Michael Ross Franco is a 28 year old Applied Mathematics Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley who is also an accomplished chess improver. As Michael tells us, his interest in chess was sparked when he was looking for an engaging hobby while fighting leukemia in 2013. He started following the 2013 Carlsen-Anand World Championship match, and his interest has blossomed from there. Michael’s chess rating has also blossomed, as he has slowly climbed from beginner level to a 2300 peak Lichess Rapid Rating in the subsequent 8 years. In our interview, Michael details the books, experiences and lessons that have influenced him along the way. Please read on for lots more details and any relevant links.
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0:00- Michael shares the unique story of how in 2013, the leukemia diagnosis left him looking for an engaging hobby, which turned out to be chess. Michael followed the 2013 Carlsen-Anand match and developed a particular affinity for Magnus Carlsen.
Mentioned: Chess Network YouTube Channel, PowerPlay YouTube Channel
10:30- Michael began his chess climb with about an 1100 LiChess rating. Which books helped him ascend from there?
Mentioned: A First Book of Morphy, How to Reassess Your Chess
19:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them Here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well!
20:15- How did Michael approach game analysis and learning from his games when he was climbing from Lichess 1100 to 2000 or so?
Mentioned: Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces by GM Igor Stohl
25:30: Once he started grad school, Michael was able to take advantage of an IRL chess club at University of California-Berkeley. What lessons did he learn from face-to-face games with stronger players?
Mentioned: Chess Club at Berkeley
30:30- What was Michael’s approach to studying openings?
34:00- When did Michael play his first tournament? What does he advise other online players who are new to tournaments?
43:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by Chessmood.com
Chessmood offers a huge library of instructive videos. You can hear GM Avetik Grigoryan on Episode 192 of Perpetual Chess. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel here.
43:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site,
and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.
44:30- Michael shares some more book recommendations.
Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating, Essential Chess Sacrifices, Thinking Inside the Box, Winning Chess Middlegames, Chess Structures, James Altucher interview with GM Judit Polgar, Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos
49:00- What was Michael’s approach to studying tactics?
54:30- Michael shares the various online resources he has joined:
Mentioned: IM Andras Toth Twitch channel, Chessbrah Twitch channel, Morphy Chess Club Discord, GM Jesse Kraai The Plus Minus Equal of Chess Improvement
57:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Has Michael’s mathematical background helped him succeed at chess?” Michael also gives some background on his academic/professional career.
1:02:00- What are Michael’s 3 biggest chess improvement tips?
Play longer games and analyze them in depth.
Play higher-rated people
Enjoy the game, expand your chess culture!
1:05:00- Thanks so much to Michael for sharing what he has learned about chess improvement. You can reach him via his Lichess account, NoseKnowsAll, here:
https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll