EP 344- GM Melik Khachiyan on How Staying Active OTB and Emphasizing Physical Fitness helped him Win his First National Title!

Photo by Lennart Ootes via St. Louis Chess Club 

GM Melik Khachiyan is a top player and former chess Olympian. He is also a trainer who has taught many future GMs and has coached the US Women’s national team for many years. Despite his many successes, Melik had never won a US Championship of his own…until this year. In 2023, Melik beat out many higher-rated U.S. legends to comfortably win the U.S. Senior Championship! In our conversation, Melik takes us behind the scenes of the games and opening preparation, and his training regimen during the weeks leading up to the tournament. Melik thinks that he was propelled to victory by a couple of decisions in particular: 1) a focus on physical fitness and 2) his staying active in competitive chess. Melik always has lots of chess knowledge to impart, but his recent successes highlight the importance of perseverance, both at and away from the board. And of course, as GM Levon Aronian’s childhood coach, and a former student of World Champion Tigran Petrosian, Melik always has a few stories to share. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. 

New courses include: 

Starting Out: The Scotch by Fiona Steil-Antoni and IM Alex Astaneh 

Techniques of Positional Play featuring GM Peter Heine Nielsen 

Check out my favorite Chessable courses here: 

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

My prior interview with Melik: 

Episode 64 with GM Melik Khachiyan

0:00- Melik explains the story behind his last-minute invitation to the U.S. Senior Championship. 

5:00- What did Melik do to change his chess training and fitness routine leading up the tournament? 

Mentioned: Khachiyan-Root 2023

12:00- Patreon mailbag question- “How has Melik’s tournament approach changed over the years?” 

20:00- Did Melik gain an edge over his competitors by continuing to compete?

Mentioned: GM Alex Fishbein 

25:00- Patreon mailbag question: Has Melik changed his opening repertoire in recent years?

30:00- What was the story behind Melik’s game with Dlugy which began with the unusual sequence 1. Nf3 c5 2. C3 ? Melik also discusses his unusual preparation for GM Patrick Wolff 

Mentioned: Khachiyan-Dlugy 2023, Khachiyan-Wolff 2023

39:00- What does Melik do to deal with sleep problems that occur during tournaments? 

42:00- What are Melik’s memories of competing in the 1996 Olimpiad in Yerevan, with his then student FM Levon Aronian, also on the Armenian team? 

44:00- In my recent interview with GM Aronian he discussed traveling to tournaments in the cargo department of a plane. What were Melik’s recollections of those rides? What does Melik think Levon learned from growing up so poor? 

Mentioned: Episode 341 with GM Levon Aronian 

50:00- How was World Champion GM Tigran Petrosian’s table tennis game? What did Tigran think of speed chess? 

Bonus Pod- FIDE World Cup Update- Magnus and Fabiano on a Collision Course? Featuring CM Vjekoslav Nemec and IM Michael Rahal reporting from the tournament in Baku.

Photo of GM Nijat Abasov by Stev Bonhage via FIDE

We catch you up on the riveting 2023 FIDE World Cup. I am joined by Chessable author and blogger, CM Vjekoslav Nemec to discuss the tournament so far, then FIDE Press officer IM Michael Rahal joins me from the playing hall in Baku to describe the venue and what it has been like to do post game interviews with the players. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable. 

Check out FM Nate Solon’s new course here: 

https://www.chessable.com/100-repertoires-reti-1nf3/course/170854/

And check out GM Pepe Cuenca’s Lifetime Repertoires: Queen’s Gambit Declined here:

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-queens-gambit-declined/course/57401/

0- Rundown of the results at the FIDE World Cup. 

4:30- Vjekoslav Nemec joins the show. What have the most noteworthy stories of this World Cup? What do we expect in the final round?

24:00- FIDE Press Officer IM Michael Rahal joins me from Baku! 

You can check out all of Michael’s interviews in Baku on the FIDE YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@FIDE_chess

You can follow Michael on Twitter here:

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

You can follow Vjekoslav here:

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

Read his blog here:

https://t.co/1tZcgGs5uW

EP 343- Rating Deflation Roundtable- with Statistician Jeff Sonas and Data Scientist FM Nate Solon discuss FIDE’s Proposed Changes to their Rating System

Jeff Sonas is a software engineer and database consultant who is also one of the world’s leading experts on chess ratings. As you may have read, FIDE recently proposed some changes to its rating system (partially due to Jeff’s advice). . In our conversation, Jeff explains the background of his work on ratings, and why he feels that changes to the system are necessary. Following a detailed and fascinating conversation about chess ratings, we discuss Jeff’s excellent historical chess site, Chessmetrics, which compares the relative strength of top chess players across eras. Due to his expertise on the topic, I also invited FM Nate Solon to co-host this episode. Nate writes about chess and data on his excellent blog, Zwischenzug. As always, you can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

Click here to Download the Episode

Sign up for my newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest here: 

https://benjohnson.substack.com

FIDE Press release about Proposed Rating Changes- https://fide.com/news/2538

Jeff’s paper- 

https://www.fide.com/docs/presentations/Sonas%20Proposal%20-%20Repairing%20the%20FIDE%20Standard%20Elo%20Rating%20System.pdf

NM Vanessa West's Summary of the Proposed Changes

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable. Here are some courses to check out.  FM Nate Solon’s course is here:

100 Repertoires: Reti (1.Nf3) 

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

04:00- We welcome Jeff Sonas to the show! 

04:30- He begins by discussing the history of his work in ratings, and specifically with FIDE. Jeff also discusses how he has gone from worrying about inflation to deflation.

Mentioned: Rating Inflation: Its causes and Its possible cures 

26:00- Patreon mailbag question:  “ Could Jeff put a number on the amount of deflation? Is there deflation on the chess playing websites?” 

36:00- More explanation of the causes of deflation: 

Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Tweet, Article by Tarjei Svensen about Velpula Sarayu’s Record Performance 

42:00- Does the deflation matter, other than for reasons of vanity?  

48:00- What does Jeff think of the Glicko system? 

Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman, Jeff’s Archive of Chess Writing 

53:00 Patreon mailbag question: “How feasible is a universal rating system based on engine move matching?” 

Mentioned: Read Jeff’s paper here:

https://www.fide.com/docs/presentations/Sonas%20Proposal%20-%20Repairing%20the%20FIDE%20Standard%20Elo%20Rating%20System.pdf

59:00- Jeff discusses the history and methodology of his awesome chess history website, Chessmetrics.

Mentioned: Jeff’s Series: Who is the Greatest Player of All Time? 

1:10:00- Where would Carlsen rank?

1:14:00- What would be the biggest challenge to creating a chess site similar to a basketball reference or ultimate tennis statistics? 

1:16:00- Has Jeff ever gotten inquiries about his data from top players?

Mentioned: Chess24 top 50 of all time Series with GM Jan Gustafsson and GM Peter Heine Nielsen 

1:18:00- Which historical player is underrated? 

1:25:00- What is Jeff’s own chess background? 

1:28:00-  Thanks so much to Jeff for joining the podcast! You can reach him via the Chessmetrics website:

http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/Introduction.asp

And be sure to subscribe to FM Nate Solon’s free blog here:

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 342- GM Simen Agdestein: The Norwegian Chess Legend on Coaching Young Magnus, Life as a Pro Footballer, and What he Learned from Career-Altering Injuries

This week we are joined by a legend of Norwegian Chess, GM Simen Agdestein. Simen was the first Norwegian Grandmaster, a childhood trainer of Magnus Carlsen, and is a nine-time champion of Norway, who holds the record of being both the country’s youngest and oldest national champion, after winning the title again this year at age 56. As if these feats weren’t impressive enough, at the time Simen was around his chess peak (#16 in the world) he was also a star football/soccer player, who played striker on Norway’s national team! With such an accomplished resume, one might think things have been easy for Simen, but that has been far from the case. As he discusses in our interview, injuries derailed his chess and football careers simultaneously, and SImen was forced to reassess everything. In our conversation, Simen shares what his vast life experience has taught him about life and chess improvement. Simen also discusses the current chess scene in Norway, and of course, tells plenty of stories about what it was like to coach a young Magnus Carlsen. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our Presenting Chess Education Sponsors, Chessable.com Here are a few of their Magnus related courses: 

Fight Like Magnus 

Grind Like a GM 

Magnus Carlsen: Endgame Virtuoso 

You can check out my favorite courses here:

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

0:02- GM Agdestein reflects on his recent, record-setting National Championship. How does the feeling of this one compare to prior championship wins? How did he prepare for this one? 

Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar’s Interview with GM Simen Agdestein, IM Elham Abdrlauf, GM Jonathan Speelman’s Chessbase column about Simen’s recent win, SImen’s book

15:00- How does Simen structure the chess study time at his famed chess institute for talented chess players?

Mentioned: GM Aryan Tari, GM Magnus Carlsen, Magnus Carlsen on The Lex Fridman Podcast 

22:00- What stood out about Magnus in his early years? 

Mentioned: GM Torbjorn Ringdal Hansen

27:30- Patreon mailbag question: “Are the live TV broadcasts attracting new tournament players?” 

31:30- How did Simen become a GM with so little chess infrastructure in Norway at the time? 

35:00- Does Simen think he was more talented in chess or in football?

37:00- Simen tells how injuries derailed his football and chess careers simultaneously. 

Mentioned: Chess.com’s Tarjei Svensen 

44:00- Why did Simen turn down a lucrative professional football offer from the Turkish club Besiktas? 

45:30- How did Simen recover from the physical and mental setbacks in his mid 20s?

49:00- When Simen reflects on his 20s does he think of chess or soccer first? 

52:00- Why did Simen turn down a lucrative football contract with a Turkish pro club in his 20s? 

55:00- What does SImen remember about a young Alexei Shirov coming to visit his house? 

57:00- What was it like facing Kasparov? 

1:00:00- What are Simen’s memories of Kasparov’s visit to Norway to work with Magnus at age 14? 

1:04:00- More Magnus stories! 

1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is the proper way to determine a world champion in chess?” 

1:12:00- Why does Simen advise to “always take pieces?” 

1:16:00- Thanks so much to Simen for joining the pod! You can learn more about his experience coaching Magnus in his book:

https://www.amazon.com/Magnus-Carlsen-Became-Youngest-Grandmaster/dp/9056914375

And keep an eye out for the forthcoming book, Games and Goals by IM Atle Gronn. It should be available in English in 2024

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Book Recap #32- GM Rowson's Chess for Zebras (with guest co-host, Professor David Franklin)

Professor David Franklin joined me to discuss the book, as he did for The Seven Deadly Chess Sins

After a lengthy hiatus, the book review series Chess Books Recaptured, returns to discuss another classic chess book. This time we discuss Chess for Zebras. Originally published in 2003, Zebras is a followup to Rowson’s classic first book The Seven Deadly Chess Sins. While the book has some tonal similarities to its predecessor, it is a bit more narrow in focus. My guest co-host is Law Professor David Franklin. (David also co-hosted our discussion of Seven Deadly Chess Sins) Like me, David is a fan of GM Rowson’s writing, although both of us have our quibbles with different parts of the book. All in all, though, we both find the book highly worthwhile. Key concepts discussed in the book (and on the podcast) include the difference between knowledge and skill in chess, the challenges of handling each color, and the underrated chess skill of “just being.” Tune in to find out more! Timestamps below: 

Click here to download the Episode

Thanks to our Presenting Chess Education Sponsors, Chessable.com  

Chess for Zebras Free Preview:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-for-zebras-free-lesson/course/92638/

Chess for Zebras: 

https://www.chessable.com/chess-for-zebras-thinking-differently-about-black-and-white/course/61560/

Check out my favorite courses here: 

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

02:00- Law Professor and USCF Expert David Franklin joins me. Why did he suggest this book? How is it different from GM Jonathan Rowson’s other chess classic, Seven Deadly Chess Sins? 

Mentioned: Book Recap #14- Seven Deadly Chess Sins with David Franklin 

04:30- How did Rowson choose the title, Chess for Zebras? 

Mentioned: Chess for Tigers by Simon Webb, GM Rowson’s 2023 interview with Chessbase India  

08:30- We discuss the major points and framework of the book, as well as the level of players who could most benefit from this book. 

