Episode 77- GM Josh Friedel

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is well-regarded American GM Josh Friedel. Josh is a frequent competitor on the American GM circuit, who also teaches, writes and lectures about chess. We talked about the following:

- His most recent project, a YouTube series called “Autopsy,” in which he does an in-depth analysis of an educational chess game, with an emphasis on highlighting critical mistakes. 

- The matter of prearranged draws in GM games (an issue recently raised by Magnus Carlsen) is there a way to avoid them? 

- Lots of other topics, including what openings we might expect in the upcoming World Championships, reflections on Sam Shankland’s torrid 2018, and a couple of fun stories about Kasparov and Karpov. 

Thanks to Josh for joining me.  Check out his new YouTube series here, follow him on twitter here, and Facebook here. 

Click here to Download the Episode 

Episode 76- Andrzej Krzywda (Adult Improver Series)

Photo courtesy of Andrzej Kryzdwa

This week on Perpetual Chess, by popular demand, we begin an occasional series which will be called "Adult Improvers".  For Adult Improvers we will feature a guest who is making significant strides in improving his or her chess performance, and focus extensively on how that improvement is being attained. The first such guest is Polish Candidate Master Andrzej Kryzdwa.  Andrzej had been hovering around 2100 FIDE for over 20 years when he decided to devote a significant amount of his time to pursuing the International Master title.  Andrzej is 38 years old, runs a small business, and is married with two children, so the time that he can devote to this pursuit is limited. Nonetheless, in the past couple of years, Andrzej has shown great success, culminating in a recent tournament with a 2579 Performance Rating, his first IM Norm (!), and a FIDE rating now well north of 2200. How did he do it? Tune in to find out. You can find more details and timestamps below:

Click here to download the episode 

0:00- We begin by discussing Andrzej’s background and how he got into chess. 

5:00- Andrzej discusses his study schedule. 

Mentioned: Reddit thread here- https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/8l1glf/i_was_2100_for_20_years_im_38_last_week_i_made_an/

10:00- Does online blitz count as studying chess? 

Mentioned: Chessable, Quality Chess Books, Chess Publishing 

14:00- How does Andrzej  divide his study time? He does divides his serious study time between endgame studies and game review, then sneaks in some openings and tactics throughout the day. 

Mentioned: Domination in 2,545 Studies by Kasperian, Kasparov on Kasparov, Zurich 1953, Chess Tempo, 

21:30- What has Andrzej learned from his coach GM Bartosz Socko? How is the chess scene in Poland? 

Mentioned: Monika Socko, GM Jan-Krzystof Duda, Alexander Prokhorov

28:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast writes in to have Andrzej  give more detailed advice about how one should approach solving chess studies. 

Mentioned: GM Mesgen Amanov, GM Melih Khachiyan, Pump Up Your Rating by GM Alex Smith 

34:00- Lightning round!  Andrzej  evaluates the efficacy of various chess study methods. These include watching chess tournament commentary, studying endgames, online blitz, studying openings, studying games collection books, exercise, 

Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, GM Peter Leko 

41:30- Andrzej shares some time management tips that he has learned.

47:00- What were the factors that contributed to  Andrzej’s outstanding result that got him an IM norm recently? 

58:00- How does Andrzej approach analyzing his own games? 

1:00- What chess books would Andrzej  recommend? 

Mentioned: My System, My Great Predecessors, Kasparov on Kasparov, Move First Think Later, From Amateur to IM, A Year Inside the Chess World, Reality Check, The Complete Hedgehog 

1:06:30- How does Andrzej  prepare for opponent’s within a tournament? 

1:08:00- Andrzej discusses his upcoming tournament schedule.

Mentioned: Najdorf Memorial Tournament 

1:12:00- In closing Andrzej gives his 3 biggest things to emphasize to improve at chess.

They are 1) Work on calculation 2) Work on fitness 3) Have a chessplayer circle of friends to motivate you

Thanks to Andrzej for joining the show! You can keep up with his progress via his Facebook group here:https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=from%202100%20to%20international%20master%20-%20andrzej%20krzywda

Or via Twitter here: https://twitter.com/From2100ToIM

If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Episode 75- GM David Navara

                                            Photo by Anezka Kruzikova, courtesy of GM David Navara

On this week’s Perpetual Chess I talk to Super GM David Navarra. GM Navara is the eight time champion of the Czech Republic.  He has been ranked as high as #14 in the world, but you wouldn’t know it by talking to him. GM Navara and I discussed the following- 
- His busy schedule of upcoming tournaments
- His most memorable chess achievements, including being a part of the winning European Club Cup winning team in 2013, and playing with the likes of Kasparov and Karpov.
- His advice for improving your chess play and enhancing your chess intuition. 

Thanks to GM Navara for joining me for an insightful interview.

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 74- GM Irina Krush

                                                                Photo by Paul Swaney 

My final guest live from Nashville was none other than the seven-time winner of the US Women’s Championship, GM Irina Krush. 

Irina and I had a fun discussion, and covered the following topics:

• Her reflections on the most recent US championships in St. Louis. (Irina finished in 3rd place)

• How does she recover from tough losses? This is a crucial skill for all chess players to develop, and no, it doesn’t get much easier for grandmasters. 

• Why did she decide to devote herself full-time to chess while some of her peers have sought work in other fields? How does she manage to play so much while also teaching and writing about chess?

Irina had many tales to tell, including stories of playing blitz with Magnus, playing future World Champ Hou Yifan when she was just 11 years old, the Olympiads and more. Thanks to Irina for a great chat. 

• To see the puzzle from Shereshevsky's new book mentioned by Irina, go here. Black to move and win. 

• This is the last "Friday bonus" podcast, Perpetual returns to weekly Tuesday releases next week. 

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 73- FM Sunil Weeramantry

                                    Photo Courtesy of the National Scholastic Chess Foundation

Today's guest on Perpetual Chess is renowned chess teacher and author, FM Sunil Weerumantry. Suniil and I recorded this interview live in Nashville, Sunil has been teaching chess in the New York area for more than 30 years and has coached more national scholastic champions than one can count. He is also the step dad of GM Hikaru Nakamura and his brother Asuka, both of whom broke many US Scholastic chess records.. Sunil and I discussed:

• The great new book he co-authored with Alan Abrams and Robert McClellan called Great Moves: Learning Chess Through History. I highly recommend this book for chess teachers and chess history buffs. 

• Sunil's story of growing up in Sri Lanka, making his way to New York, and becoming a chess teacher. 

• What does one need to be "talented at chess"? Did he notice it in Hikaru and Asuka? 

• Stories from travels with Hikaru and meeting chess legends

Thanks to Sunil for joining me. You can order his book here. 

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 72- Coach Jay Stallings returns

                                                               Photo by IM Eric Rosen

My second guest  this weekend  in Nashville, Tennessee marked the triumphant return to Perpetual Chess of popular chess teacher Jay Stallings. 

• Jay gave an update on the status of the publication of the instructional chess books that he has been working on, which are an amazing resource for chess teachers, and for which he launched a successful Kickstarter campaign. You can order them here. 

• Jay explained the difference between a "growth mindset" and a "fixed mindset", and shared what chess players can learn from Beyonce and baseball player Trevor Bauer. 

• He discussed upcoming travel plans, including plotting a potential trip to the upcoming World Championships

• Jay suggested a few future Perpetual Chess guests.

Thanks much to Jay for joining me again, it is always fun to hear his ideas and absorb his enthusiasm for chess. 

