EP 324- IM Levy Rozman/Gotham Chess on Surpassing 3 Million YouTube Subs, Retiring from OTB, his DMs with Magnus, and his 2023 Plans

Design by Adam Genesis Art

This week we are excited to catch up with the most popular chess content creator in the world, IM Levy Rozman aka Gotham Chess. With a Chessable course launching, and a book coming soon, Levy took a break from his busy schedule to reflect on another year of explosive growth in his content. His YouTube channel recently passed 3 million subs, and Levy’s TikTok account went from 0 to 1 million+ followers in about 3 months! In our interview, Levy takes us behind the scenes of the work that goes into the growth, and speculates about what type of chess fans might be driving the latest surge in popularity. It has been almost 2 years since my last interview with Levy, so there are many other topics to catch up on, including the FIDE World Championship, his retirement from OTB chess, his DMs with Magnus Carlsen and much more. It is always entertaining and enlightening to hear Levy reflect on chess and on his success! Timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here: 

https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 

Sign up for the Perpetual Chess Linkfest- https://benjohnson.substack.com/

Prior Levy appearances: 

Episode 180

Episode 233

0:02: How much does Levy know about his audience? 

0:08- What drives him to keep trying to grow his channel? 

0:16:00- Does Levy think this recent growth is propelled by high school kids? 

21:00- Does Levy still do his own editing? Who else helps him? 

27:00- Has Levy interacted with Magnus one-on-one? 

33:00- Levy’s thoughts on the Ding-Nepo World Championship

40:00- How does Levy reflect on his abandoned pursuit of the GM title? 

47:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Levy’s advice to a parent who may be trying to encourage a scholastic player to stick with tournament chess? 

56:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Levy still have opening novelties he keeps to himself?” 

58:00- What lines does Levy recommend in his new Chessable course? What rating range does it target? 

1:04:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What differentiates Levy’s course from other Chessable 1. E4 courses?” 

1:07:00- How did Levy’s visit to YouTube headquarters come about? 

1:12:00- Has Levy’s daily life in New York changed much since our 2021 interview? 

1:13:00- Life as a dog dad 

1:15:00- Levy discusses his upcoming book, How to Win at Chess. 

1:17:00- Levy’s 2023 plans 

1:19:00- Thanks again to Levy for catching up with us! 

You should check out his YouTube channel! 

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 323- Ding-Nepo World Championship Match Preview- GM Daniel King on the Players and Historical Context, NM Matt Jensen on the Match Analytics (+ other chess talk)

Photo of GM Daniel King by Lennart Ootes

With the 2023 FIDE World Chess Championship less than 2 weeks away, we bring you a double episode dissecting the match between GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi and GM Ding Liren. Since we feature 2 knowledgeable guests, we also discuss topics ranging from chess improvement, to the Sicilian defense, to online rating deflation. First up is popular YouTuber, commentator, author and Chessable Author, GM Daniel King. Daniel has attended multiple World Championships and was able to provide helpful context on a match that many feel ambivalent about given the historical and geopolitical circumstances. Despite many valid reservations, Daniel points out that this is an extremely compelling chess matchup between the #2 and #3 players in the world. Daniel also discusses his new Chessable course, King’s Anti-Sicilians, recalls the first Kasparov-Karpov match, and shares some reflections on what his passion for guitar and bass has taught him about chess improvement. 

Guest #2 (1:22:00) is NM Matt Jensen, a statistician and the co-founder of the chess education site, Chessgoals.com. Matt gives us a look at the analytics of the match. Who do his mathematical projections favor? How likely is a tiebreak? Who would be favored in a tiebreak? Matt has done extensive research on ratings comparisons across chess sites, and with Chessgoals, designs study plans for different level players, so we also talk some chess improvement and chess books. As always, timestamps for all of the topics discussed with both guests can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here: 

https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 

01:00- Basic facts on the match including venue, time control, dates from Ben

06:00- GM Daniel King joins the show. We begin by discussing the Ding-Nepo match. 

22:00- Should Nepo be allowed to play in a World Championship, given his past ties with the Russian government? 

Mentioned: Nepomniatchtchi Signed Open Letter to Putin by Peter Doggers 

28:00-Patreon Mailbag Question: “What does Daniel think of the possibility of selecting Openings for the World Championship in order to limit draws”?

39:00- How does Daniel compare the modern era to prior eras during which the highest rated player was not the undisputed champion, such as with Kasparov in the 1990s?

44:00- Daniel's thoughts on the Carlsen-Niemann scandal 

Mentioned: Professor David Franklin on the Hans Niemann Lawsuit

50:00- Daniel's recommendations against the Rossolimo and Alapin

Mentioned: Episode 315 with World Correspondence Champion, Dr. Jon Edwards, King’s Kalashnikov Sicilian 

1:05:00- Daniel shares his memories of attending the 1985 Kasparov-Karpov World Championship match, and he talks about a memorable game he played against Mikhail Tal.

Mentioned: GM Jon Tisdall, IM David Goodman, King-Tal 1985, How to Win at Chess by GM Daniel King 

1:13:00- What has playing music taught Daniel about Chess Improvement? 

1:21:00- Thanks, as always to GM Daniel King for joining me! 

Check out his Chessable courses here:

https://www.chessable.com/author/DanielKing/

Subscribe to Power Play Chess here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBATpFb--uLNAODOVWvCTA

1:22:00- NM Matt Jensen joins the show, and we dive into what his predictive model says about the Ding-Nepo match, including the odds of a tiebreak, and who would be favored in the tiebreaks? 

1:36:00- Has Matt seen ratings deflation on Lichess and Chess.com? 

Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman, Chessgoals’ Rating Comparison Data here

1:43:00- What does Matt’s research reveal about how best to study chess? 

1:46:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Has Matt’s thinking on the best study plans evolved as he has worked with more students? 

1:49:00- Matt’s favorite Chess Books

Mentioned: Yusupov Build Up Your Chess Series, Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman, Silman’s Endgame Course 

1:53:00- Thanks to Matt for sharing his insights! Check out his study plans at Chessgoals.com.

EP 322- IM Willy Hendriks- The Groundbreaking Author and Trainer on Chess Improvement, Chess History, and The Books that Most Influenced Him

IM Willy Hendriks is a Netherlands based chess trainer, and an author of three books: Move First Think Later ( 2012 ECF Book of the Year), On the Origin of Good Moves, and his new book, Ink War: Romanticism vs. Modernity in Chess. Ink War is an entertaining and informative look at the first World Championship Match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. As we discuss the two players had some common biographical traits, but were bitter rivals away from the board. Willy explains why the job of a chess professional was harder in those days, and shares some common misconceptions about the contributions that each player made to the advancement of chess. Since Willy is an accomplished player, trainer and improver, we also discuss Willy’s chess improvement philosophy, his own OTB game, and a few of his favorite chess books. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Thanks to our presenting Chess Education sponsor, Chessable! You can check out their new courses here: 

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

Info on GM Daniel King’s upcoming March 24 Masterclass here: 

https://www.chessable.com/using-the-outpost-masterclass/course/156548/

Episode 182 - IM Willy Hendriks’ Prior Appearance 

3:00- How is Willy’s OTB game progressing?  

06:30- Does Willy have an overall chess improvement philosophy? 

16:30- What gave IM Hendriks the idea to write about the Steinitz-Zukertort Match? 

21:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- What led to Zukertort’s 2nd half collapse in the match against Steinitz, and what is Zukertort’s chess legacy? 

28:00- Why does Willy think that the writings of Lasker, Euwe and Reti led to a misinterpretation of chess history? 

Mentioned: Masters of the Chessboard, Lasker’s Manual of Chess 

33:00- Where does the title The Ink War come from?

41:00- Did the famous game, Grimshaw-Steinitz actually occur or was it made up?

Mentioned: Grimshaw-Steinitz

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1718604

46:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- Does Willy know what his next book project will be? 

50:00- What Chess Books were influential for Willy? 

Tarrasch’s 300 Games, Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess, Pawn Power in Chess, Kotov’s Think Like a Grandmaster 

53:00- Does Willy have favorite players or personal favorite games? 

57:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- When Willy evaluates a position does he consciously count material? 

Mentioned: Move First Think Later

1:04:00- As someone who has just written about the first World Championship, what does Willy think of the potential phasing out of the Classical World Championship tradition?

Mentioned: Episode 319 with Dr. Howard Burton

Thanks to IM Hendriks for joining us! Links for his books are here:

New in Chess: 

https://www.newinchess.com/the-ink-war

Free Sample Here- 

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9134.pdf

Move First Think Later

On the Origin of Good Moves

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:

Patreon

EP 321- GM Cristian Chirila on Past and Upcoming World Championship Matches, his OTB game, and the Growth of the C Squared Podcast

This week on Perpetual Chess we catch up with GM Cristian Chirila. A former Romanian youth champion, GM Chirila is now based in Missouri and has many roles in the chess world including commentator for the Grand Chess Tour, coach of the St. Louis University Chess Team, and co-host, with GM Fabiano Caruana, of the C-Squared podcast. On C Squared, GM’s Chirila and Caruana are often joined by prominent guests to discuss top-level chess news. The podcast is highlighted by its excellent production and has quickly found a large audience. In our interview, we discuss the origins of and future plans for C Squared. We also touch on World Championships, past and present, Cristian’s OTB game and lots more. We also briefly talk about the sexual assault allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez although, to hear Cristian and Fabiano’s full thoughts, one should listen to the latest episode of C Squared. The notes to topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Episode recorded February 28, 2023

0:00- Brief addendum regarding the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez (Recorded March 9, 2023)

04:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com! Check out their latest courses here: 

https://www.chessable.com/courses/#!/new

05:00- Cristian joins! What lessons has Cristian learned from launching the C Squared Podcast? 

Mentioned: Episode 47 with GM Cristian Chirila

15:00- Patreon mailbag question:” Do Chirila and Caruana have a long-term vision for C Squared?” 

Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

18:00- Is Cristian surprised by how forthcoming Fabiano has been on the podcast? 

20:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Cristian worry that professionally collaborating with Fabiano could impact their friendship? 

24:00- Cristian discusses C-Squared’s plans for the World Championship and his own thoughts on the Ding-Nepo match

29:00- Cristian discusses his experience of working as one of Fabiano’s seconds during the World Championship match. 

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Were there moments in the 2018 World Championship where Cristian thought Fabiano would take the lead in the match?” 

41:00- What was your day-to-day life like as a second during the match in London? 

46:00- Patreon mailbag question:” Does Cristian think we will continue to see Rapid and Blitz elevated over classical chess?” 

51:00- Cristian discusses his recent OTB tournament and upcoming plans. 

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Cristian’s role as head coach of the University of Missouri?” 

1:03:00- We discuss the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez (recorded February 28) 

1:08:00- Cristian discusses his upcoming tournament plans 

EP 320- Adult Improver Ben Hunt of “Chess Boot Camp" YouTube Channel on going from 0-1500, “The Goldfish Method” and Transitioning to OTB Chess

This month, The Adult Improver Series welcomes Ben Hunt of the Chess Boot Camp YouTube Channel. Through his channel and a Chess.com forum, Ben has built a community around helping players rated 500-1200 improve. Ben started pursuing chess seriously in 2019 and shares tons of helpful reflections including his favorite content creators, the challenges of transitioning to OTB, and what he has learned from creating a YouTube channel geared towards fellow chess amateurs. Ben’s enthusiasm for chess is contagious, and I really enjoyed hearing his perspective. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Thanks to recent Patreon subs, if you would like to join the community you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Sub to the Perpetual Chess linkfest here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

02:00- Ben got very interested very quickly in chess in 2019- what precipitated that? 

Mentioned: Chess.com Lessons 

07:00- Who are Ben’s favorite chess content creators?

Mentioned: Ginger GM, IM Alex Banzea, GM Daniel Naroditsky, St. Louis Chess Club, Jonathan Schrantz, IM John Bartholomew

10:00-Patreon mailbag question: “What is the goldfish method?” Why does Ben sometimes struggle to implement it?” 

Mentioned: Ben’s Goldfish Method Video, Move First Think Later, Chess Steps Method 

17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

18:30- What has it been like for Ben to try out OTB play in the UK?

23:00- Ben discusses his opening repertoire a bit as we discuss whether openings are overemphasized for club players. 

Mentioned: IM Andras’ Toth’s The Beginners 1. D4 Repertoire, SImon Williams’ The British Grand Prix, The Dvoretsky Endgame Manual, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, 100 Endgames You Must Know 

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What advice does Ben give to those who are struggling translating increased knowledge to an OTB performance above the 1000 level?”

42:00- What is Ben’s tactics regimen? 

Mentioned: Chessbootcamp.club, The Woodpecker Method, Book Recap #6: The Woodpecker Method 

50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

Or use this link for the same discount:

https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12

51:00- What kind of material does Ben present on his YouTube channel? 

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are Ben’s chess goals?” 

1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: “When you are showing a tactical puzzle, how important is it to show the moves that preceded the puzzle?”

1:05:00- What are Ben’s interests outside of chess? 

1:07:00- As we say our goodbyes, Ben gives 3 tips for getting to 1000. 

Thanks to Ben for joining! Here is how to keep up with him:

Chess.com profile

https://www.chess.com/member/benhunt72

Chess Bootcamp YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessBootCamp

Chess Bootcamp Live 

https://chessbootcamp.club/

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 319- Dr. Howard Burton- An Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker and Author on the Growth Opportunity for Chess the Genius of Morphy, Fixing FIDE, and Whether Chess Skills Transfer to Other Domains

Dr. Howard Burton is a documentary filmmaker and author. Howard holds a PhD in theoretical physics and an MA in Philosophy. He is also the founder of the award-winning multimedia initiative Ideas Roadshow. Their latest documentary, Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration, is a 4 part documentary that shows the cultural impact and history of chess from its origins to modern times. It is very informative and well produced, and features many familiar faces including GM Hou Yifan, IM Daniel Rensch, GM David Smerdon and Award Winning Chess Teacher Elizabeth Spiegel. In conjunction with the documentaries, Dr. Burton has written a book of opinion essays about the role of chess in culture, called Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess. It is enjoyable and provocative and discusses all that is right as well as what could be fixed within the chess world. Our conversation touches on both Howard’s book and his documentaries, and as his work does, helps to contextualize the role of chess in the world. Topics include the shortcomings of FIDE, Howard’s admiration for Paul Morphy, whether chess skills are transferable beyond chess, and Howard’s own history with chess Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- What framed Howard’s approach to separating his book of essays and documentaries?

07:00- As somewhat of an outsider to chess, how would Howard change the chess world if he could?

13:00- What should the role of a chess governing body be? 

26:00- 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%.

28:00- What does Howard admire about Paul Morphy? Why does Howard think that Morphy isn’t placed on the same level as Fischer? 

Mentioned: Paul Morphy: Pride and Sorrow of Chess 

36:00- How do the misogynistic statements of Fischer and Kasparov affect chess culture? 

Mentjioned: GM Alejandro Ramirez under Investigation for Misconduct 

44:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

45:00- How did Howard interview people from all over the world for Through the Mirror of Chess? 

Mentioned: Seven Games: A Human History, Episode 263 with Oliver Roeder

52:00- Does Howard play much chess? 

 Howard’s One Move at a Time Interview 

55:00- What frustrates Howard about suggestions related to the transferable skills of chess? 

Mentioned: Brooklyn Castle featuring Elizabeth Spiegel 

1:02:00- What role can chess play in social empowerment?

Mentioned: Tunde Onakoya, Russell Makofsky of The Gift of Chess, GM Pontuss Carlsson 

Thanks to Howard for joining the show! Here are the links to keep up with him: 

Chess.com Blog (including more thoughts on Fixing FIDE) 

Info on watching the documentary here:

Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration

And Get the Book Here:

 Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess

EP 318 - Trainer and Chessable Author IM Yaacov Norowitz on How he Became a Blitz Specialist, His Early Encounters with Hikaru and Gothamchess & His Unique Approach to Chess Learning

This week I am joined by IM Yaacov Norowitz. Yaacov is a trainer, a Chessable author, and a speed chess specialist who has won the World Open Blitz tournament 5 times.   He has a Chess.com peak blitz rating of nearly 3000. Yaacov has a unique background, and he had some entertaining stories to tell about topics that include : 

• His over 12000 blitz and bullet games against Hikaru Nakamura. Yaacov has known Hikaru since Hikaru was age 6, before he started playing competitive chess. 

• His early interactions with Gotham Chess, whom Yaacov taught  when Levy was a kid. 

• Yaacov’s  “dacha method” approach to chess learning 

• How Yaacov’s strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing impacted his chess playing. 

Yaacov also is an avid chess reader and has plenty of book recommendations. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Yaacov discusses his early blitz battles with a young Hikaru Nakamura and how Yaacov became a blitz specialist? 

8:00- What differentiated Hikaru’s bullet peak from that of everyone else? Has Yaacov played other bullet wizards, Alireza and Andrew Tang? 

14:00- 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%.

16:00- What did Yaacov learn from his coach, the legendary player GM Roman Dzindziashvilli? Also what is “The Cheesecake Opening”? 

22:00- Yaacov loved to read chess books as a kid. What were his favorites? 

Mentioned: Dojo Talks Podcast Episode 72, Capablanca’s Endings, Chess Praxis, How to Reassess Your Chess, Logical Chess Move by Move 

27:00- How did Yaacov balance playing blitz and playing classical chess? 

32:00- What were Yaacov’s blitz battles against GM Viswanathan Anand like? 

36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

37:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Will Yaacov make a Chessable course on his “dacha theory” of chess learning?” 

44:00- Yaacov discusses the origins of his collaboration with Elijah Logozar, a former Adult Improver guest. 

50:00- Yaacov was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family. How did chess and religion intersect for him? 

57:00- Yaacov taught IM Levy Rozman as a kid.  What was he like?

58:00- Yaacov discusses his chess academy, Yaacattack.com 

1:02:00- How does Yaacov advise one to spend their chess study time? 

1:04:00- Thanks to Yaacov for joining the show! 

Website- Yaacattack.com 

The Yaac Attack Stonewall Chessable course-https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-stonewall-for-white/course/31827/

The Yaac Attack- Caro Kann for Black 

https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-caro-kann-for-black/course/49678/

Book Recap #31- San Luis 2005- Dr. Christopher Chabris on a A Tournament Book with Sparkling Games and Annotations, A Mini Cheating Scandal, at a Crossroad Moment in Chess History

Available via Amazon or Quality Chess

The Perpetual Chess Book Review Series Chess Books Recaptured  returns to discuss the award winning book, San Luis 2005 by GM Alik Gershon and Igor Nor. San Luis 2005 chronicles a crucial tournament in modern chess history, a double round robin whose winner determined the FIDE World Champion. The tournament featured nearly all of the top players of the time including GM Viswanathan Anand, Judit Polgar, Peter Svidler, and the winner, GM Veselin Topalov. As we discuss, GM Vladimir Kramnik was conspicuously absent, as he was already champion of a competing World Championship Faction that was originally founded by GM Garry Kasparov.  Kramnik ultimately played the winner of this tournament in a 2006 Championship reunification match. 

  My guest co-host is Dr. Christopher Chabris, a renowned author, cognitive scientist and USCF Master. As Christopher and I discuss, it is a beautiful book with lucid prose and great photos and game analysis. The tournament it covers did not have a suspenseful ending, but it did contain some drama in the form of cheating accusations that were lodged against the tournament winner. As we discuss, these unproven accusations have a lot of parallels to the Carlsen-Niemann scandal. We also discuss why tournament books “don’t sell” and compare this book to other classic tournament books like Zurich 1953. Lastly, I catch up a bit with Dr. Chabris on his OTB tournament plans, and his forthcoming book  Nobody’s Fool: Why we Get Taken in and What we Can do about it. As always, timestamps and links for topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Prior appearances by Dr. Christopher Chabris:

Episode 95 with Christopher Chabris 

Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris 

Book Recap #4: Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov 

Book Recap #15: Secrets of Practical Chess and Attack the Strongpoint 

Book Recap #25 (Mammoth Games) 

02:00- Why did we choose San Luis 2005?

Mentioned: Book Recap #17- Zurich 1953 with FM Nate Solon and special guest GM Andy Soltis 

04:00- Historical context: What was happening with the World Championship cycle in 2005? 

Mentioned: Linares! Linares! By Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam

14:00- Chessable Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

16:00- We discuss the origins of the books and the background of the authors 

Mentioned: 2008 Chessbase article about the book, Lichess Study with the Games from the Tournament  

23:00- Why do they say books recapping tournaments “do not sell”? 

Mentioned: Zurich 1953, New York 1924, World Championship 1948

29:00- We share a few quotes from the Intro and preface by GMs Nigel Short and Mihail Marin. 

36:00- 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%.

38:00- What notable games took place? 

Anand-Adams 2005, Polgar-Kasimdzhanov, Kasimdzhanov-Polgar, Leko-Topalov, Wijk an Zee 1975 by Lubomir Kavalek

48:00- Why was Toplov accused of cheating in this tournament? Was there merit to this claim?

57:00- Dr. Chabris shares his thoughts on the Carlsen-Niemann scandal 

Mentioned: Discussion of the Niemann/Carlsen saga with GMs Jonathan Rowson and David Smerdon 

1:04:00- Patreon mailbag question: Has Chris’ expertise in cognitive science helped his chess game?

1:10:00- What chess books are we looking forward to? 

Mentioned: Book Recap #30 with Carsten Hansen, Dojo Talks- The Best Chess Books, Quality Chess coming in 2023  

Thanks to Dr. Chabris for helping out with this book discussion! 

You can follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/cfchabris

Order his forthcoming book here: 

 Nobody’s Fool: Why we Get Taken in and What we Can do about it.

EP 317- GM Jorden van Foreest- The Dutch Chess Champ on Working with Magnus and Anish, How he Became Known as a “Creative Player” and What he is Doing to Work on His Own Game

This week we are joined by a young star of the chess world, Dutch GM and Chessable Author GM Jorden van Foreest. Just 23 years of age, Jorden already has a wide range of chess experience. As a player, Jorden has a peak rating of 2715 and was the Dutch National Champion in 2016 and the Tata Steel Champion in 2021. He also has already had the opportunity to work extensively with his Dutch compatriot, GM Anish Giri, as well as on the preparation team of GM Magnus Carlsen. Jorden reflects on all of these experiences, as well as shedding some light on top-level opening prep. He also offers his opinion on why he is known for his creativity as a player. Fun interview! You can find timestamps of topics discussed below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Be sure to Sub to How to Chess on your favorite podcast app as Season 3 approaches: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-chess/id1572917817

And you can sub to the free weekly chess round up, The Perpetual Chess linkfest here: 

https://benjohnson.substack.com

02:00- We discuss Jorden’s in-tournament prep and how he finds his famously creative opening ideas, particularly the exchange sacrifice he uncorked against Anish Giri in 2023 Tata Steel.

Mentioned:

van Foreest-Giri 2023 ,  Jorden’s C Squared interview, Jorden’s Gotham City Podcast Interview 

15:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Jorden find the balance between venturing his creative lines and playing solid, tested lines?” 

17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

19:00- Is Jorden a naturally creative player or is it a skill he developed? 

21:00- What did Jorden do to learn to limit blunders? 

Mentioned: 

Jorden’s mom’s RealChess App is here!

https://vanforeest.com/realchess/index.html

Survive and Thrive on Chessable by FM Dalton Perrine 

https://www.chessable.com/survive-thrive-how-to-blunder-less-and-defend-better/course/80629/

24:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Jorden think contributes to his family’s unusual success at chess?” 

26:30- What did Jorden observe about Magnus Carlsen’s chess talent while doing training camps with him? 

29:30- Is Jorden using PC based or cloud-based engines? What type of cloud engine does he use? 

More info on the possibility of leaked prep in the Carlsen-Nepo match here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/r4cw22/was_the_prep_for_game_3_leaked/

35:30- Jorden takes us behind the scenes of his recent appearance with Anish Giri on Khalid and Sophie, a Dutch general interest talk show appearance 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IMPMAruaV0

38:00- Does Jorden agree with Magnus Carlsen that classical chess could be phased out?

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%.

42:00- What tournaments are coming up for Jorden?

44:30- How does Jorden work on his game now? 

Mentioned: Rock Solid Chess by GM Sergei Tiviakov 

46:00- How did Jorden decide to do a course on The Tarrasch Defense?

Free Short and Sweet version-

https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-tarrasch-defense/course/139270/ 

Full version- 

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-tarrasch-defense/course/128906/

50:30- Who does Jorden favor in the Ding-Nepo match? Would he consider working on one of their teams? 

56:00- Thanks to Jorden for joining me! 

You can follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/jordenvforeest?lang=en

https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-tarrasch-defense/course/139270/ 

Full version- 

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-tarrasch-defense/course/128906/

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.

EP 316- GM Mihail Marin: The Renowned Author and Trainer on Learning from Larsen, Tal, Polgar and other Legends

GM Mihail Marin has spent his life surrounded by chess in varying professional capacities and has the wealth of wisdom and stories you might expect from such experiences. He is a polyglot, a prolific and award-winning author, a top trainer, and a 3 time Romanian national Chess champion. GM Marin is also the friend and frequent collaborator of GM Judit Polgar and eventually helped Judit write her landmark books after befriending her family in the early 1990s. In our interview, we discuss all of these experiences, as well as Marin’s memorable games against Viktor Korchnoi and Boris Spassky and his new books about GM Bent Larsen and GM Vladimir Simagin.  GM Marin had so many fun stories to share and such a rich perspective on so many chess champions. Timestamps and topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to download the Episode

0:00- We begin by discussing Mihail’s record of Chess Olympiad participation and trying to count how many languages he speaks. :)  

Mentioned: Olimpbase.org, Magic Mountain 

13:00- Mihail discusses his methods for working with engines. 

20:00-  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

21:00- What did Mihail think of Tata Steel 2023? 

Mentioned: Giri-Carlsen 2023, Carlsen-Abdusattorov 2023 

27:00- What does Mihail think about the fact that Carlsen says he will take a break from Classical Chess? 

Mentioned: Caruana-Korchnoi 2011 

32:00- Mihail discusses his games with Korchnoi, Spassky and Karpov.  

Mentioned: LiChess Study with Marin’s games with Korchnoi

52:00- Mihail spent some time with Tal shortly before he died. What can he tell us about that experience?

Mentioned: Tal-Gomez 1992 

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%.

59:00- Mihail has been the second, friend and co-author with GM Judit Polgar many times over the years.   How did his friendship with the Polgar sisters begin? 

Mentioned: San Luis 2005 World Championship 

1:17:00- We discuss MIhail’s latest book, Learn from Bent Larsen.   Did Mihail ever meet the legendary Danish GM? (Also available on Forward Chess), including a Patreon mailbag question.

1:27:00- Learn from the Legends is a renowned book. Which players does Mihail’s forthcoming sequel cover? 

Mentioned: Lajos Portisch, Lev Polugaevsky, Paul Keres 

1:40:00- Does Mihail write with a specific audience in mind? 

1:43:00- We discuss Mihail’s book Learning Chess With Simagin

Mentioned: Chessbase interview by by Conrad Schormann 

1:54:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will Mihail’s series on the English Opening ever be on Chessable?

1:58:00- Mihail discusses some players that played with a “computer-like” style, even before chess computers, such as Bobby Fischer. He also discusses the legendary opening preparation of GM Efim Geller. 

2:10:00- Thanks to GM Marin for sharing his vast chess knowledge! Here are some ways to keep up with him:

Facebook 

Learning Chess With Simagin

Learn from Bent Larsen (Also available on Forward Chess)

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 315- Dr. Jon Edwards- The Correspondence Chess World Champion on What Top Engines Think of Different Openings and His Road to the World Title

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess an author, an American Chess Magazine columnist, and  the recently-crowned World Champion of correspondence chess, Dr. Jon Edwards. Correspondence chess historically was played by mail, without assistance.  These days it is played by email, with engine assistance allowed. The current format makes for incredibly accurate games that often end in draws. So what enabled Jon to win the Championship? Did luck play a role? 

Jon is an expert on how modern engines work, and what they say about various openings. We discuss the current opening battlegrounds of top engines, and discuss how correspondence chess has evolved as engines continue to get stronger. Should the rules of correspondence chess be tweaked because so many games end in draws? Among many other topics, we also discuss Jon’s massive chess book and chess stamp collections, and why Petrosian is his favorite player. Please read on for timestamps and links related to topics discussed. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- How has Jon’s life changed since winning the title of World Correspondence Chess Champion? 

Mentioned: FM Alex Dunne passed away, Jon Edwards wins 32nd World Correspondence Championship 

08:00- It is pretty rare to win in modern  correspondence chess. What happened in the two games that Jon won in the championship tournament? 

14:00- What type of computer does Jon use to power his chess engines? 

17:00- We take a quick detour to discuss Jon’s early investment in Apple Stock in 1984. 

24:00- 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

25:00- Jon tells me how engines are evaluating a handful of openings, including the Najdorf and the Semi-slav. 

Mentioned: Chinese database referenced here:

https://www.chessdb.cn/queryc_en/

34:00- Why does Jon prefer correspondence chess to OTB chess? 

38:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Would Jon consider doing a course on advanced uses on Chessbase?” 

44:00-  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here:https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

45:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What type of engine does Jon use?”

Mentioned: Stockfish 15.1

52:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Jon think of the idea of changing the format of the correspondence championship due to the preponderance of draws?”

54:00-  Patreon mailbag question: “Are there stylistic changes made in how correspondence games are played based on the strength of the engines?” 

Mentioned: Dubov-Karjakin 2020, Joppen vs. Petrosian 1954, Edwards-Lobonov 

59:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are the biggest contributions of correspondence chess to OTB chess?” 

1:01:00- Does one see the French defense or the Caro Kann at top level Correspondence Chess?

1:04:00- Jon discusses his large chess book collection and his chess stamp collection. 

Mentioned: Great Moments in Modern Chess

1:11:00- Jon discusses why Petrosian is his favorite player 

Mentioned: Joppen vs. Petrosian 1954, Joseph Platz 

1:16:00- Jon mentions his current favorite stock investment. :) 

Bonus pod- Tata Steel in the Home Stretch- FM Michiel Abeln assesses the Tournament so Far

We are back with another Tata Steel focused bonus pod. As we recorded the venerable tournament has 3 rounds left and has been filled with beautiful games and fascinating storylines. We are re-joined by renowned author/ Chessable author, FM Michiel Abeln to assess what we have seen so far. Timestamps of topics and players discussed are below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- What has struck Michiel about the first 10 rounds of the Masters tournament? 

06:00- We briefly discuss the Challengers section. 

09:00- We discuss the performance of the players one by one, beginning with GM Vincent Keymer

14:30- GM Arjun Erigaisi 

16:00- GM Jorden van Foreest

18:45- GM Parham Maghsoodloo 

23:00- 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%.

25:00- GM Gukesh 

Mentioned: Vanessa West’s Recap of Round 10 for Chess.com

32:00- GM Ding Liren 

35:00- GM Praggnanandhaa

38:00- Rapport, Caruana and Aronian 

Mentioned: Erigaisi-Rapport 2023, Caruana-Carlsen 2023

46:00- GM Wesley So 

47:00- GM Magnus Carlsen 

51:00- GM Anish Giri 

53:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

55:00- Anish Giri continued…

59:00- Finally… GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov

1:05:00- Michiel’s closing thoughts

Thanks again to Michiel for joining us from the Netherlands. Here is how to keep up with his work:

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MichielAbeln

His Book- The Anand Files

His Chessable Courses-

Trompowsky Simplified- https://www.chessable.com/the-trompowsky-simplified/course/134623/

The Leningrad Dutch- 

https://www.chessable.com/leningrad-dutch-an-uncompromising-attacking-opening/course/72081/

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 314- Adult Improver Kamryn Hellman on How Discovering Chess via Queen's Gambit turned her into a Fast Improving Chess Obsessive

The Adult Improver Series of Perpetual Chess returns today. It is a series devoted to sharing the stories of dedicated chess amateurs. This week’s guest is Kamryn Hellman. Kamryn is a 23 year-old who got swept up by chess in 2021 after seeing Queen’s Gambit. At that time she learned the game from scratch, and in the subsequent time she has become immersed in the culture and brought her Chess.com rapid rating to a peak of over 1900. Kamryn has also gotten involved in her local chess community and has enjoyed her forays into tournament chess, despite the challenges that it created. I was really impressed with Kamryn’s quick rise in the chess ranks, and also her analytical approach to improving her game. She shared lots of useful advice in our interview, and it was fun to hear her story. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Resources mentioned in intro: 

Spotify Adult Improver Playlist 

Adult Improver Webpage 

Submit Your Info to Potentially be a Guest on the Pod 

Support Perpetual Chess Via Patreon

Also be sure to subscribe to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, for a free weekly email of the week’s biggest chess stories and chess improvement related blog posts. 

0:04- After Kamryn discovered chess via Queen’s Gambit, how did she dive deeper into the game? 

Mentioned: Gotham Chess 

0:09- How did Kamryn begin to find a community IRL? Was she welcomed at her local chess club? 

Mentioned: Todd Wolf

14:00 - Kamryn is doing some teaching of beginners. Does she think it helps her chess? 

16:00- 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- What was the tournament experience like? How has Kamryn learned to deal with nerves? 

27:00- What is Kamryn’s approach to analyzing her games? 

33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Kamryn work on her thought processes?

36:00- Does Kamryn have any other hobbies that have helped with her approach to chess?

38:00-  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

40:00- How does Kamryn approach working on endgames?

Mentioned: GM Naroditsky’s Principles of Chess Endgames 

44:00- What motivates Kamryn to work so hard on her game?

Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s Chess Queens 

46:00- How does Kamryn study openings? 

53:00- Compared to most adults, Kamryn’s unusual rise in the  ratings have been meteoric.  How does Kamryn contextualize the unusual gains she has made?

 58:00- What other content creators does Kamryn enjoy? 

Mentioned: Hanging Pawns, Eric Rosen teaches Andrea Botez the London 

59:00- Has Kamryn read any chess books that have really helped her? 

Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Everyone’s First Chess Workbook, Best Lessons of a Chess Coach 

1:02:00- What do Kamryn’s friends think of her chess obsession?

1:04:00- What is Kamryn’s advice for new chess enthusiasts?

1:06:00- Thanks so much to Kamryn for joining me! You can follow her on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/kamrynheidi

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Bonus pod- Dispatch from the Tata Steel Chess tournament with Renowned Author, FM Michiel Abeln

Photo of the playing hall in 2019 by Vysotsky via Wikimedia Commons

We’ve got some bonus content for you guys, as renowned author/ Chessable author FM Michiel Abeln joined me on the first rest day to discuss the ongoing Tata Steel Chess tournament. Tata Steel is an annual tournament in the Netherlands which routinely attracts many of the world’s top players as well as rising stars. It is run concurrently with tournaments open to all, and is celebrating its 85th anniversay this year! We recorded the podcast the day after Anish Giri beat Magnus Carlsen in impressive fashion, but we focus more on the “big picture” of the tournament rather than the current standings. Michiel and I discuss questions such as: What makes Tata Steel such a special tournament? What is it like to be there right now? What should amateurs who are considering attending or playing in the tournament in the future know? Which players and games have impressed Michiel so far? Michael lives near the tournament venue and has been visiting it for over a decade, so he was very helpful in putting this year's event into context. He has also been writing about the tournament for The Week in Chess. Tata Steel has such a storied legacy in the chess world and it was great to get some perspective from a knowledgeable local about the past and present of this classic tournament!

Click here to Download the Episode

Our Prior Interview: Episode 156 with Michiel Abeln 

04:00- What would surprise a recreational chess player who decided to show up and play in the Open Tournament at Wijk an Zee? 

Mentioned: Kings, Queens and Rookies (new book from New in Chess)

07:30- How much can fans interact with the top players there? Who has Michiel seen there?

16:00- 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

17:00- Patreon mailbag Question: Are the youngsters taking over in the open tournaments in Wijk an Zee? 

Mentioned: Episode 186 with GM Erwin L’Ami, Elina Roebers-Erwin L’Ami 2023

25:00- Michiel discusses the formats of the amateur tournaments 

32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

34:00- What are some of the standout games worth reviewing from the tournament? 

Pragganandha-Ding Liren 2023, Gukesh-Ding Liren 2023, Giri-Gukesh 2023, Giri-Carlsen 2023, Rapport-Caruana 2023

46:00- Michiel’s shares his closing thoughts on Tata Steel. Here are the links to keep up with him… 

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MichielAbeln

His Book- The Anand Files

His Chessable Courses-

Trompowsky Simplified- https://www.chessable.com/the-trompowsky-simplified/course/134623/

The Leningrad Dutch- 

https://www.chessable.com/leningrad-dutch-an-uncompromising-attacking-opening/course/72081/

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 313- FM James Canty on Staying Motivated and His Grind Toward the IM Title and Beyond.

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the hardest-working man in chess. He is Twitch Streamer, Chess.com commentator, and ambitious improver, FM James Canty. I have been a fan of James for a long time, so I was glad to finally get to ask him some questions about what motivates him to work so hard on his game. Naturally we also discussed what James specifically is studying, his pursuit of the IM and GM titles, and some of his favorite chess improvement resources. I find it energizing and motivating to talk chess with James, and I think you all will as well. As always, timestamps for topics discussed can be found in the show description. 

Click here to Download the Episode

02:00- What motivates James to keep working on his OTB game? What is his goal?

Mentioned: Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, GM Maurice Ashley

05:00- What is James’s current study regimen? How does he balance working on his game with streaming tons of chess?

Mentioned: Test Your Tactical Skill, GM Kenny Solomon, GM Amon Simotowe 

16:00- What are James’s favorite Chessable courses and books? 

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation, Thinking Inside the Box, Encyclopedia of Combinations, Woodpecker Method, Tactics Time, Benedictine’s Visualization Series 

28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

29:00- James discusses his love for the Scotch Gambit and his pending Chessable courses 

35:00- What is his upcoming tournament schedule? What did James have to learn about how FIDE ratings and norms work? 

Mentioned: 2023 Charlotte Open 

44:00- Does James ever get burnt out from chess? 

47:00- 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

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: What inspires James’s dedication to fitness and weight lifting? 

59:00- True or false: James is a rapper as well? 

1:00:00- What did James learn from legendary trainer, GM Roman Dzindziashvilli? 

1:02:00- What was James’s fondest memory from attending the Global Chess Championship in Toronto? 

Mentioned: GM Wesley So, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, IM Danny Rensch, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Robert Hess, GM Wesley So’s Chessable Courses, Chessgames.com

1:06:00- What advice does James give to younger players? 

Thanks so much to James for sharing his passion for chess with us! Here are all of the links to keep up with him:

YouTube:

Twitch:

Twitter: 

Merch

Instagram

EP 312- GM Noel Studer- The Swiss National Champ Turned Trainer Shares Advice on Overcoming Plateaus, Calculating, Analyzing Games & More

EP 312- GM Noel Studer- The Swiss National Champ Turned Trainer Shares Advice on Overcoming Plateaus, Calculating, Analyzing Games & More

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are rejoined by 2019 Swiss National Champion, blogger and trainer, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always extremely insightful on matters related to chess improvement, and has recently released a video course sharing his own recommended approach. The course, Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos, tackles many of the questions commonly contemplated on the pod, such as which aspects of the game to prioritize, how to analyze games and how to approach opening study. Noel even has a section on how one should learn any discipline, and relates his experiences as a tennis and poker improver. Lastly, Noel shares some thoughts and his own experiences on cheating in tournament chess and discusses his continuing recovery from a brain injury. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Prior Interview with Noel- Episode 248 with GM Noel Studer 

02:00- Patreon mailbag question: I am working hard on my chess, but I am not improving. Should I give up on the possibility of improvement? 

13:00- We discuss Noel’s chess course. What audience did Noel have in mind? How did he go about making the course?  

19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

20:00- We discuss a few of the chess improvement recommendations from Noel’s course that resonated with me, and the reasons that they struck a chord with me. 

28:00- What was the primary contributor to Noel’s chess growth when he was an up and coming player? 

Mentioned: GM Artur Yusopov, Lee Child “Jack Reacher” Novels, The Tim Ferris Podcast 

33:00- Why does Noel think it's important to write down one’s thoughts when reviewing OTB games? 

37:00- What did Noel learn from doing calculation-training with GM R.B. Ramesh and GM Sam Shankland? 

44:00- How would Noel respond to someone who says that his course, at $297, is too expensive?

48:00- 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

49:00- Has Noel read any good books lately? 

Mentioned: Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism

50:00- What has Noel learned about chess learning through trying to improve at tennis and poker?  

1:04:00- We discuss top level chess, especially the Magnus/Niemann saga and the issue of cheating in chess. 

Mentioned: Episode 310 with John Hartmann, Belgian IM Stephen Docx expelled from tournament, Episode 301 with Dr. Kenneth Regan 

1:22:00- What is next for Noel? How is his health? 

Thanks to Noel for joining me, you can keep up with him by subscribing to his blog!

Blog- https://nextlevelchess.blog/

Course- Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos

EP 311- GM Jonathan Speelman- A British Chess Legend on His Time as a Top 10 Player and His Encounters with Anand, Korchnoi, Tal and many more!

Photo by Wolfgang Jekel via Wikimedia Commons. 

We are joined this week by a legend of British chess, GM Jonathan Speelman! Jonathan is a three- time British champion, a two-time World Championship Candidate an author, Chessbase.com columnist, and a trainer. He has been ranked as high as #4 in the world in 1989 and has worked as a second for GMs Viktor Korchnoi, Vishy Anand and Nigel Short. As you might imagine, such a wealth of chess experience gives Jonathan an endless array of stories and a great perspective on what differentiates top players. Jonathan considers questions such as these: 

Why does he consider Ivanchuk the most talented player he has ever encountered? 

Could Anand potentially have beaten Kasparov in 1993? 

Could Jonathan have been World Champion?

 Does he regret pursuing chess after studying mathematics at Oxford? 

It was quite an honor to hear GM Speelman’s modest reflections on a brilliant career. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below. 

Click here to download the Episode

0:00- John shares his thoughts on Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship, which recently culminated with Hikaru Nakamura defeating Magnus Carlsen in the final. 

Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Andrew Tang 

08:00- GM Speelman has said that GM Vasyl Ivanchuk is “the most talented player he has ever encountered.” What differentiates Chucky? 

Mentioned: Ivanchuk-Van Forest 2022 (featuring 26. Nd7!), More on the game from GM Speelman here, Info on “A Grimshaw” here, Novotny here, Karpov-Spassky 1974, Karpov-Korchnoi 1974, Karpov-Unzicker 1974

18:00- GM Speelman reflects on the experience of working on Korchnoi’s, Short’s and Anand’s teams. 

31:00- 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

32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Shopify! To try out their payment service for $1 a month, please visit the link: shopify.com/chess.

33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Jon discover a novelty via a Norwegian Newspaper to surprise GM Nigel Short in the Candidates?

Mentioned: GM Jonathan Tisdall, GM John Nunn

40:00- What are Jonathan’s recollections of his Candidates match vs. GM Jan Timman? 

46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

47:00- Many chess greats, like Fischer, Kasparov, and Jonathan himself have grown up without a dad, does Jon think there is a reason for this?

48:00- What was Jon’s approach to chess when he was climbing the ranks in his 20s? 

1:00:00- Did Jon watch any of the Trent-Hambleton chessboxing match?

1:02:00- Jon shares stories about Larsen, Tal and Ljubomir Ljobojevic. 

Mentioned: Speelman-Larsen 1978, Ljubojevic-Speelman 1980 

1:11:00- Jon has always had poor vision. Has it impacted his chess? 

1:13:00- What are Jon’s Twitch streaming plans?

1:15:00- What are Jon’s plans for his Chessbase Column?

1:20:00- Thanks so much to Jonathan for joining us! Here is how to keep up with him:

LiChess Coaches Page:

https://lichess.org/coach/Jon_Speelman

Chessbase Column:

https://en.chessbase.com/author/jon-speelman

Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/jonspeelman

Jon’s Game Collection is still available on Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/Speelmans-Best-Games-Batsford-Chess-ebook/dp/B00PIWLT6O

EP 310- John Hartmann joins to Review the Year in Chess: A Carlsen/Niemann Update, A New Cheating Scandal, The Chess.Com/PM Merger, & lots more

As 2022 draws to a close, I am (re)joined by Chess Life Magazine editor and Award Winning Journalist John Hartmann to reflect on a year of seismic change in the chess world. First and foremost, cheating in chess has been thrust to the forefront in the wake of the Carlsen/Niemann scandal. We review the latest legal developments in this particular story and also provide some details on a new chess cheating scandal from a tournament in Spain. John and I also discuss the big “chess business” news of 2022. The merger between Chess.com and The Play Magnus Group is now complete! As we discuss, it is hard to predict the ramifications but it is likely to eventually lead to lots of changes in how chess events are presented. Lastly, of course, Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the World Championship Cycle. Will people still tune in to watch Ding face Nepo in 2023? Is Magnus right that Classical Chess’ popularity is receding? 

After reviewing the news, I catch up with John Hartmann on recommended chess books, the health of US Chess and chess generally, and we even discuss what we learned from our own tournament games in 2022. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below. Happy New Year Everyone! 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:02:00- We provide an update on the Niemann/Carlsen scandal and discuss the biggest story of the year, cheating in chess. 

Mentioned: The Sunway Sitges Invitational, FM Andy Woodward, FIDE World Rapid & Blitz 

13:45- A new scandal related to cheating is breaking now, as a Belgian IM was banned from a tournament for refusing to be searched with a metal detector. More info here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/stefan-docx-expelled-from-benidorm-open

Mentioned: GM Arthur Kogan, GM Romain Eduoard’s Tweet 

24:00- 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:

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25:00- We provide an update on Big Story #2- The Chess.com Merger with The Play Magnus Group, which is now complete

39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

42:00- Big story #3, Magnus stepped down from the World Championship cycle. What does this mean for the cycle going forward? 

48:00- We provide an update on the Woman’s World Championship Cycle. GM Tan Zhongyi will face GM Lei Tingjie for the right to face GM Ju Wenjun for the World Championship. 

49:00- Is US Chess seeing continued interest in tournament chess? 

Mentioned: GM Awonder Liang, GM Christopher Yoo, JJ Lang, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, Ladan-Abrahamyan 2022, Cover Stories with Chess Life with WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova 

59:00- Quick tangent on the upcoming Tata Steel tournament. 

1:02:00- Quick update on our own years in tournament chess 

Mentioned: My interview with GM Jesse Kraai for ChessDojo, The Streak App (Its actually $5), FM Nate Solon 

1:09:00- Has John checked out any new chess books this year? 

Mentioned: Reinfeld’s Immortal Games of Capablanca, Cambridge Springs 1904, Albert W. Fox, A Chess Life on and Off the Board by John Hilbert, A Life at Play by Lubomir Kavalek, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Learning Chess with Vladimir Simagin by GM Mihail Marin, GM Jacob Aagaard’s A Matter of Endgame Technique, 1001 Endgame Exercises for Beginners by IM Thomas Willemze, Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championships Volume 3 

Thanks to John for rejoining! 

His Twitter:

https://twitter.com/hartmannchess

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https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

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If you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here:

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EP 309- Dr. Joel Sneed- An Author and Psychology Professor on How to Regain One's Chess Motivation, Curbing "Blitz Tilt" and How he Made Unusual Rating Gains as an Adult

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is author, psychology professor and avid chess player, Dr. Joel Sneed. In the professional realm, Joel is a practicing clinical psychologist, and his research focuses on the topics of late life depression and cognitive impairment. A casual chess game with a patient led to Joel's discovery of competitive chess, and since then he has always found time for the game. In addition to co-authoring some excellent chess books, Joel has achieved very unusual gains for an adult learner.

Joel began tournament chess at age 33 with a 1200 rating, and at age 48 is rated over 2000! Joel thinks that part of the reason for his success has been his emphasis on the psychological side of chess, as discussed in his latest collaboration with GM Boris Gulko, Analyzing the Chess Mind. The book provides both traditional game analysis from GM Gulko, as well as more general advice about chess psychology from both the GM and the Professor. It was fascinating to hear Joel’s story, and there is much to learn from his book and from our conversation! Please read on for timestamps and topics discussed.Joel began tournament chess at age 33 with a 1200 rating, and at age 48 is rated over 2000! Joel thinks that part of the reason for his success has been his emphasis on the psychological side of chess, as discussed in his latest collaboration with GM Boris Gulko, Analyzing the Chess Mind. The book provides both traditional game analysis from GM Gulko, as well as more general advice about chess psychology from both the GM and the Professor. It was fascinating to hear Joel’s story, and there is much to learn from his book and from our conversation! Please read on for timestamps and topics discussed. 

Click here to Download the Episode

01:00- Joel tells the story of his starting to discover tournament chess through working with a patient at a psychiatric hospital. 

07:00- What has chess taught Joel about himself? Why was he initially attracted to the game? 

Mentioned: Episode 300 with GM Ulf Andersson 

13:00- Joel hasn’t played a tournament since May, why not? 

17:00- Joel discusses how he began to collaborate with his co-author, legendary GM Boris Gulko. 

19:00- What advice would Joel give to a friend who is having trouble finding the motivation to return to tournament chess? 

Mentioned: IM John Watson 

25:00- Patreon mailbag question: What advice does Joel give to someone who wants to get into a beneficial mindset before a tournament? 

35:00- 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

37:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Joel’s advice for someone who is prone to bullet chess addiction and tilt?

Mentioned: Episode 216 with Dr. Jana Krivec

50:00- How has studying his own chess tendencies helped Joel in his activities that take place away from the chess board? 

57:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

58:00- What chess lessons did Joel learn from the golf book, Golf is not a Game of Perfect? 

1:07:00- What were the biggest contributors to Joel’s slow and steady rise from 1200 to 2000 USCF? 

1:11:00- What are Joel’s favorite chess books, besides his own Lessons with a Grandmaster collaboration with GM Boris Gulko? 

Mentioned: The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald, How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman 

1:17:00- What is meant by “Ego is a limited resource?” 

1:22:00- Thanks so much to Joel for joining me. You can email him at prof.sneed at gmail dot com 

Be sure to check out his books with GM Boris Gulko as well: 

Analyzing the Chess Mind:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Analyzing-Chess-Sneed-Boris-Gulko/dp/1784831123/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YLXPM3IWVAKS&keywords=Analyzing+the+Chess+Mind&qid=1671420382&s=books&sprefix=analyzing+the+chess+mind%2Cstripbooks%2C109&sr=1-1

Forward Chess: https://forwardchess.com/sample/analyzing-the-chess-mind

Lessons with a Grandmaster

Book Recap #30- 10 Underrated Chess Books for Different Ratings Levels, with FM Carsten Hansen

This episode was recorded at Suite Recording Studios in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and is also available with video on the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel. 

Chess Books Recaptured returns, this time to discuss 10 books for the price of one! My guest co-host is FM Carsten Hansen, who returns to the pod to join me in selecting and discussing different chess books for different chess experience levels. Carsten is a prolific author, the book reviewer for American Chess Magazine, and a Chess Life magazine columnist. In addition to a lot of book talk, we discuss Carsten’s chess-improvement efforts and OTB plans, and a few of his recent collaborations with IM Cyrus Lakdawala. There is always so much to learn from Carsten, and I am confident we have selected worthwhile book recommendations for chess enthusiasts of many backgrounds.  

Click here to Download the Episode

02:00- How do we define an “underrated” chess book? 

04:30- Aside from reading chess books, who are some of our favorite chess content creators?

Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Andras Toth, IM John Bartholomew, GM Daniel King, Chess Feels, C Squared, Chicken Chess Club, Ladies Knight with Isabella Choko 

8:30- Book #1- Open Files by Uhlman and Schmidt 

12:00- Book #2- Arkell’s Endings by and GM Keith Arkell  

16:00- Book #3- World Chess Championship 1948. Contact the translator, Jan Verendel via his website: https://verendel.com/

18:00- Book #4- Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making by GM Ramesh

23:00- Book #5- Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss by GM Patrick Wolff 

Mentioned: Episode 189 with GM Patrick Wolff 

 Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

27:00- Book #6- Instructive Chess Miniatures  by FM Alper Efe Ataman 

30:30- Book #7- Rewire Your Chess Brain by IM Cyrus Lakdawala 

Mentioned: Episode 197 with IM Cyrus Lakdawala,  Endgames Studies 101 on Chessable

37:30- Book #8- The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald 

42:30- Book #9- Positional Chess by IM Shaun Talbut 

Mentioned: Move First, Think Later by IM Willy Hendriks 

Mentioned: Improve Your Positional Chess by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 182 with IM Willy Hendriks 

47:00- Book #10- Universal Chess Training by GM Wojciech Moranda 

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:

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54:00- How is Carsten currently working on his chess and blitz games?  

Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual by CrafyRaf, The Dirty Harry Sicilian by IM Christof Sielecki, Play the Orangutan by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen

1:11:00- Bonus book talk! Carsten showcases a few books that aren’t translated into English but should be. 

Mentioned: Larsen Volume 1, 30 Years at the Chessboard by Jens Enevoldsen

1:19:00- Which of Carsten’s recent books would he recommend most highly?

Mentioned: The Anti-Alapin Gambit, The Smyslov Workbook, The Chess Wizardry of Wotowa, Back to Basics: Chess Openings

1:24:00- Some of Our Favorite Books of 2022: . Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championship, Albert W. Fox: A Life on and Off the Chess Board by John S. Hilbert, Evaluate like a Grandmaster, Think Like a Super GM

1:25:00- Thanks to Carsten for joining me in studio! 

You can check out his books here:

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Carsten-Hansen/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ACarsten+Hansen

Follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/carstenchess

If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community and be able to submit questions for guests and receive other perks, you can do so here:

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