13:30- We discuss Part 1 of the book, which focuses on the challenges of adult chess improvement and the “knowledge-skill” gap. 

Mentioned: Move First, Think Later by IM Willy Hendriks, The Best of Novice Nook 

18:30- As a lawyer, does David think that aging effects his ability to practice law differently than his ability to play chess? 

22:30- What is GM Rowson’s recommendation for acquiring skills as opposed to knowledge?

Mentioned: IM Andras Toth 

30:00- We discuss part 2, called “A Mental Toolkit for the Exponential Jungle” 

Mentioned: GM Tony Miles, GM Johann Hjartarson, IM Dina Belenkaya 

34:00- What does it mean to “keep it between the hedges”? 

Mentioned: GM Michael Adams, GM Luke McShane, Mentioned Magnus and David Howell’s course: Grind Like a Super GM, Magnus’ Book Recommendations 

40:00- Part 3- Thinking Colorfully About Black and White 

Mentioned: Andras Adorjan, Mihai Suba’s Dynamic Chess Strategy, GM Vasilios Kotronias

52:00- We share a few more memorable quotes from the book

Mentioned: The Moves That Matter 

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 341-Double Episode! GM Levon Aronian on The Global Chess League & His Career, + Global Chess League Chairperson Jagdish Mitra on Plans for Future Seasons

Perpetual Chess is back with a banger of a double episode. First up is chess superstar, GM Levon Aronian! Levon joined me from Spain after returning from the first season of the Global Chess League in Dubai. Levon reflected on the success of his championship-winning team, and we discussed why he thinks initiatives like this league are vital to the future health of chess. We then broadened the scope of our conversation, and Levon shared memorable stories about his humble beginnings and Armenia, and the lessons he had to learn when he shot to chess stardom in the mid 2000s. Lastly, Levon discusses his move to the U.S., his 2023 plans, and why he is not playing in the ongoing FIDE World Cup. 

Be sure to tune in to hear Jagdish Mitra share Tech Mahindra's vision for the Global Chess League!

Following Lev, we are joined by Jagdish Mitra. Jagdish is Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth at Tech Mahindra, and served as Chairperson of the first season of The Global Chess League. Jagdish looked back on a successful first season, and discussed the ambitious plans and long term vision that the league has for upcoming years. Both interviews left me excited about the future of chess! You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable. Here are some courses to check out:

Techniques of Positional Play with GM Peter Heine Nielsen

Lifetime Repertoires: Gawain Jones 1.e4 e5

100 Repertoires: Alekhine Defense by CM Vjekoslav Nemec 

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

4:00- GM Levon Aronian joins me from a park in Spain! How was Levon added as a last-second replacement to the Global Chess League? What sort of things does he usually negotiate before signing a contract to participate in an event? 

Mentioned: Chess.com’s Dog-Themed Bots including Levon’s Famous Dog, Ponchik 

10:00- What was it like to be in Dubai for the Global Chess League?

15:30- How can new players be incorporated into future Global Chess Leagues? 

17:30- What steps are necessary to continue to grow chess and attract corporate sponsors? 

Mentioned: Indian Express article by Amit Kamath

25:00- Levon’s scouting reports on Hikaru and Gukesh 

26:30- Which young star is most likely to emerge as a world champion? 

30:00- What was it like to play games for money to support his family as a kid? 

36:00- Levon tells an amazing story of how Boris Gelfand taught him to treat chess professionally. 

40:00- Why does Levon think chess has become increasingly professionalized?

41:30- Is Chess960 the solution to the over-abundance of opening theory? 

Mentioned: GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jan Timman 

49:00- Is it true that Levon traveled in the cargo department of a plane to get to tournaments? 

Mentioned: Sean Williams’ 2017 New Yorker feature on Levon Aronian, GM Melik Khachiyan 

55:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What obstacles did Lev encounter in moving to the US?”  

1:03:00- Will Levon write a book some day?

Mentioned: GM Surya Ganguly’s “In Conversation with GM Levon Aronian”

1:08:30- What is Levon’s study routine?

1:09:00- Thanks to Levon for joining me! 

1:11:00- Jagdish Mitra, the Chairperson of the Global Chess League joins the podcast! We begin by discussing the origins of the Global Chess League. 

1:25:00- How did they decide on the unique format?

1:30:00- How will they acquire new players? How can teams foster allegiance with chess fans? 

1:41:00- Thanks so much to Jagdish for sharing the vision behind the Global Chess League. Here is how you can keep up with it:

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/GCLlive?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Bonus Pod- Jen Shahade joins for a FIDE Women's World Championship Wrap Up

Fresh off of commentating the match for Chess.com, Award-Winning Podcaster, Author, and 2-time US Women's Champion Jen Shahade joined me to reflect on GM Ju Wenjun's dramatic comeback. Jen shares what it was like to cover the decisive Game 12, and describes the moment when she realized we might not be going to rapid tiebreaks after all. We also discuss the historical context of GM Ju Wenjun becoming just the 6th player to win the Women's World Championship 4 times or more. After discussing the match, we catch up with Jen on her many ongoing projects, and her upcoming book, Play Like a Champion. Finally, Jen reminisces about the life and legacy of Isabella Choko, the Holocaust survivor and French Women's Champion who Jen had the honor to meet and interview. As always, the timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Click here to Download the Episode

0:01- We begin by discussing the entertaining and instructive clinching game. When did Jen realize we might see a decisive result? 

Mentioned: Game 12, J. Shahade-Perelshteyn 2003

10:00- Were the opening choices surprising? 

Mentioned: GM Jovanka Houska, GM Judit Polgar, GM Daneil Naroditsky, GM Alexander Kosteniuk, GM Wei Yi  

14:30- Should the prize fund be higher? 

Mentioned: Norway Chess to Sponsor Women’s Tournament with Equal Prize Fund to Open

20:00- Who could be the next potential challenger to Ju Wenjun? 

Mentioned: IM Alice Lee, GM Alexandra Goryachkina, GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Lei Tingjie, IM Vaishili R.  

22:00- Jen discusses her upcoming book, Play Like a Champion! 