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 71- Carol Meyer (USCF Executive Director ) and Mike Hoffpauir (President of USCF Board of Directors)

This weekend at the biggest annual scholastic chess tournament in the United States, the Elementary School National Championships, I was honored to interview US Chess Federation (USCF) Executive Director Carol Meyer, and the President of the US Chess Board of Directors, Mike Hoffpauir.  They both devote a big part of their lives to chess, and I think you will enjoy it as:

• Carol and Mike both talk about their backgrounds and share how they became involved with the USCF

• Carol discusses her vision for the USCF and discloses short-term and long-term plans that the organization is undertaking

• Carol and Mike discuss the role that the USCF plays with an American competing in the upcoming World Chess Championship. 

• Mike and Carol discuss some changes that they are implementing at future scholastic tournaments in light of a recent controversy. 

We also got some book recommendations and discussed the overall health of the USCF. Thanks to Carol and Mike for an insightful and fun interview.  

Photos courtesy of US Chess 

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 70- GM Akshat Chandra

                                 Photo courtesy of Akshat Chandra

This week’s guest is talented 18 year old GM Akshat Chandra. The former U.S. Junior Champ spent some of his formative scholastic years in both India and the U.S., so he was able to offer some perspective on the differences between the two chess cultures. He also shared some insight about things that contributed to his swift improvement In chess, and shared his thoughts about the upcoming World Championship match. 

Last but definitely not least (13:00),  we discussed the recent controversy that surrounds Akshat, as he finds himself defending against allegations of using engine assistance in online play. In a recent blog post, Akshat gave background information, about chess.com closing his account due to allegations of impropriety, and flatly denied these allegations. Subsequently he agreed to come on the podcast to discuss the issue with me. 

There has been a lot of public discussion of this controversy, such as in this chess Reddit thread In our conversation, Akshat tells his side of the story. This was a tough conversation to have and to summarize, so I encourage you all to listen to it yourself. Thanks to Akshat for joining me, you can follow him on twitter here, and check out his twitch streams here. 

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 69- IM Kassa Korley

                                                       Photo Courtesy of Kassa Korley 

My guest this week is 24-year-old IM Kassa Korley. Kassa is a strong young chess player, a YouTube steamer, a Duke University graduate, and he also works for a tech education startup. During our conversation he answered the following questions:

• Why does Kassa hate draws, what does he do to avoid them?

• How is Kassa's chess game progressing? He was the youngest African-American National Master in US history in 2008. Is his long-stated dream to become the 2nd African-American GM still alive?

• What was it like studying and playing chess in Denmark, of which he is also a citizen?

• What modern elite chess player shaped Kassa's game the most?

• What advice does he have for self-directed players looking to improve at chess?

• How and when did he meet and play blitz with Magnus Carlsen

Thanks to Kassa for joining me, you can follow him on YouTube here, and reach him via email here.

Click here to download the episode

This episode is brought to you by Silver Knights Enrichment, if you are interested in working for them, check out their current opportunities here. 

Episode 68- US Chess Federation Director of Content Dan Lucas

                                                         Photo Courtesy of Dan Lucas 

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the Director of Publications for the US Chess Federation, Dan Lucas. Dan has just launched a great chess podcast of his own. Perpetual Chess listeners are very likely to enjoy "Cover Stories with Chess Life."

We discussed: 

- What inspired the USCF’s new podcast? 

- How did Dan become the editor of Chess Life magazine,  the USCF’s flagship magazine

-What does he look for in quality chess journalism? 

- What book about chess that is not a “chess book” altered the trajectory of Dan’s career? 

- You can email Dan here. 

Click here to download the episode 

Episode 67- Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi

                                  Photo by Alina L'Ami, courtesy of Vidit Gujrathi

This week it is my honor to talk with India's 3rd highest rated player, twenty-three-year-old rising star, GM Vidit Gujrathi. Gujrathi is at the forefront of India's torrent of chess talent, and is coming off a year in which his rating increased significantly. His recent highlights include a comfortable victory in the prestigious Tata Steel Masters' section and a feisty draw with Black vs. Magnus Carlsen at the Isle of Man tournament. In our conversation, we discuss those events, as well as the plans Vidit is making to try to ascend to another rung on the Fide top 100 ladder. We also discuss:

• How Vidit has worked to overcome slumps

• His thoughts on the World Championship

• How he rates India's chances in the 2018 Chess Olympiad. 

