second, the 2020 FIDE Candidates, Anish Giri and Magnus’ Carlsen’s twitter banter, the latest in Caro-Kann theory, improvement advice,and the identity of his favorite player of all time. As you can imagine, there is lots to dig into! Show notes and timestamps can be found below: 0:00- We begin by chatting a bit about the Caro-Kann and about Erwin’s new course. Why was now a good time to do a course on the Caro-Kann? This also includes talk of what sort of engine use goes into top-level opening preparation generally. Mentioned: Leela Chess Zero, Stockfish Open Source Engine, Setting up Engines in Chessbase Video with John Hartmann of US Chess- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_G-tvePe6Q, Jon Edwards, GM Viswanthan Anand 14:00- Erwin tells some stories about working with GM Veselin Topalov during his 2010 World Championship Match Mind Master by GM Viswanthan Anand, The Anand Files by VIshwanathan Anand, Episode 177 with GM Peter Heine Nielsen 19:00- Should the format of the World Chess Championship be changed? Mentioned: Daryl Morey interview with GM Hikaru Nakamura- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prI_EEq6Xsc IM Greg Shahade, GM Magnus Carlsen, FIDE Candidates Tournament 2011 23:30- We talk about what it was like for GM Erwin L’Ami to travel to the 2020 FIDE Candidates tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia and what he thinks of how the tournament was handled generally. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 174 with GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov , GM Teimour Radjabov, GM Emil Sutovsky 33:00- GM Anish Giri has been showing great results in rapid and blitz chess lately. What is his secret to his improvement? Mentioned: GM Ian Nepomniatchi, Chessable Masters 2020, GM Mikhail Botvinnik 41:00- We finally tackle the Girl-Carlsen “Twitter Beef!” Erwin answers two related questions from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag! Mentioned: IM Anna Rudolf 46:30- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable! Check out GM Erwin L’Ami’s Free Short and Sweet Caro Course here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-the-caro-kann/course/45388/ Check out his comprehensive and impressive, Lifetime Repertoire Caro-course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-caro-kann/course/37366/ 47:30- We talk about some of Erwin’s favorite chess books and a novel he has been enjoying. Mentioned: On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendriks, Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, My Great Predecessors, GM Jacob Aagaard, Game Changer by GM Mathew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan 54:00- What is GM Erwin L’Ami’s Best Chess Improvement Advice? Mentioned: GM Peter Svidler 59:00- Erwin tells the story of being in attendance while Garry Kasparov, his favorite player, played one of his most famous games, vs. GM Veselin Topalov in Wijk an Zee in 1999. Mentioned: Test of Time by GM Garry Kasparov 1:02:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks about the role that body language plays in top level chess. Mentioned: GM Viswanthan Anand, GM Michael Adams, IM Stuart Rachels’ The Best I Saw in Chess, see Chess24’s coverage of Magnus’ 2014 blunder against Anand, here: https://chess24.com/en/read/news/carlsen-blunders-but-wins-game-6-video-recap 1:08:00- Erwin briefly discusses what it was like to be the student of famed trainer GM Vladimir Chuchelov, who has also worked with GMs Caruana and Anand. 1:10:00- What is life on the road like for the second of a top 10 player? Mentioned: GM Max Euwe, GM Jan Timman, IM Alina L’Ami, Jeroen Van Den Berg, organizer of Tata Steel Chess 1:20:00- We bring it back to the Caro-Kann, and Erwin answers some questions, including one from a Patreon supporter, relating to the theoretical state of the Caro Kann defense. Mentioned: Panov-Botvinnik attack, Shirov variation, Short variation of the Advanced Caro Mentioned: GM Danil Dubov, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Vladislav Artemiev, GM Jan Gustafsson 1:28:00- Thanks to GM Erwin L’Ami for an insightful and enjoyable interview. Get his Caro-Kann Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-caro-kann/course/37366/ Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/erwinlami?lang=en If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.185 - IM Stuart Rachels
