Photo by Maureen Grimaud via GM Fishbein’s Facebook page
GM Alex Fishbein has been one of the top players in the US for decades and remains a frequent competitor on the American chess circuit. He is a four-time US Championship participant and is the Tennessee state champion. Alex is also a chess writer. His most recent book, The French Exchange Comes to Life, is a uniquely presented and instructive guide to a somewhat misunderstood opening. Alex also has a successful career away from the board. He works as a Director in Fixed Income at TD Securities. In our conversation, we discuss Alex’s storied OTB career. Born in the USSR, Alex has learned from many Soviet-era legends and tells memorable stories about Mikhail Tal and Viktor Korchnoi. Alex also shares tips for staying sharp into one’s 50s and discusses how chess learning has changed. Alex’s dad and son are chess masters as well, so he has had a close-up-view of the evolution of chess learning. This was a really fun conversation. Notes and timestamps on topics discussed can be found below.
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0:00- We begin with a trip report on the Norway Open, which Alex and his son attended and in which they competed. They also witnessed the Norway Invitational featuring Magnus Carlsen, Maxime Vachier Lagrave and many other elite players.
08:30- What advice would Alex give to people frustrated by playing lots of underrated players?
Mentioned: GM Patrick Wolff
15:00- Patreon mailbag question: In the increasingly competitive tournament chess climate, what kinds of goals does Alex set for himself these days?
Mentioned: GM Dmitri Gurevich
19:00- Which older player did Fishbein consider a role model? Alex goes into great detail about a unique and instructive way that he likes to study great players.
28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. If you are a pro member be sure to check out NM Bryan Tillis’ Olympiad Course:
https://www.chessable.com/blog/chess-olympiad-2022/
29:00- What were Alex’s interactions with Korchnoi like?
34:00- Alex tells some great stories from his chess origins in St. Petersburg. He studied under legendary trainer, Vladimir Zak.
Mentioned: Russian Silhouettes by GM Genna Sosonko
44:00- What did Alex learn from legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky?
47:00- Tal stories!
54:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.
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56:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What was it like to play Kasparov in a simul as a teen, as chronicled in the documentary American Gambit?”
More on the documentary here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qChazvEx_IA
https://en.chessbase.com/post/american-gambit-kasparov-vs-us-juniors
1:00:00- Alex discusses his career in finance and his decision not to pursue a career in chess.
1:08:00- Alex’s career advice for stronger young chess players.
1:10:00- Alex wrote a great book about the French Exchange, what do people misunderstand about this opening?
1:15:00- How have opening approaches changed over the years? How does Alex’s college- age son prepare?
1:18:00- Alex discusses his column for American Chess Magazine and on the updated versions of the Dvoretsky Endgame Manual with GM Karsten Muller.
1:25:00- Alex shares his thoughts on the Magnus Carlsen news.
1:29:00- Thanks to Alex for a fascinating interview! Here is his contact info:
http://www.gmalexfishbein.com/
Or email afish at panix.com