• Whether GM Anish Giri gave him any twitter lessons when he worked as Anish's second. 

• Thanks to Vidit for joining me, you can track his progress on his Facebook page. 

Click here to download the episode

Episode 66-Silver Knights Chess Founder Adam Weissbarth

                                                    Photo Courtesy of Adam Weissbarth 

My guest this week is Adam Weissbarth, a USCF National Master and the founder of Washington, D.C.- based Silver Knights Enrichment program.  With 14 full-time employees, and more than 5,000 students participating in Silver Knights classes per week,  Silver Knights is one of the largest provider of afterschool chess instruction in the United States. 

In our conversation, we discuss Adam’s modest beginnings as an independent chess teacher.  He talks about the planning and the detail that went into the growth of this large and impressive organization. 

In addition to discussing the history of the business, Adam shares some chess improvement advice, gives some recommendations and weighs in on the potential impact that the upcoming World Championship could have on the popularity of chess You can email him here. To support the podcast go here. 

Click here to download the episode 

Episode 65- GM Yaroslav Zherebukh

Photo courtesy of US Chess Champs.com

In the midst of a very busy month of high profile competitive chess, talented young GM Yaroslav (“Yaro”) Zherebukh joined me for a fascinating conversation.  Yaroslav talked about his upcoming events: the collegiate chess final 4 (our interview was recorded before it took place), the Pro Chess Leage live finals, and last but definitely not least, the upcoming US Chess Championships.  Yaro started strong in last year's U.S. Championship, highlighted by a round 7 win over Fabiano Caruana, so he shared some lessons that he learned from that tournament. 

Naturally, Yaro also weighed in on the candidates and handicapped the World Championship in November. He looks forward to a highly competitive match. Thanks to Yaro for taking time from his busy schedule.You can contact him via chess.com here.

Click here to download the episode 

Episode 64- GM Melikset Khachiyan

Photo Courtesy of GM Khachiyan's twitter page

This week's conversation is with renowned chess trainer, Grandmaster Melikset Khachiyan. Melikset has had many incredibly accomplished chess students, but his most accomplished of all is undoubtedly GM Levon Aronian. Because Melikset knows Aronian well, he talked about the special qualities of Levon's talent, and what has gone wrong for him at the 2018 FIDE Candidates tournament.  After that we delved into GM Khachiyan's own approach to chess improvement.  He told me how he managed to climb out of a slump, revealed  the name of a favorite endgame composer is, and he recommended a handful of chess books. Along the way, Melikset told some amazing stories. What was it like to study under former World Champion Tigran Petrosian? How did he end up in a hotel room drinking whiskey with Boris Spassky? How did he make his way from Armenia to the US? You will hear the answers to these questions and much more in this interview- I think you will enjoy it! GM Khachiyan can be reached via email here. 

Click here to download the episode.

Episode 63- IM Asaf Givon

Photo courtesy of Asaf Givon

My guest this week is 23 year old Israeli IM Asaf Givon. In addition to being a 2480 FIDE rated player, Asaf is a YouTube streamer and highly regarded chess instructor. In our conversation, Asaf gave a lot of advice on how listeners can improve their own chess games.

We also touched on the ongoing FIDE Candidates tournament, talked about the storylines emerging from it, and the likely opponents of Magnus Carlsen in the next World Championship match. Asaf also gave some perspective on chess in Israel and assessed the opportunities for a chess professional there. Lastly, Asaf told a great story about the experience of playing and analyzing with GM Michael Adams. Asaf can be reached via his Youtube channel as well as through lichess and chess.com. 