In 1993 IM Stuart Rachels was one of the top young chess players in the United States. He was the winner of the U.S. Junior Championship in 1988, was United States co-champion in 1989-1990, and had played casual and tournament games with the likes of GM Garry Kasparov, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Boris Spassky, and many others. So why did he decide to hang up the chessboard when he pursued a doctorate in philosophy? Stu answers this question in our interview, as well as discussing a few of the highlights from his great new book The Best I Saw in Chess. In the book, he tells some amazing stories and provides high level analysis of his many memorable chess skirmishes. In our conversation, we talk about how this 8 year project came to be, as well as Stu's future plans related to the chess world. Please keep reading for more details, links and timestamps. IM Stuart Rachels 0:00- Stuart walks us through the eight- year process of writing this book Mentioned: FM Dave Gertler, NM Kyle Therrell, GM Garry Kasparov 8:00- How did IM Rachels, as a young chess prodigy, get to play Garry Kasparov in 2 simuls? Mentioned: American Gambit (Some videos have been removed, so you have to jump around YouTube to different excerpts to watch the whole thing, but here is part 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh3zlmAG8x4 ) GM Alex Fishbein, GM Patick Wolff, Kudrin-Rachels 1989, GM Andy Soltis, GM John Nunn, FM Dave Gertler, My Great Predecessors, GM Yasser Seirawan 17:30- IM Rachels shares one of his many Yasser Seirawan stories, and shares a few more of his favorite memories from his life in chess. Mentioned: IM John Donaldson, GM Samuel Reshevsky, GM Robert Byrne, GM Alexander Kotov, GM Miguel Najdorf, GM Boris Spassky, GM Tony Miles, GM Anatoly Karpov, Karpov-Miles 1980 25:00- GM Ben Finegold told me to ask Stu who he thinks is better, Kasparov or Carlsen? So I did! Mentioned: Howard Stern, NM Dan Heisman, IM Vivek Rao, IM Jim Rizzitano, GM Patrick Wolff 33:00- My Great Predecessors Part 5 is now available on Chessable! Get it here: https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-5/course/34892/ 34:00- We dive into the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag. Why did Stu decide to retire from tournament chess after so much success? Mentioned: IM Vivek Rao, FM Mike Klein, GM Tal Shaked, IM Boris Kogan, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Ben Finegold, GM Larry Christiansen, Alexey Troitsky, Genrikh Kasparyan, Francois Labelle, GM Jonathan Rowson, Andrew Metrick, Joel Friedman, GM Maxim Dlugy 52:00- In 2017 Stu drove to St. Louis to see Kasparov, Anand and other greats at the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz. What was that experience like? Mentioned: Allen Kaufman , GM Vassily Smyslov 57:00- What are some of Stuart’s favorite chess books? Tal, Petrosian, Spassky and Korchnoi by GM Andy Soltis, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Secrets of Practical Chess by GM John Nunn 1:04:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Stu a question related to a story that he heard about Stu’s ability to calculate as a kid and about the abilities of strong players generally to calculate and visualize. 1:10:00- Has Stu kept up with his chess peers from his active days? Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Adam Lief, Andrew Metrick, GM Joel Benjamin 1:14:00- Thanks so much to Stuart for sharing his experiences! You can read an excerpt of his book from New in Chess Publishing: https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9097.pdf You can buy the book from Amazon or New in Chess or Forward Chess: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Saw-Chess-Instruction-Champion/dp/9056918818/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=stuart+rachels&qid=1594673740&s=books&sr=1-1 https://www.newinchess.com/en_US/the-best-i-saw-in-chess-paperback-interactive-ebook https://forwardchess.com/product/the-best-i-saw-in-chess?sscid=91k3_fazxa Lastly, you can email IM Rachels at StuartRachels at hotmail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.184 - GM Kevin Goh (Adult Improver Series)
GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming is the seven- time champion of Singapore, and is a renowned opening theoretician who wrote Chess Developments, Sicilian 6. Bg5 Najdorf, and has published many articles for ChessPublishing.com. This year, Kevin earned the GM title at the relatively late age of 36 while working full time as the CFO of an oncology company! As Kevin tells us, earning the title was the culmination of a 10 year quest, which involved many setbacks, much travel and time off from work and an indispensable support network of friends, family and a few GM mentors. Kevin’s inspiring story is full of good chess improvement advice no matter what title or rating you may be chasing. You can find many more details of our conversation and the related links and timestamps below. 02:00- We begin by discussing the current state of Coronavirus and chess in Kevin’s native Singapore, and the Chess against Covid initiative that Kevin and some friends of his recently started. Mentioned: Chess against Covid initiative, Junior Tay, Olimpiu Urcan (see his great Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/urcan ), GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov 8:30- Kevin walks us through his long journey to the GM title, which has been a nearly a decade-long quest as well as the highlight of his chess career. Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew 14:00- Once Kevin decided to pursue chess full time, what study routine did he implement? Mentioned: Perfect Your Chess, IM Erik Kislik, GM Gyula Sax, see Gyula-Sax-Kevin Goh 2011 here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=N1Q2wYdh/tNWwlrJVxBDAkPiax9hdmoywl1jMwd0KJF0mYtLI6YQ7V3O/cExPR3z Secrets of Spectacular Chess by GM Jonathan Levitt and FM David Friedgood, GM Daniel Fernandez, Chessbase India feature on Kevin Goh by Junior Tay here: https://chessbase.in/news/Dressed_to_Impress_How_IM_Kevin_Goh_prepped_and_persevered_for_his_final_GM_norm, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen 36:00- When Kevin got his 3rd norm in 2018, he needed just 7 more ELO points for the title, little did he know that these last rating points were far from a formality! Mentioned: GM Ashwin Jayaram, IM Elect Donny Ariel!, GM Avetik Grigoryan, GM Boris Avrukh, Chessmood.com 49:00- What did it feel like to finally earn the GM title in 2020 after all of these struggles? 51:00- Chessable.com has many excellent “Lifetime Repertoire” courses including ones by GM Jan Gustafsson, IM Christof Sielecki and a brand new one on the Caro Kann, from GM Erwin L’ami. The place to see the all of Chessable’s Lifetime Repertoire courses is here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-openings/s/lifetime 51:45- What is Kevin Goh’s chess improvement advice for fellow adult improvers? GM Karsten Muller, GM David Smerdon, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Anatoly Karpov, Positional Sacrifices by GM Neil McDonald, Karpov-Gelfand 1993: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1048256 GM Jonathan Rowson , IM Willy Hendriks On the Origin of Good Moves, NM Elijah Logozar, 1:08:00- What is Kevin’s opinion and experience with The Woodpecker Method and spaced repetition generally? Mentioned: GM Hans Tikkanen and GM Alex Smith, Recapping the Woodpecker Method with Neal Bruce , The Road to Chess Improvement. Caruana-Carlsen Game 1 2018 1:14:00- Patreon supporter of the show, FM Andrey Terekhov, writes in to ask his friend Kevin what his next goal is now that he has gotten the GM title. Mentioned: Aeroflot Open, FIDE Online Olympiad 1:20:00- What advice did GM Jacob Aagaard give Kevin when he was stuck at a plateau? 1:23:00- Thanks so much to Kevin for sharing his story and his wisdom. Here is his contact info: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/GMkevingwm?__tn__=%2CdlC-R-R&eid=ARAnkjbSRRYN_2CulGTyid0y7WpIDj2QMkJ-wDYtOOFN7ip64ExECRkK2BWZ-uqeSv4gU3bJXgZ7rSR5&hc_ref=ARQT0DEi2WlenxdbN_3NX6qg3_ffFhCYDVGMLIwg9I3xJoAFO0UpEuGwqcO5wrPM8Iw Twitter- https://twitter.com/kevingohwm Email- kgwm83 at hotmail.com If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.183 - Rochelle Ballantyne
Rochelle Ballantyne is best-known in the chess world as one of the star scholastic chess players featured in the excellent 2012 documentary, Brooklyn Castle, which chronicles the lives of the students and teachers at the scholastic chess powerhouse school, IS 318 in Brooklyn, New York. In the years since that movie, Rochelle has continued to pile up impressive achievements. She earned a BA from Stanford University, a Masters of Education degree from Columbia University, and has been accepted into the New York University Law School for the fall. Rochelle also had many scholastic chess successes, she attained a peak US Chess rating of 2127, and she actively promotes chess as an educational tool. Last, but most importantly, Rochelle has long been a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and the Black Lives Matter movement. She shares her perspective on this movement, both as it pertains to the chess world, and to the world at large. Please enjoy our wide-ranging conversation. Timestamps and relevant links can be found below. We catch up on what Rochelle has been doing since she was featured in Brooklyn Castle. Mentioned: Elizabeth Spiegel on Perpetual Chess December 10, 2019 , Brooklyn Castle’s Website Lists Where You Can Watch The Movie, here: https://brooklyncastle.com/#watch1l’ Read Melinda Mathews’ 2018 Interview with Rochelle here: https://new.uschess.org/news/qa-rochelle-ballantyne-representation-important 7:00- What is the update on Rochelle’s Chess Playing? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, US Chess School 12:00- From her viewpoint as a woman and an African American chess player, what were Rochelle’s interactions like in the chess world? Mentioned: FM Justus Williams, NM James Black, FM Joshua Colas, Stanford University, 23:45- A Patreon supporter of the podcast writes in to ask Rochelle how tournament players can help be supportive African American chess players. Mentioned: Alexandra Botez shares a personal experience about sexual harassment in the chess world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6W8EgX9Uc0 29:00- The latest and greatest from Chessable is an updated and expanded comprehensive checkmate pattern course by CraftyRaf- check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/ 30:00- What is Rochelle’s opinion of how race relations have been handled by the US Chess Federation and other entities? Mentioned: Read the US CHess statement on Black Lives Matter here: https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/ Chess GIrls DC, Chess.com’s Peter Doggers interview series, On Racism, can be read here: https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-nm-daniel-jones https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-gm-pontus-carlsson https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-racism-watu-kobese Bill Goichberg 38:00- Rochelle answers a few more listener-questions relating to education policy, both inside and outside of the chess world. Mentioned: IS 318 Vice Principal John Galvin, GM Maurice Ashley, Queen City Classic Chess Tournament 47:00- Has Rochelle been attending any of the Black Lives Matter protests? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s Twitter and Facebook, 54:00- Does the fact that White moves first in chess have racist undertones in Rochelle’s opinion? Mentioned: Jen Shahade, Alexandra Botez 1:00- Thanks to Rochelle, for sharing her perspective with us. Here is a list from Rochelle of Black Lives Matter causes and organizations that could use some support: https://linktr.ee/cdr3?fbclid=IwAR1URl1PP7wBQNIF2Tt1DvYdSz_XodqZBXqJR0Vle0TGLTzdCO8jY-0n-WQ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Book Recap #8: The World Champions I Knew by GM Genna Sosonko
Welcome back to another monthly edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured! This month, I am joined by electrical engineer, Chessable author, and chess blogger, Vjekoslav “Vjeko” Nemec. Like me, Vjekoslav is a big fan of GM Genna Sosonko’s writing, so we were eager to discuss one of his books. Vjeko and I agree that The World Champion’s I Knew may not be Sosonko’s best book, but due to its prominent subjects, it might be the most accessible. Like his other books, The World Champions I Knew is marked by vivid first hand accounts and beautiful prose, and its high points make the book well worth reading. In his book, GM Sosonko writes about 7 different world chess champions, so Vjeko and I spent time sharing quotes and reflections about each essay, and ranked our favorite chapters. Please read on for more details and timestamps. If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/6/23/bonus-pod-recapping-the-world-champions-i-knew-by-gm-genna-sosonko 1:00- We begin by discussing why Vjeko Nemec wanted to discuss a book by Grandmaster Genna Sosonko, why we settled on The World Champions I Knew , and we share a few details from GM Sosonko’s fascinating life story. Mentioned: Perpetual Chess interview with GM Genna Sosonko (June 2018), Smart Chip from St. Petersburg, Russian Silhoettes, The Reliable Past, Evil-Doer: Half a Century with Viktor Korchnoi, GM Garry Kasparov 13:45- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. Two of the many courses that you can check out right now are Vjekoslav Nemec’s The Modern Against Everything, and GM Sam Shankland’s new course, Lifetime Repertoires: Black Against the English, The Reti, and sidelines 14:30- We read a bit of the introduction to the book and give an overview of the book before discussing the book chapter by chapter. Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein, John Hartmann, 19:00- The first chapter we discuss is the one about Jose Raoul Capablaca, which focuses on GM Sosonko’s interactions with Capablanca’s then wife, Olga Clark Capablanca. The Genius and The Princess by Edward Winter 26:30- Next up is legendary world champion Alexander Alekhine Mentioned: Chess Historian Edward Winter on Sourcing 32:45- Smyslov Mentioned: Smyslov on the Couch, The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn 45:00- Legendary Dutch Champion Max Euwe Mentioned: Todd Bryant, Mike Zaloznyy 54:00- We discuss the chapter about Sixth World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik Mentioned: Soviet Outcast: The Life and Games of Grigory Levenfish, GM Viktor Korchnoi 1:02- GM Tigran Petrosian Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Efim Geller 1:13- Tal time! We discuss the best part of the book, the chapter GM Mikhail Tal. Tal-Lautier 1992, Timman’s Titans, The Longest Game, Chess Duels by Yasser Seirawan, Tal Keller Zurich 1959, Steve Doyle, GM Alexei Suetin, Lev Tolstoy, Bacchus, Mythos by Stephen Fry 1:35:00- Thanks to Vjeko for helping out and sharing his knowledge! In lieu of payment for his efforts, Vjeko is donating to Tunde Onakoya’sChess in Slums Program. You can donate to support them here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-chess-in-the-slums-in-nigeria 1:39:00- Blindfold puzzles of the month courtesy of SayChess1 Puzzle #1- White to move White Pawn h4 King b1 Queen c2 Black Pawns g7 and h5 King h7 Queen g6 https://lichess.org/study/2Jj2xWA5 Puzzle #2- White to move White Rook a1 King d2 Black Pawns on b2 and c2 King b4 https://lichess.org/study/z7M9gUy5! Follow Vjeko on twitter here: https://twitter.com/chessentials_ Read his Chessentials blog here: https://chessentials.com/ Buy his Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/the-modern-defense-against-everything/course/27749/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP182 - IM Willy Hendriks