Mentioned: 700 Chess Problems by Edith Baird, FM Yosha Iglesias 

27:00- Jen shares her memories of Isabella Choko who recently passed. 

Mentioned: Ladies Knight Episode 33 with Isabella Choko 

EP 340- FIDE World Cup Preview with Mr. Dodgy- The Best Tournament of the Chess Year starts Sunday!

The FIDE World Cup is a unique, bi-annual tournament that is distinguished by its elimination format, its wide variety of time controls, and its significant prizes, both in terms of cash ($110,000 for first) and in the form of 3 spots that are awarded in the 2024 FIDE Candidates. This year’s edition starts Sunday, and I am joined by Chessable author, tournament organizer, chess superfan, and Twitter celebrity, Mr. Dodgy (Michael Duke) to preview the tournament. Mr. Dodgy and I share our “likes and dislikes” about the tournament and its format, discuss players we are excited to see, make feeble attempts at prognosticating the results, and discuss the FIDE Women’s World Cup, which runs concurrently and is also a star-studded tournament with spots in the Women’s Candidates on the line. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:01- What is unique about this tournament? What notables are playing, and who is missing from the field?  

0:07- Who will the commentators be? 

09:30- We review the current state of the FIDE Candidates Cycle. More information here: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidates_Tournament_2024

More information on the FIDE Circuit standings here:

https://wcc.fide.com/

15:00- What do we like about the FIDE World Cup? 

Mentioned: GM David Howell, GM Christopher Yoo 

26:00-Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com.

Mr. Dodgy recommends Jan Gustafsson’s 1. E4 e5 course, and Ginger GM and IM Richard Palliser’s “Harry Attack” course. 

https://www.chessable.com/the-harry-attack-fighting-kingside-fianchettos-after-1-d4/course/99939/

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-jan-gustafssons-1-e4-e5/course/28860/

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

29:00- Dislikes- What are common critiques of the World Cup?

Mentioned: Episode 149 with GM Robert Hungaski, GM Harikrishna, GM Hans Niemann, 

48:00- Who are the pllayers we are excited to see?

Mentioned: GM D. Gukesh, GM Erigaisi, GM Pragganandhaa, GM Gregory Kaidanov, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Vincent Keymer 

54:00- Why isn’t Alireza playing? 

58:00- Predictions! Who will win the Open Section and who will emerge with the Candidates spots? 

1:01:00- Who are we excited to see in the Women’s Event? Should it take place at the same time as the men’s event? 

Mentioned: IM Eline Roebers, IM Oliwia Kiolbasa, IM Carissa Yip, IM Jennifer Yu, IM Teodora Injac 

1:09:00- Predictions for the Women’s World Cup

Mentioned: IM R. Vaishali, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina 

Thanks again to Mr. Dodgy for joining us! You can follow him on Twitter here:

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

EP 339- WGM Anna Zatonskih: The Four-Time US Women’s Champion Shares the Story Behind Earning Her First GM Norm at age 44!

This week’s guest is the four-time U.S. women's champion and perennial US National Team Member WGM Anna Zatonskih. Anna joined me the week after her inspiring victory at the 2023 Cairns Cup to reflect on her standout performance. As Anna recounts, as the second to lowest seed in the tournament, most people had modest expectations for her, but despite self-doubt and busy life, she nonetheless decided to prepare rigorously for the tournament and hoped to put her best foot forward. As it turned out, Anna not only won the tournament but unexpectedly secured her first Grandmaster norm at 44 years of age! Anna shares the advice that helped motivate her to double down on her study, how she went about studying, and she discusses how she plans to spend the $45,000 she won. We also discuss Anna’s emigration to the U.S. in 2002, her study regimen as a top youth player in Ukraine, and how she approaches teaching chess to her kids as a mom. I was so inspired by Anna’s story and I think that you will be as well! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below: 

Click here to Download the Episode

Recorded June 21, 2023

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com.

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

01:00- What was Anna’s mindset going into the Cairn’s Cup? How did she work on her game? 

Mentioned: Vladmirov’s 1000 Chess Studies, GM Daniel Fridman 

28:00- Does Anna have family members in Ukraine? What rules should FIDE have place for Russian players competing from different countries? 

Mentioned: IM Irina Bulmaga’s Blog post 

35:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Anna approach teaching chess to her own kids?” 

38:00- How did Anna study chess as a child in the former Soviet Union? 

40:00- How does Anna describe her first days in the US in 2002? 

45:00- Anna discusses her upcoming chess plans and life in Germany. 

47:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Should the “WGM” title have a different name?”

Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s FAQ

52:00- What are Anna’s next chess plans? 

Mentioned: Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources 

Thanks to Anna for sharing her story!

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Bonus Pod- The FIDE Women's World Championship is at the Halfway Point: American Chess Olympian WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins to discuss it

After 6 games, the 2023 FIDE Women’s World Championship is closely contested. The challenger, GM Lei Tingjie leads the Champion, GM Ju Wenjun 3.5-2.5 as the players take a 2-day break to switch host cities. One of the top female players in the United States, WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins me to share her thoughts on the match. Begim was the 2018 Uzbek Women’s Champion and is now a member of the U.S. National team and a student at the University of Missouri. She has been annotating the games for Chess Life Online, you can view her annotations here. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks as always to Chessable for sponsoring Perpetual Chess! I forgot to mention in the podcast, but if you want to play the Italian game like Lei Tiangjie check out WGM Tatev Abrahmayan’s new course: The Italian Game: Inside & Out!

You can check out some of my favorite courses here:

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

0:01- WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins the podcast. Begim joins and shares her perspective on the match and on the openings we have seen so far. 

Mentioned: Cover Stories with Chess Life December 2022 (#49)

11:30- Begim discusses her experience playing both GM Lei Tiangjie and GM Ju Wenjun 

13:30- Can either player make any stylistic adjustments other than switching openings? 

17:30- Begim discusses her plans for her own chess career including her study plans and her upcoming tournaments. 

Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman .

26:00- Thanks so much to Begim for joining us! Here is how to keep up with her:

 Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/begim09/?hl=en

Twitter: 

begim09 https://twitter.com/Gulruhbegim

EP 338- Dr. Daniel Simons and Dr. Christopher Chabris- Two Award Winning co-authors and Professors on Growth Mindset, Cheating in Chess, Chess Improvement & Much more!

Available from Amazon

This week’s guests on Perpetual Chess are the award-winning co-authors and tournament chess players, Dr. Christopher Chabris and Dr. Daniel Simons. Dr. Chabris, of course, is a cognitive scientist, USCF Master, chess dad, and frequent guest on Perpetual Chess. Dr. Simons is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois-Urbana and a tournament chess player in his own right. Their excellent new book, Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken in and What We Can Do About It is not exclusively about chess, but touches on the subject repeatedly, and has many implications for our game. In our conversation, we talk about the book generally but also try to focus on “chess takeaways,” from the book material, with a particular emphasis on the future of cheating in chess. Dr. Chabris has also been active on the tournament scene since we last spoke, so he shares a few fresh observations about chess improvement. I learned a lot both from the book and from our conversation, and I am confident that you will enjoy it. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Check out Anish Giri’s new course Lifetime Repertoires: Giri’s 1. E4 Part 3. You can also see a list of my recommended courses here:

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 

0:00- What is misunderstood about “Growth Mindset”? 

Mentioned: Chess Improvement, It's All in the Mindset, Episode 199 with Dr. Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells 

7:00- What is replication and why is it important for scientific studies?

12:00- What is “desirable difficulty?” 

16:30- Dan and Chris discuss a famous chess study that they recreated on their own involving the ability of chess players of different levels to recall chess positions. Watch the video here:

Memory for chess positions (featuring grandmaster Patrick Wolff)

24:00- Are there any studies of chess players that Dan and Chris would like to see done? 

31:00- We have a brief digression on how to deal with email scams, I was surprised by the advice given in Nobody’s Fool. 

35:00- What can we do about cheating in chess? 

Mentioned: FM Nate Solon’s article Beating Hikaru

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/beating-hikaru

More info on Apple Vision Pro:

https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

48:00- Chris Chabris just played in two tournaments. What were his chess observations and conclusions? 

EP 337- NM Nate Shuman- A Scholastic Champion on How Mindfulness Practices Helped Him & Can Help Others Bring Focus and Enjoyment Back to their Competitive Chess Games

Nate Shuman is a New York City-based high school student who founded an organization called Mindmates. Mindmates has already facilitated workshops for many of the top scholastic chess organizations in the New York City area. Nate has experienced the benefits of mindfulness first-hand, as it helped him get through a lengthy chess plateau that he felt threatened to sap the joy of chess from him. In our conversation, Nate shares a couple of basic mindfulness techniques that can help any tournament player, and he reflects on his own chess career, including a 7-year plateau while going from 2100 to 2200 USCF. You can find the timestamps for the topics discussed below.  

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Their new courses include Starting out with 1. D4 by GM Ben Finegold. And The Audacious Milner-Barry Gambit by NM Han Schut. You can also see a list of my recommended courses here:

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 

0:02- Nate shares how he got into chess at one of the top chess programs in the U.S. The Dalton School. How is chess taught there? 

Mentioned: WIM Beatriz Marinello, David MacEnulty, FM Gus Huston, NM Corey Evans, NM Yevgeny Feldman, GM Max Dlugy 

13:00- What did Nate learn from experiencing a lengthy chess plateau at the 2100 level? 

21:00- What is the vision behind Mindmates, Nate’s mindfulness-based organization, ? 

Mentioned: 

Episode 289 with Tony Ballard of The Gift of Chess

Episode 155 with Elizabeth Spiegel 

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What adjustments does Nate make for teaching younger kids?” 

Mentioned:

How to Chess Episode 12 with  Dr. Benjamin Portheault

 Dr. Benjamin Portheault’s course:  https://mindfulness-for-the-tournament-player.teachable.com/p/mindfulness-for-the-tournament-player

38:00- Nate walks us through a couple of simple mindfulness exercises

46:00- Nate gives examples of affirmations chess players can use before games. 

47:00- Nate discusses his future plans for MindMates. 

You can learn more about Mindmates via their website:

https://www.mindmates.org/

Email: Nate.Shuman at Mindmatesdot.org

Follow @MindmatesChess on Instagram 

Bonus Pod- Three Amateurs on Chess Lessons Learned and Adventures Had at the National Open in Las Vegas

We are trying a new format here on Perpetual Chess and are featuring tournament trip reports from 3 different amateurs who recently competed in the National Open in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have long wanted to know more about what it is like to attend and compete in this venerable chess festival, and I lined up 3 guests to share their reflections on the tournament and the chess lessons that they learned.

My 3 guests are:

1) NM Todd Bryant (aka StrongChess) joins the podcast to discuss his experience in the Under 2300 section. Todd is a Software Engineer for Chess.com, a chess dad, and a blitz and weight lifting enthusiast.

2) Lindsey Newhall joins to report on the Under 1300 section, the Women’s Open tournament, and a family reunion of sorts. Lindsey is a California based chess player, chess teacher and tournament director.

3) Returning guest, Twitch streamer and chess teacher Cody Smith reports on the Under 1900 Section, and some Twitch streamer meetups.

I hope you all enjoy this format, please let me know if you enjoy it and if it is something you would like to hear more of for big tournaments. Timestamps for guest appearances and info is below:

Click here yo Download the Episode

0:01- Intro to the pod

Subscribe to my free newsletter here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

Thanks to Chessable for the support, check out their latest courses:

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

0:03- NM Todd Bryant “StrongChess” joins.

23:00- Lindsey Newhall joins the podcast.

Lindsey was featured in Episode 58 of Chess Journeys

46:00- CL Smith rejoins the pod! CL Smith was in Episode 270 of Perpetual Chess

Follow Cody on Twitch here:

https://www.twitch.tv/clsmithxv

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Bonus pod- Law Professor David Franklin returns to Discuss the Dismissal of the Hans NIemann/Chess.com Lawsuit

Photo by Lennart Ootes

David Franklin is a constitutional law professor and practicing appellate lawyer. David also is a USCF expert and chess enthusiast who follows the chess world closely. In 2022, David came on Perpetual Chess to help explain the Hans Niemann lawsuit after it was filed. At the time he felt it was an uphill battle for Hans, which has proven to be the case given the lawsuit's dismissal. David rejoins the podcast to review the dismissal and to discuss what further recourse GM Hans Niemann might have, if any.

You can hear David’s prior discussion of the lawsuit here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ciBvYBT6BD69w1TR3j1nJ?si=969ca9c1d61e4765

Click here to Download the Episode

0:01- Brief addendum

0:02- Professor David Franklin joins the podcast.

EP 336- GM Jan Timman. The Legendary Author and Dutch Champion discusses his new book on Max Euwe, How his Generation Compares to the Current One, and Magnus and the Modern Chess Landscape

Photo of GM Jan Timman and GM Max Euwe in 1971 via Dutch National Archive

via New in Chess Books

This week we are re-joined by a legend of the game, 9 time Dutch champion and award winning author, GM Jan Timman. GM Timman has just released his latest book, Max Euwe’s Best Games, which puts the games of his fellow Dutch legend under a modern microscope. We discuss Jan’s personal relationship with Euwe, and Jan answers some questions about the World Champion’s legacy. Is it fair to say that Euwe only beat Alekhine in 1935 due to Alekhine’s drinking problem? What were Euwe’s best games? How did he develop his tactical flair? Why did he blunder more often than other elite players? We also discuss other news from the chess world, as GM Timman shares thoughts and stories on Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, Garry Kasparov, and the state of Dutch chess. It is always an honor to speak with GM Jan Timman! 

Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.

Click here to Download the Episode

Prior GM Jan Timman appearances: 

Episode 196

2021 Discussion of the Carlsen-Nepo match 

0:02- GM Jan Timman shares his personal recollections of former World Champion Max Euwe, who Jan played in a simul as an 11 year old boy. 

0:07- Jan took a trip for a chess training camp to the Soviet Union as a 19-year-old in 1970. What was that trip like?

10:00- Jan has described one of Max Euwe’s books as formative for him as a child, what does he remember about the “book with a blue cover?” 

14:00- Does Jan consider quantitative analyses of players’ ability, such as that done by Chessmetrics to be useful? 

Mentioned: Euwe-Pirc 1949, Boguljubow

15:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is the perception that Max Euwe was a weaker world champion an accurate one? 

18:00- Is it true that Euwe beat Alekhine because Alekhine was drunk the entire match?

20:00- How does Jan think Euwe developed such a creative style, as evidenced in his games against Alekhine and Geller?

Mentioned: Euwe-Alekhine 1934, Euwe-Geller 1953

21:45- GM Timman discusses the approaches to chess of Karpov, Kasparov and Tal. 

23:00- Why did Euwe blunder so often?

26:30- What are Jan’s favorite games of Euwe’s? 

Mentioned: Euwe-Geller 1953 Euwe-Pirc 1949 Euwe-Alekhine 1935 (Pearl of Zandvoort) 

29:30- Jan discusses the Max Euwe center in Amsterdam. 

Mentioned: More information on the center here:

https://maxeuwe.nl/en/home-english/

31:30- Jan shares his thoughts on the World Championship match. 

35:00- What does Jan think of Magnus Carlsen’s slump? He also shares his thoughts on the World Championship cycle format. 

Mentioned: Caruana-Nakamura Norway Chess 2023 

41:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is there any facet of chess where Timman’s generation of GMs are better than modern GMs? 

44:00- What would be the best way to study endgames today? 

Mentioned: GM John Nunn’s Secrets of Rook Endings, Levinfish and Smyslov’s Rook Endings 

48:00- Patreon mailbag question: Any chance GM Timman would do a 21st century update to The Art of Chess Analysis?

50:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Jan have a good GM Ljubomir Ljubojević story? 

51:00- Which players in the younger generation does Jan admire?

Mentioned: GM D Gukesh, GM Hans Nieman

52:00- Jan’s thoughts on the Niemann-Carlsen controversy 

Mentioned: 2023 Samford Fellowship Winners 

56:00- Jan discusses his upcoming tournament plans. 

58:00- Jan shares his memories of a television interview he did with Kasparov in 1997 as well as some of their games 

Mentioned: Timman-Kasparov 1985 , Kasparov-Timman 1992

1:00:00- Does Jan ever look at his old games with engines? 

Mentioned: Stockfish 14 

1:04:00- Jan discusses the state of Dutch chess. 

Mentioned: GM Anish Giri, IM Eline Roebers, GM Jorden van Foreest 

1:06:00- Thanks to GM Timman for sharing his wisdom and stories, you can order his new book here:

 From New in Chess:

https://www.newinchess.com/max-euwe-best-chess-games

Free Sample here: 

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9180.pdf

You can also read it on Forward Chess: 

https://forwardchess.com/product/max-euwes-best-games?section=New%20Arrival

Episode 335- Adult Improvers and Chessable co-Authors, WIM Natasha Regan and Matthew Ball on Improving at Chess in Your 50s, Tips for Playing against Kids & more

The Adult Improver Series returns with two insightful guests joining the podcast. WIM Natasha Regan is an author and actuary who among many other chess accomplishments recently became the British over 50 Women’s National Champion! Natasha recently collaborated on a Chessable course with Matthew Ball, who is a chess dad and dedicated improver who has made significant rating progress since returning to competitive chess in recent years. Natasha and Matthew shared lots of helpful chess study tips covering topics ranging from The Woodpecker Method, to the Chess Steps series, to whether one should alter their approach to a game against a younger opponent. We also discussed their fun and instructive new course, Zwischenzug: A Comprehensive Guide to Intermediate Moves. You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! 

Check out Natasha and Matthew’s new CHessable course here: :

https://www.chessable.com/zwischenzug-a-comprehensive-guide-to-intermediate-moves/course/139623/

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 

0:03- Matthew Ball and Natasha discuss their shared background as junior players, and how their paths recrossed in recent years. 

7:30- Patreon mailbag question- Does Natasha have any different strategies when playing against kids as compared to adults? 

17:00- Matthew came back into chess a few years back and his seen some rating gain. He discusses his training regimen. 

Mentioned: Chess for Life, Chess Steps Books, Woodpecker Method 

22:00- More on the Woodpecker Method 

Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating by GM Axel Smith, Book Recap #6 on the Woodpecker Method 

23:00- How does Natasha tune up for a tournament? 

26:00- Natasha discusses some similarities between Shogi and Chess. 

Mentioned: Karolina Styczyńska of the Shogi Harbor Twitch Channel 

32:00- Matthew shares a few more improvement recommendations. 

35:00- Why did Natasha and Matthew decide to do a course on intermediate moves? 

45:00- Natasha and Matthew discusses their approaches to openings 

52:00- Do they work with coaches? 

56:00- Natasha and Matt discuss their tournament and summer plans. 

Thanks so much to Natasha and Matt for joining the show! 

Check out their course here:

https://www.chessable.com/zwischenzug-a-comprehensive-guide-to-intermediate-moves/course/139623/

EP 334- GM Ben Finegold on the Possible Decline of Magnus, his New 1. d4 Chessable Course, and more Stories from his Years of Chess Travels

This week’s return guest is the always entertaining and informative, GM Ben Finegold. Ben is a popular Twitch Streamer and YouTuber who has just released his first Chessable course, Starting out with 1. D4. Ben is always among my favorites to interview because he offers a unique blend of entertaining stories, hot-takes on top level chess and improvement advice. This episode is no exception, as Ben discusses the status of his OTB retirement,  whether Magnus Carlsen’s best OTB days are behind him, the resurgence of Hikaru and Fabiano, and why doing a course on 1. D4 was an easy choice for him. You can find a full list of topics discussed below, as well as timestamps. 

Click here to download the Episode

0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! 

Get Ben’s new Course Starting out with 1.d4 here:

https://www.chessable.com/course/156667

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 

0:03- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ben ever regret pursuing chess, or think that adult amateurs should not devote so much energy to it?”

Mentioned: IM Stuart Rachels, GM Patrick Wolff, Stuart Leaf 

0:08- Is Ben having any second thoughts about retiring from OTB chess? 

Mentioned: The National Open 

11:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Ben’s advice for amateurs who want to improve at chess?” 

17:30- How does Ben think back on the four years he was covering lots of events for US Chess in Europe in the 1990s? 

Mentioned: Chess Life Magazine Archive, Kasparov-Karpov 1991

22:00- Ben shares more memories from the 1988 World Chess Festival 

Mentioned: Ray Stone, Fred Lindsay, GM Jonathan Speelman, GM Valery Salov, GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, Ivanchuk-Kasparov Linares 1991, Linares, Linares 

30:00- Ben’s updated thoughts on the Magnus-Niemann controversy

33:00- Why did Ben decide to do a course on 1. D4 ? 

42:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ben have a refutation to Marc Esserman’s refutation of Finegold’s line in the Mayhem in the Morra book and Chessable course?”

47:00- We discuss Norway Chess and whether Ben is surprised by GM Fabiano’s Caruana’s resurgence. 

48:00- Has Magnus peaked?

Mentioned: GM Alex Fishbein, GM Dmitri Gurevich, GM Eric Lobron 

50:00- How does Hikaru stay so strong? 

52:00- Which junior has the best chance of being World Champion? 

55:00- Ben’s wife Karen won a seat to the World Series of Poker Main Event! Will Ben go? Will he play poker? 

57:00- Other summer plans 

Mentioned: Episode 292: Adult Improver Interview with Karen Boyd 

58:00- Thanks, as always,  to Ben for joining the pod! Here are the links to keep up with him. 

Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/itsbenandkaren

YouTube 

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

Chessable Course

https://www.chessable.com/starting-out-with-1d4/course/156667/

Chessable Course and Master Class Bundle-

https://www.chessable.com/starting-out-with-1-d4-queen-s-gambit-fundamentals-masterclass/course/182439/

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 333- IM James Sherwin- A US Chess Hall of Famer Looks Back on his Chess Career and Shares Stories about Fischer, Reshevsky, Seirawan and Many More!

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is U.S. Chess Hall of Famer, IM James Sherwin. An 89-year-old New York City Native, Sherwin has played and met many chess legends. He knew Bobby Fischer from his teenage years. Jim did not pursue chess professionally and had a successful career as an attorney and a corporate executive, but he still managed to compete extensively and participated in 8 US Championships, often finishing near the top of the standings. Sherwin now lives in the London area, and as recently as three years ago, was still winning chess tournaments! After talking to him, I can see why he is still able to perform so well, because James’ memory of his games and encounters with Fischer, Petrosian, Tal, Reshevsky, and many others was truly dazzling. You can find timestamps for the topics discussed below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- 0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! You can check out some of my recommended courses here:

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

Check out what's new here:

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

0:03- Jim begins by discussing his childhood summers in Vermont, where he improved at chess by practicing against himself. 

Mentioned: My System, Cambridge Springs 1904, Dr. Elliot Hearst 

10:00- Jim discusses the Columbia University Chess Team, which won the intercollegiate championship.

CORRECTION- When discussing the Columbia University chess team, Jim notes that he regrets not mentioning that Ralph Italie and Ed Sher also both performed substantial service for the team.

12:30- Did Jim ever consider becoming a chess professional? 

15:00- Jim reminisces about a few tournaments including the World Junior Championship in Copenhagen in 1953 and Portoroz 1958, an Interzonal tournament, featuring Fischer, Tal and many others. 

Mentioned: Boris Ivkov, Penrose, Reshevsky, Penrose 

22:00- What are Jim’s first memories of Fischer? 

Mentioned: Fischer-Sherwin 1958

32:00- Jim shares his recollections of Fischer-Spassky 1972, as well as his own games against Fischer. 

Mentioned: Sherwin-Fischer Log Cabin Open 1957, Fischer-Sherwin 1957

37:00- What does Jim recall about his games with Tal and Petrosian? 

40:30- Does Jim ever review his old games? Does he use an engine? 

43:30- Jim’s Memories of the legendary tournament in Lone Pine 1976,  featuring Petrosian and Smyslov.. How did his blitz battles with a young Yasser Seirawan go?

47:00- Did Jim know the well-known authors like Fred Reinfeld, Al Horowitz and Irving Chernev? 

50:00- Jim discusses his time supporting American professional chess as head of the American Chess Foundation.

Mentioned: GM Boris Gulko, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Judit Polgar, Allen Kaufman

57:00- How are Jim’s chess skills at age 89? How does he keep up with the game? 

1:03:00- Jim recalls the only game in which he beat GM Andy Soltis, where Fischer joined the post mortem analysis. 

1:09:00- What were Jim’s closest friendships in the chess world?

Mentioned: IM Donald Byrne, GM Larry Evans, Dr. Edward Lasker, GM Arthur Bisguier, GM Edmar Mednis, Dr.  Eliot Hearst  

1:11:00- Which is Jim’s favorite of his games?

Mentioned: Sherwin-Gligoric 1958

EP 332- GM Vinay Bhat: A Former Child Prodigy Turned Data Scientist Shares Lessons Learned and Memorable Stories from his Chess Career

This week’s guest is Author and Data Scientist, GM Vinay Bhat. Vinay was one of the top chess prodigies in modern US History. He amassed many scholastic titles and held the record of the youngest ever US National Master before Hikaru Nakamura broke his record. Despite Vinay’s extraordinary chess success, he always maintained many interests and put a particular emphasis on his school work, and then his career. Now 38 years of age, Vinay has written an excellent new book with Quality Chess, How I Became a Chess Grandmaster. Part memoir, part chess manual, in the book, Vinay reflects on his career, annotates memorable games, and takes a big picture look at the study choices and decisions he made over the years, including the tough decision to walk away from chess as a profession. Vinay places a particular emphasis on the few steep plateaus he faced in his development. In our conversation, Vinay reflects on his career and shares plenty of chess lessons and memorable anecdotes. A Bay Area native and resident, Vinay has gotten to know many people who will be familiar to Perpetual Chess listeners. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- My Recommended Chessable Courses:

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

Check out ChessDojo’s 1.e4 Repertoire for White here:

https://www.chessable.com/chessdojos-1e4-repertoire-for-white/course/150049/

0:02- As Vinay reflects on his chess career, how does he reflect on his first real plateau, which occurred around 2200. 

Mentioned: The Best I Saw in Chess by IM Stuart Rachels, GM Gregory Kaidanov, Episode 295 with GM Gregory Kaidanov 

13:45- What is Vinay’s advice for when an opening change might be in order?

Mentioned: Vinay’s Chessbase India interview with IM Sagar Shah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4IIiYe5Vb8

20:00- What conclusions does Vinay draw from reflecting on his whole chess career?

Mentioned: Savely Polovets 

24:00- How did Vinay utilize one page writeups in his opening prep?

28:00- Vinay shares his thoughts on various players he knows and has met, including GM Sam Shankland, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Eduard Gufeld, the RZA from Wutang Clan, 

Mentioned: Joe Lonsdale Jr., Peter Thiel, The GZA, Josh Waitzkin 

45:00- What were Vinay’s first impressions of Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana?

47:00- What was it like to live in the “chess house” with IM David Pruess and GM Jesse Kraai?

49:00- Vinay is an avid reader and discusses some of his favorites. 

Mentioned: ChessDoJo video- The Best Chess Books , New York 1924, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, How Not to Play Chess, The Books of Irving Chernev 

57:00- What have Vinay’s interactions with GM Viswanathan Anand been like? What about Spassky, Kasparov and Karpov?

1:01:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: As a data scientist has Vinay discovered any useful statistical patterns in his play?

1:05:00- What does Vinay think of the acceleration of Chat GBT and similar products? Could it have a further impact on the chess world?

1:10:00- Vinay reflects on the difficult decision he made not to pursue professional chess. 

1:15:00- Is there anything Vinay wishes he could have done differently?

1:18:00- Thanks so much to Vinay for joining the show! Here are the links for his excellent book:

Check out the book here:

Quality Chess

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/436/how_i_became_a_chess_grandmaster_by_vinay_bhat/

Free Excerpt of the Books:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIbecameaChessGrandmaster-Excerpt.pdf

Forward Chess

https://forwardchess.com/product/how-i-became-a-chess-grandmaster?section=

Vsbhat02 at gmail

EP 331- Adult Improver John Neely (aka Benedictine) on lessons learned and recommendations from a long journey to 1800.

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns to hear some more reflections from an accomplished chess amateur.  This week we are joined by John Neely. John started competitive chess at the age of 36 in 2011 and has had a long road to the ECF equivalent of about 1800. John has put in plenty of hours, both as a student of the game, an OTB competitor, and as a Chessable community author who created the popular series Visualize. In our interview, John reflects on the lessons he has learned in his years of studying chess. John is pleased with his approach in some aspects of his study, but he also thinks he could have done a few things differently. Finally, we discuss John’s new project, as he is taking a break from competitive chess in order to work on a series of mystery novels. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below. 

Click here to download the Episode

0:00- Be Sure to Sub to the Free Newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest!

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

0:01- Thanks to recent Perpetual Chess Patreon subs, you can join the community here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

0:02- My Recommended Chessable Courses 

Fire on Board 

GM Niclas Huscenbeth;s 1. E4 Repertoire 

Benedictine’s Chessable Courses 

03:00- John Neely joins the show! He begins by discussing how he got into competitive chess at age 36 in 2011. 

12:00- What did John do to improve his game? 

Mentioned: Dan Heisman’s YouTube channel, ChessTempo Tactics Trainer 

16:00- How do team leagues work in Great Britain? 

21:30- When John was playing online games as a training method, did he feel like they worked as well as training by playing OTB League games?

26:00- How did John come up with the idea for his Visualize series on Chessable? 

https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/, Episode 327 with Geert van der Velde 

35:00- John shares his approach to analyzing his games

Mentioned: How to Batch Analyze Your Games, Blunder Busters 

44:00- What would John do differently if starting serious chess all over again?

Mentioned: Silman’s Endgame Course, Alekhine’s Best Games of Chess 

50:00- How did John get into writing mystery novels? 

Mentioned: Lavender and Brown: York Mysteries 

56:00- What was it like to play GMs like David Howell, Luke McShane, GM Simon Williams and Mickey Adams in simuls?