Click here to download the episode 

Episode 62- GM Jan Gustaffson Returns

Photo Courtesy of Jan's famous twitter page

This week marked the triumphant return of the hilarious and informative GM Jan Gustaffson to Perpetual Chess. Jan was one of my first guests on this podcast, and it was fun to have him back. He and his buddy, GM Peter Svidler, are gearing up to cover the FIDE Candidates tournament for Chess24.com beginning March 10. Jan revealed his own favorite to win the tournament and gave detailed information about the playing style of every player in the field.
We also talked about a variety of other topics, including his book and podcast recommendations, what it was like to work on Magnus Carlsen’s team, and whether or not we should be jealous of his life as a chess announcer.

• Be sure to watch the Fide Candidates on Chess24

• Follow Jan on twitter here.

• To support the podcast go here. 

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 61- GM Denes Boros

Photo by Austin Fuller 

My guest this week is St. Louis based, Hungarian born GM Denes Boros. Denes is a strong and active chess player, a chess reporter, and his frequent lectures at the St. Louis Chess Club are popular events.  

Denes is also a student of psychology, so we talked a lot about the intersection of psychology and chess.   He offered suggestions for some common issues that plague tournament players, such as time-management and nervousness/anxiety issues.

We also talked about the history of chess in Denes's  native Hungary, about the upcoming FIDE candidates tournament), and lots more. Thanks to Denes for joining me.

• You can follow him on twitter here

• You can email Denes here. 

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 60- John Hartmann, Book Reviewer for Chess Life Magazine

                                                   Photo Courtesy John Hartmann 

Chess writer, teacher and book reviewer John Hartmann is not a titled chess player, but man, does he know his chess books!  In our conversation, John reveals his list of "desert island" chess books and gives chess book recommendations of all shapes and sizes. We talk of chess memoirs/game collections, books about chess tactics, endgame books,  and even about chess software.  John also tells the unique story of how he got into chess as a somewhat troubled teen and how he became a book reviewer for the USCF's venerable Chess Life magazine. Lastly, John gives an overview of the increasingly popular Chess Steps curriculum and all of the details about why he finds it so helpful for his students and his chess study. 

• You can check out John's reviews here and contact him here . 

• You can view his full list of recommendatons here. 

• To support the podcast go here.

Click here to download the episode. 

Episode 59- Mark Crowther, Founder of The Week in Chess

                                                 Photo courtesy of Mark Crowther 

Mark Crowther is the founder, editor, and writer behind the indispensable online periodical The Week In Chess (TWIC).  In our conversation, we talked about Mark’s origins, TWIC’s humble beginnings, and how he manages the workflow of writing about and publishing a relentless torrent of chess games played by top players. Mark and I also talked about the chess world more broadly. He shared a rumor he recently heard about the next FIDE election and discussed his own chess playing, plus shared book recommendations. Thanks to Mark for joining me in a great conversation. You can follow him on twitter here, or read and support The Week in Chess here. 

Click here to download the episode 

ere is a picture of his favorite recent chess books. :) 

Episode 58- GM Elshan Moradiabadi

                      Photo courtesy Elshan Moradiabadi via twitter

This week  GM Elshan Moradiabadi joined me. In addition to being a former champion in Iran, Elshan is a chess trainer and author. During our interview, Elshan explained why he and his fiance, WGM Sabina Foisor, have relocated to North Carolina and how they are enjoying life there.  

We also discussed Iran's unique chess history- chess was banned there from 1980 to 1999.  Elshan shared the prevailing theories on the reasons for Iran's ban.  He also explained how he was able to ascend to the GM level, despite his native country's checkered chess history. Before I let him go, we  touched on some perennial Perpetual topics, such as his experiences at chess Olympiads, the role of luck vs talent in chess, book recommendations, and his favorites in the upcoming Candidates tournament. Thanks to Elshan for a great talk. You can email him here. If you enjoy this podcast, you can support it here.  To take the Perpetual listener survey, go here. 

Click here to download the episode