IM Willy Hendriks is a Netherlands based chess trainer, and an award winning author of two books: Move First Think Later (2012) and his excellent new book, On the Origin of Good Moves. IM Hendriks is quite an impressive chess player and adult improver. He has two GM norms, and he attained his peak rating at the age of 43. Eleven years later his 2438 FIDE rating is still not far from his personal best. IM Hendriks and I had a fascinating conversation about both of his books ,and about the subject of chess improvement generally. Please read on for more details and time stamps. 2:30- After a brief intro we dig into how IM Hendriks came up with the original presentation style that distinguishes both of his books, as well as the unifying vision of chess that ties his books together. Mentioned: Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker 12:00- Willy’s first book, Move First Think Later was critical of some well-known chess authors. Did the controversy that this book caused in the chess world surprise him? Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman, FM Carsten Hansen, Logical Chess Move by Move, Lasker’s Manual of Chess 18:15- We transition to discussing IM Hendriks new book, On the Origin of Good Moves, Mentioned: Emanuel Lasker, Wilhelm Steinitz, William Purdy, Adolf Anderssen, and Paul Morphy 31:30- What sort of feedback has he gotten for his new book so far? Mentioned: Richard James’ Review of Move First Think Later from British Chess News 34:30- Why does IM Hendriks think that one should, in fact, study openings frequently? Mentioned: IM Kare Kristensen 40:00- Check out Alan B’s Free Chessable series focusing on attacking with each piece type here: https://www.chessable.com/knights-on-the-attack/course/16475/ 45:45- As a strong player near his peak rating in his 50’s, what are Willy’s own chess study methods? What are his general opinions about best adult improvement practices? Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, NM Christopher Chabris, Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations 58:30- OK but really, how is Willy staying so strong at chess? :) 65:30- Thanks to IM Willy Hendriks for joining the show. You can reach him and keep up with him via his website: https://movefirstthinklater.com/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.181 - USCF Master Elijah Logozar (Adult Improver Series)
Tennessee-based teenage improver (19 years old) and prolific Chessable author and superuser NM Elijah Logozar has taken his rating from the 1700s to the USCF Master title (2200) in about 3 years! He has probably improved even more in online blitz and puzzle rush, which he utilizes as serious training tools. As Elijah tells us, his “secret” is that he often spends 10 hours per day on chess, an approach that admittedly is not replicable for most of us. But Elijah also takes the science of chess improvement very seriously, and despite his young age, he is well-versed on the topic of chess improvement and aging. Elijah is also a big advocate of and exemplar of using spaced repetition and The Woodpecker Method, and he answers questions and shares insight on how he thinks to best use these training tools. So all in all, there is a lot to learn about chess improvement in this densely packed conversation. Please sit back and enjoy. As always you can find more information, timestamps and hyperlinks below. 04:00- After a brief intro Elijah dives into his experiences with spaced repetition in his training, and he talks about The Woodpecker Method in particular. Mentioned: Recapping The Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement wiith Neal Bruce, David Milliern, The Mozart Effect 19:30- Elijah Logozar’s Chessable courses are on sale at Chessable.com! Check them out here: https://www.chessable.com/author/logozar/ 20:00- Elijah fields a question related to frustrations with using the Woodpecker Method. For what level chess player is it really appropriate? Is solving for accuracy or speed more important? Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy, Flamingo Chess’s Woodpecker-Related Blog Post , Pokerram’s Chess Diary on ChessTempo, Randy Julian, ChessIMO app 29:00- Elijah answers a question from a Patreon Supporter regarding other recommended methods of tactics training. Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual 40:00- Openings talk! A Patreon supporter asks, “What should you do if you consult two different authors on chess openings and they each recommend a different move?” GameChanger by GM Mathew Sadler and Natasha Regan, Questions of Modern Chess Theory by Isaac Lipnitsky, Crush the Taimanov by Elijah Logozar 52:00- A Patreon mailbag question relates to how Elijah uses Chessable in his study regimen, and another relates to how to incorporate analyzing one’s games. Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 57:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Decode Chess- a company whose software explains the suggestions of chess engines in plain language that you can understand. Go here to try it out for free: https://decodechess.com/ 58:00- One last Patreon mailbag question asks whether Elijah plays with training partners, and then we segue into the topic of Elijah’s favorite chess books. Mentioned: ChessDojo Discord Channel, Aagaard’s Thinking Inside the Box, Secret’s of Modern Chess Strategy by IM John Watson, Move First Think Later, Quality Chess Books, Small Steps to Giant Improvement, Dynamic Chess Strategy, The Road to Chess Improvement 1:13:00- Elijah volunteered to do an impromptu blindfold chess puzzle, so I read him a miniature that ends in a tactic. The game is here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250708 1:17:00- Thanks to Elijah for coming on and sharing his chess improvement experiences. You can reach him on these platforms: Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/author/logozar/ Chess.com- https://www.chess.com/member/logoczar Twitter- https://twitter.com/ElijahLogozar If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.180 - IM Levy Rozman
IM Levy Rozman is a 24 year-old, New York-based chess streamer, Chess.com announcer and instructor. Levy has quickly found an audience online due to his ability to explain chess in a humorous and accessible way. In our conversation, we talk about the origins of Levy’s announcing career, his chess ambitions, and about the fast-changing world of Twitch chess streaming in 2020. Please read on for lots more details, and timestamps. Embedded hyperlinks can be found on the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/6/2/episode-180-im-levy-rozman 0:00- We dive right into a discussion of the ways that chess coverage on Twitch has been making news recently. This includes the continued ascension of GM Hikaru Nakamura’s popular Twitch channel Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Chessbae94, Alexandra Botez, GM Daniel Naroditsky 6:45- Levy traces the origins of his popular Twitch channel, Gotham Chess. Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Alex Ostrovskiy, Alexis Parades, Brooklyn Castle, Baruch College, 15:00- Friend and Patreon supporter of the podcast, Chris Wainscott, asks Levy about whether he plans to pursue the Grandmaster title. Mentioned: Chess.com’s I am not a GM tournament 23:00- What are Levy’s goals for his Twitch channel? What recommendations would he give to others thinking of getting into Twitch streaming? 28:00- The Magnus Touch by Magnus Carlsen is still on sale at Chessable.com. Get it here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-chess-strategy/course/39478/ 29:00- Levy tells the story of how he got his start as an announcer for Chess.com. Mentioned: GM Robert Hess, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Danny Rensch, Levy’s Recap of one of Magnus’ Recent Blitz Games, Mr. Dodgy’s compilation of GM Magnus Carlsen’s recent Twitch stream, GM Peter Leko, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Jan Gustafsson 35:00- Chris Wainscott asks Levy about the status of his amusing chess show, Post Mortem. 39:00- We also dive into a recent controversy involving Chess.com and Chess24.com, and the way that the sites broadcast events that are sponsored by their competitors. 44:30- Levy answers another question from the Patreon mailbag, and gives some advice to a newer player who is having trouble avoiding blunders. Mentioned: You can buy Levy’s opening repertoire course here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-75djkXcEvJns9wvhony5bItA8Bv_f63lLUyXmvMPlCfIRg/viewform 51:00- A related question has to do with how a newer player should be using Chessbase. Mentioned: The London System, The King’s Indian Attack 59:00- Levy fields a few fun questions from Twitter, and tells the story of why he got kicked out of legendary GM Arthur Yusupov’s chess camp as a kid. Mentioned: International Chess Academy, Sam Copeland’s interview with Levy Rozman, Greg Shahade, IM Teddy Coleman, Jen Shahade, IM John Bartholomew, IM Alex Ostrovskiy Thanks to Levy for coming on the show. Here is how you can keep up with him: Twitch:https://www.twitch.tv/gothamchess Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q Twitter: https://twitter.com/GothamChess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.179 John Hartmann Returns Again
US Chess’s John Hartmann is always a popular guest on Perpetual Chess due to his relatability and his encyclopedic knowledge of chess books. As of June 2020, John will no longer be writing the book reviewer for Chess Life, because he has been promoted to editor of the magazine! Nonetheless, John’s passion for chess books remains strong, and in this visit he gives us a comprehensive rundown on some of the best recent books. John also gives an update on his chess improvement ambitions, and we spend a lot of time talking about how coronavirus is affecting the finances and plans of US Chess, and how it might change tournament chess generally. (If you aren't seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed you can find them on the podcast webpage: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/5/26/episode-179-john-hartmann-returns-again ) 0:00- We begin by discussing how coronavirus is affecting tournament chess and especially the US Chess Federation. They are launching many exciting initiatives, but are also facing some financial headwinds, as the US Chess President Allen Priest recently discussed in a video. . Mentioned: John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #1, John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #2, Chris Bird’s The TD Show, Jen Shahade, IM Carissa Yip, WGM Sabina Foisor, US Chess’ YouTube Channel, Chess.com, IM Eric Rosen, Sunway Sitges Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Steve Doyle, US Chess President Allen Priest, Melinda Mathews, Chess Life and Review Online Archives, Bob Sostack, Chess Life for Kids, Chessable.com, GM Jacob Aagaard on the US Candidates, Brian Karen, Ding Liren-Caruana 2020 You can renew Your US Chess Membership here: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php 35:40- Chessable’s newest release is from GM Simon Williams AKA the Ginger GM. Simon has recorded 30+ hours of video to accompany the classic chess book, The Art of Attack. It’s on sale now. Check it out here: https://t.co/R93A3rez9K?amp=1 36:00- We talk about changes with the book review column for Chess Life Magazine, and about John’s favorite recent chess books. Mentioned: IM John Watson, Beyond Material, Keep it Simple, 1. d4 , GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s The Benoni is Back in Business, Hein Donner: The Biography, GM Max Euwe The Best I Saw in Chess by Stuart Rachels, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendricks The Nemesis: Geller’s Greatest Games, Douglas Griffin, Coaching Kasparov, The Anand Files, Training Program for Chess Players, 1st Category , Bob Long, The Search for Chess Perfection, Dale Brandreth, Bobby Dudley, Fundamental Chess Strategies in 100 Games, 55:00- John talks a bit about what it is like to be a member of 365ChessAcademy, and to learn from GMs Aagaard, Ramesh and others. Mentioned: GM Reinier Castellanos, IM Christopher Yoo, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, GM Karsten Muller, GM Alex Fishbein, Megan Chen’s Perpetual Chess Interview, Harold Stenzel 1:06:00- John answers some Patreon mailbag questions regarding the conditions under which OTB tournaments might eventually return. Mentioned: IM Steffan Löffler’s Chessbase Article on Long-Distance Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Jack Spence, Nassau Chess Club, IM Jay Bonin 1:18:00- Thanks again to John for joining the show once again. You can follow all of US Chess’ Podcasts here: https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/ Follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Sign up for the US Chess Fundraiser, “Blitzing Covid,” here: https://new.uschess.org/news/top-stars-register-blitzing-covid-event-may-30th/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: . . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Book Recap #7: Judit Polgar's How I Beat Fischer's Record with Jen Shahade
This month for Chess Books Recaptured, my good friend Jennifer Shahade joins me to talk about a book that we both absolutely love, How I Beat Fischer’s Record by legendary GM Judit Polgar. Of course, Jennifer is a great person to discuss this book, as she herself is quite an ambassador for female chess players, and among other distinctions, Jen is the two-time US Women’s Champion, and the host of 2 award winning podcasts, Ladies Knight, and The Poker Grid. In this podcast, Jen and I share our favorite quotes, stories and games from this 2012 Quality Chess publication, and we also contextualize the life and legacy of GM Judit Polgar. Please read on for lots more details, hyperlinks and timestamps. For embedded hyperlinks, go to the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/5/22/bonus-pod-recapping-judit-polgars-how-i-beat-fischers-record-with-jen-shahade 0:00- We kick off by discussing how we decided to discuss Judit’s book, and to talk generally a bit about how Jen personally, and the chess world generally, are being affected by the coronavirus. Mentioned: Ladies Knight Podcast, The Grid Poker Podcast, Jen Shahade’s Twitch Channel The Polgar Sisters, Training or Genius? by Cathy Forbes, IM Not a GM Speed Chess Championship, IM Greg Shahade, St. Louis Chess Club’s Clutch Chess 10:00- We drill down more specifically into Judit’s book and her story. What is the background of the Polgars? Do Judit’s books get the credit they deserve? For what level is the book most helpful? Mentioned: From GM to Top 10, A Game of Queens, David Llada, IM Eric Rosen, Lennart Ootes, GM Susan Polgar Forward Chess- Use Promo Code “Judit” if you buy one of her e-books from them! 20:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. To check out the exciting new course from World Champion Magnus Carlsen, go here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-strategy-lesson/course/40115/ Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, IM John Bartholomew 23:00- We talk about how Judit changed women’s chess by eschewing Women’s Events in favor of mixed events. Will another woman follow in her footsteps? Mentioned: GM Hou Yifan, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Humpy Koneru on The Ladies Knight Podcast, Free Excerpt of Judit’s Book from Quality Chess here: https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIBeatFischersRecordExcerpt.pdf 31:00- We discuss some of our favorite quotes and stories from the book. Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Susan Polgar, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, My 60 Most Memorable Games, GM Pal Benko, GM Mikhail Marin, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Vasil Ivanchuk Gelfand-Polgar 1989, GM Jonathan Rowson, Magnus Kingdom app 48:00- It was tough to pick only a few favorite games each from the book, but we did! Here they are: Polgar-Chilingrova 1988 Polgar-Lars Bo Hansen 1989 Tisdall-Polgar 1988 Zifroni-Polgar 1990 Polgar-Flear 1989 Tolnai-Polgar 1991 Xie Jun- Polgar 1988 1:05:00- What are the chess improvement takeaways from this book? Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar’s interview on Perpetual Chess, GM Alejandro Ramirez, Polgar at London Chess Conference, Irving Chernev’s Chessboard Magic, GM Garry Kasparov 01:27:00- Thanks so much to Jen for helping out this month. You can follow her on Twitter here. This month’s donation went to the US Chess Women Initiative. 01:28:00- Next month we will be recappingThe World Champion’s I Knew by Gennadi Sosonko, and Vjekoslav Nemec, from Chessentials.com, will be helping me out! Here are the Blindfold puzzles: Puzzle #1 1500 level White to move and win - White- pawns f4 and g5, king on d4, Black- pawn on a4, king on b4 NOTE ON PUZZLE #2 I READ THE PUZZLE WRONG, IN ADDITION TO THE PIECES I NAMED, WHITE ALSO HAS A QUEEN ON A2 Puzzle 2 2100 level?- White to move, mate in 2 White: King on a1, queen on a2, pawns on e3 and e5, Rook on h1, knight on c7 Black- king on g7, pawn on g6, knights on g8 and e7, rook on f8 Puzzle #1 1500, (no answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=p/sxHjHhQ80fM5Wyr61XVDyFOXYjK/iYLp/yrSAVD4QDSejK9esxUSalDqwfPRMa Puzzle #1 (with answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=C5uNj27llXNFWn+fpTM5aJ5KAh6KUuvEy4NUwoMGsQu1GzQDUuWenT4JDbZIYkOT Puzzle 2 (no answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=J7FWNzeNYfxbPbbZ0zvfhLMidbk2WTeOzHsDINW2lzM+ASdC3LiG6ffAHEHt+fYR Puzzle 2 (with answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=52M6/pp9vjMEa4VHOSY8zwERFKd4U2rcHcmxDigzJUCyIZqEBGQD9CCR0+SjpAe2 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EP.178 - IM Kåre Kristensen (Adult Improver Series)
What is the likelihood that a fully employed dad in his mid 40s could bring his rating from 2200 FIDE up to 2400 and earn the title of International Master at the age of 54? I didn’t know the answer to this question, but this week’s guest, IM Kåre Kristensen actually did it! Kåre was at such a low point in his chess in 2008 that he considered quitting. But instead he stuck with it and became one of the relatively rare folks to earn the IM title past the age of 50! How did he do it? What did he study? How hard did he work on chess? What does he do away from the chessboard? You can hear Kåre’s inspiring story in this week’s Perpetual Chess. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 0:00- We discuss the impact of the coronavirus in Denmark, as well as a bit about Kåre’s professional and family background. 8:00- Chess talk time! IM Kristensen shares his “chess origin story,” and traces some of the ups and downs of his career, culminating in his earning the IM title at the age of 54! 24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. They have just released what may be their most exciting course to date, The Magnus Touch! Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-chess-strategy/course/39478/?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign= 25:00- Kåre answers a few questions from The Perpetual Chess Patreon Mailbag relating to his experiences with the effects of aging on one’s chess game, and whether he has made any age-related changes to his game. . Mentioned: GM Jens Kristensen, FIDE Title Application Webpage 43:00- Kåre shares the chess improvement methods that have been most effective for him, and gives a few universal tips. Mentioned: Tactics Trainer Endgame App. GM Mikhail Botvinnik 57:00- Now that we know what Kåre studied, it’s time to find out how much he studied to keep improving! Mentioned: The Anand Files by FM Michiel Abeln, The Slav Defense, Grandmaster Chess Move by Move by GM John Nunn 1:05:00- Jaydeep Chakrabarty writes in to ask Kåre for advice about building an opening repertoire. Read more about Jaydeep’s new Digital Chess Board, named Rolling Pawn, here: https://chessbase.in/news/The-Rolling-Pawn-Making-Digital-Chess-board-affordable Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games 1:14:00- Another question from the Patreon mailbag: if Kåre could restart his chess career from scratch, how would he approach his studies? Mentioned: Bent Larsen’s Best Games , IM Christof Sielecki, 1:23:00- Kåre tells a story from a long-ago tournament where he sat near a young Vishy Anand and took notice of his play. Mentioned: Anand-DeFirmian 1986 1:30:00- Thanks so much to IM Kristensen for joining the show and sharing his experiences and advice. You can keep up with him as follows: Email him here: kaarek@me.com Reach on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/karehove.kristensen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices