Episode 184- GM Kevin Goh (Adult Improver series)

Photo via GM Kevin Goh’s Facebook page

GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming is the seven- time champion of Singapore, and is a renowned  opening theoretician who wrote Chess Developments, Sicilian 6. Bg5 Najdorf, and has published many articles for ChessPublishing.com. 

This year, Kevin earned the GM title at the relatively late age of 36 while working full time as the CFO of an oncology company! As Kevin tells us, earning the title was the culmination of a 10 year quest, which  involved many setbacks, much travel and time off from work and an indispensable support network of friends, family and a few GM mentors. Kevin’s story is very inspiring and is full of good improvement advice no matter what title or rating you may be chasing. You can find many more details of our conversation and the related links and timestamps below. 

Click here to download the episode

02:00- We begin by discussing the current state of Coronavirus and chess in Kevin’s native Singapore, and the Chess against Covid initiative that Kevin and some friends of his recently started. 

Mentioned: Chess against Covid initiative, Junior Tay, Olimpiu Urcan (see his great Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/urcan ), GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov

8:30- Kevin walks us through his long journey to the GM title, which has been a nearly a decade-long quest as well as the highlight of his chess career. 

Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew 

14:00- Once Kevin decided to pursue chess full time, what study routine did he implement? 

Mentioned: Perfect Your Chess, IM Erik Kislik, GM Gyula Sax, see Gyula-Sax-Kevin Goh 2011 here: 

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=N1Q2wYdh/tNWwlrJVxBDAkPiax9hdmoywl1jMwd0KJF0mYtLI6YQ7V3O/cExPR3z

Secrets of Spectacular Chess by GM Jonathan Levitt and FM David Friedgood, GM Daniel Fernandez, Chessbase India feature on Kevin Goh by Junior Tay here: https://chessbase.in/news/Dressed_to_Impress_How_IM_Kevin_Goh_prepped_and_persevered_for_his_final_GM_norm, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen

36:00- When Kevin got his 3rd norm in 2018, he needed just 7 more ELO points for the title, little did he know that these last rating points were far from a formality! 

Mentioned: GM Ashwin Jayaram, IM Elect Donny Ariel!, GM Avetik Grigoryan, GM Boris Avrukh, Chessmood.com 

49:00- What did it feel like to finally earn the GM title in 2020 after all of these struggles? 

51:00- Chessable.com has many excellent  “Lifetime Repertoire” courses including ones by GM Jan Gustafsson, IM Christof Sielecki and a brand new one on the Caro Kann, from GM Erwin L’ami. The place  to see the all of Chessable’s Lifetime Repertoire courses is here:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-openings/s/lifetime

51:45- What is Kevin Goh’s chess improvement advice for fellow adult improvers? 

GM Karsten Muller, GM David Smerdon, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Anatoly Karpov, Positional Sacrifices by GM Neil McDonald, Karpov-Gelfand 1993: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1048256

GM Jonathan Rowson , IM Willy Hendriks On the Origin of Good Moves, NM Elijah Logozar, 

1:08:00- What is Kevin’s opinion and experience with The Woodpecker Method and spaced repetition generally? 

Mentioned: GM Hans Tikkanen and GM Alex Smith, Recapping the Woodpecker Method with Neal Bruce , The Road to Chess Improvement. Caruana-Carlsen Game 1 2018

1:14:00- Patreon supporter of the show, FM Andrey Terekhov, writes in to ask his friend Kevin what his next goal is now that he has gotten the GM title. 

Mentioned: Aeroflot Open, FIDE Online Olympiad 

1:20:00- What advice did GM Jacob Aagaard give Kevin when he was stuck at a plateau? 

1:23:00- Thanks so much to Kevin for sharing his story and his wisdom. Here is his contact info: 

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/GMkevingwm?__tn__=%2CdlC-R-R&eid=ARAnkjbSRRYN_2CulGTyid0y7WpIDj2QMkJ-wDYtOOFN7ip64ExECRkK2BWZ-uqeSv4gU3bJXgZ7rSR5&hc_ref=ARQT0DEi2WlenxdbN_3NX6qg3_ffFhCYDVGMLIwg9I3xJoAFO0UpEuGwqcO5wrPM8Iw

Twitter- https://twitter.com/kevingohwm

Email- kgwm83 at hotmail.com

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Episode 183- Rochelle Ballantyne

Photo courtesy of Rochelle Ballantyne

Rochelle Ballantyne is best-known in the chess world as one of the star scholastic chess players featured in the excellent 2012 documentary, Brooklyn Castle, which chronicles the lives of the students and teachers  at the scholastic chess powerhouse school, IS 318 in Brooklyn, New York. In the years since that movie, Rochelle has continued to pile up impressive achievements. She earned 2 BAs from Stanford University, a Masters of Education Policy degree from Columbia University, and has been accepted into the New York University Law School for the fall. Rochelle also had many scholastic chess successes, she attained a peak US Chess rating of 2127, and she actively promotes chess as an educational tool. Last, but most importantly, Rochelle has long been a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.   She shares her perspective on this movement, both as it pertains to the chess world, and to the world at large. Please enjoy our wide-ranging conversation. Timestamps and relevant links can be found below. 

0:00- We catch up on what Rochelle has been doing since she was featured in Brooklyn Castle.

Click here to download the episode.

0:00- We catch up on what Rochelle has been doing since she was featured in Brooklyn Castle. 

Mentioned: 

Elizabeth Spiegel on Perpetual Chess December 10, 2019 , 

Brooklyn Castle’s Website Lists Where You Can Watch The Movie, here: https://brooklyncastle.com/#watch1l’ 

Read Melinda Mathews’ 2018 Interview with Rochelle here: https://new.uschess.org/news/qa-rochelle-ballantyne-representation-important

7:00- What is the update on Rochelle’s Chess Playing? 

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, US Chess School

12:00- From her viewpoint as a woman and an African American chess player, what were Rochelle’s interactions like in the chess world? 

Mentioned: FM Justus Williams, NM James Black, FM Joshua Colas, Stanford University, 

23:45- A Patreon supporter of the podcast writes in to ask Rochelle how tournament players can help be supportive African American chess players.

Mentioned: Alexandra Botez shares a personal experience about sexual harassment in the chess world: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6W8EgX9Uc0   

29:00- The latest and greatest from Chessable is an updated and expanded comprehensive checkmate pattern course by CraftyRaf- check it out here: 

https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/

30:00- What is Rochelle’s opinion of how race relations have been handled by the US Chess Federation and other entities? 

Mentioned: Read the US CHess statement on Black Lives Matter here: 

https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/

Chess GIrls DC, 

Chess.com’s Peter Doggers interview series, On Racism, can be read here: 

https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-nm-daniel-jones

https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-gm-pontus-carlsson

https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-racism-watu-kobese

Bill Goichberg 

38:00- Rochelle answers a few more listener-questions relating to education policy, both inside and outside of the chess world. 

Mentioned: IS 318 Vice Principal John Galvin, GM Maurice Ashley, Queen City Classic Chess Tournament  

47:00- Has Rochelle been attending any of the Black Lives Matter protests? 

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s Twitter and Facebook,  

54:00- Does the fact that White moves first in chess have racist undertones in Rochelle’s opinion? 

Mentioned: Jen Shahade, Alexandra Botez 

1:00- Thanks to Rochelle, for sharing her perspective with us. Here is a list from Rochelle of Black Lives Matter causes and organizations that could use some support:

https://linktr.ee/cdr3?fbclid=IwAR1URl1PP7wBQNIF2Tt1DvYdSz_XodqZBXqJR0Vle0TGLTzdCO8jY-0n-WQ

Bonus Pod- Recapping The World Champions I Knew by GM Genna Sosonko

Photo of GM Sosonko by Koen Suyk via Wikimedia

Welcome back to another monthly edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured! This month, I am joined by electrical engineer, Chessable author, and chess blogger, Vjekoslav “Vjeko” Nemec. Like me, Vjekoslav is a big fan of GM Genna Sosonko’s writing, so we were eager to discuss one of his books. Vjeko and I agree that The World Champion’s I Knew may not be Sosonko’s best book, but due to its prominent subjects,  it might be the most accessible. Like his other books, The World Champions I Knew is marked by vivid first hand accounts and beautiful prose, and its high points make the book well worth reading. In his book, GM Sosonko writes about 7 different world chess champions, so Vjeko and I spent time sharing quotes and reflections about each essay, and ranked our favorite chapters. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

Click here to download the episode.

1:00- We begin by discussing why Vjeko Nemec wanted to discuss a book by Grandmaster Genna Sosonko, why we settled on The World Champions I Knew , and we share a few details from GM Sosonko’s fascinating life story. 

Mentioned: Perpetual Chess interview with GM Genna Sosonko (June 2018), Smart Chip from St. Petersburg, Russian Silhoettes, The Reliable Past,  Evil-Doer: Half a Century with Viktor Korchnoi, GM Garry Kasparov 

13:45- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. Two of the many courses that you can check out right now are Vjekoslav Nemec’s The Modern Against Everything, and GM Sam Shankland’s new course, Lifetime Repertoires: Black Against the English, The Reti, and sidelines

14:30- We read a bit of the introduction to the book and give an overview of the book before discussing the book chapter by chapter. 

Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein, John Hartmann, 

19:00- The first chapter we discuss is the one about Jose Raoul Capablaca, which focuses on GM Sosonko’s interactions with Capablanca’s then wife, Olga Clark Capablanca. 

The Genius and The Princess by Edward Winter

26:30- Next up is legendary world champion Alexander Alekhine

Mentioned: Chess Historian Edward Winter on Sourcing

32:45- Smyslov 

Mentioned: Smyslov on the Couch, The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn

45:00- Legendary Dutch Champion Max Euwe 

Mentioned: Todd Bryant, Mike Zaloznyy

54:00- We discuss the chapter about Sixth World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik

Mentioned: Soviet Outcast: The Life and Games of Grigory Levenfish, GM Viktor Korchnoi

1:02- GM Tigran Petrosian 

Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Efim Geller 

1:13- Tal time! We discuss the best part of the book, the chapter GM Mikhail Tal. Tal-Lautier 1992, Timman’s Titans, The Longest Game, Chess Duels by Yasser Seirawan, Tal Keller Zurich 1959, Steve Doyle, GM Alexei Suetin, Lev Tolstoy, Bacchus, Mythos by Stephen Fry

1:35:00- Thanks to Vjeko for helping out and sharing his knowledge! In lieu of payment for his efforts, Vjeko is donating to Tunde Onakoya’s Chess in Slums Program. You can donate to support them here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-chess-in-the-slums-in-nigeria

1:39:00- Blindfold puzzles of the month courtesy of SayChess1

Puzzle #1- White to move 

White

Pawn h4

King b1

Queen c2

Black

Pawns g7 and h5

King h7

Queen g6 

https://lichess.org/study/2Jj2xWA5

Puzzle #2- White to move

White 

Rook a1

King d2

Black

Pawns on b2 and c2

King b4

https://lichess.org/study/z7M9gUy5! 

Follow Vjeko on twitter here: https://twitter.com/chessentials_

Read his Chessentials blog here: https://chessentials.com/

Buy his Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/the-modern-defense-against-everything/course/27749/

Episode 182- IM Willy Hendriks

Photo by Zhaoqin Peng, courtesy of IM Willy Hendriks

IM Willy Hendriks is a Netherlands based chess trainer, and an award winning author of two books:  Move First Think Later (2012) and his excellent new book, On the Origin of Good Moves. IM Hendriks is quite an impressive chess player and adult improver. He has two GM norms, and he attained his peak rating at the age of 43.  Eleven years later his 2438 FIDE rating is still not far from his personal  best. IM Hendriks and I had a fascinating conversation about both of his books ,and about the subject of chess improvement generally. Please read on for more details and time stamps. 

Click here to download the episode.

2:30- After a brief intro we dig into how IM Hendriks came up with the original presentation style that distinguishes both of his books, as well as the unifying vision of chess that ties his books together. 

Mentioned: Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker 

12:00- Willy’s first book, Move First Think Later was critical of some well-known chess authors. Did the controversy that this book caused in the chess world surprise him? 

Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman, FM Carsten Hansen, Logical Chess Move by Move, Lasker’s Manual of Chess 

18:15- We transition to discussing IM Hendriks new book, On the Origin of Good Moves, Mentioned:  Emanuel Lasker, Wilhelm Steinitz, William Purdy, Adolf Anderssen, and Paul Morphy 

31:30- What sort of feedback has he gotten for his new book so far? 

Mentioned: Richard James’ Review of Move First Think Later from British Chess News

34:30- Why does IM Hendriks think that one should, in fact, study openings frequently? 

Mentioned: IM Kare Kristensen 

40:00- Check out Alan B’s Free Chessable series focusing on attacking with each piece type here:  https://www.chessable.com/knights-on-the-attack/course/16475/

45:45- As a strong player near his peak rating in his 50’s, what are Willy’s own chess study methods? What are his general opinions about best adult improvement practices? 

Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, NM Christopher Chabris, Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations 

58:30- OK but really, how is Willy staying so strong? :) 

65:30- Thanks to IM Willy Hendriks for joining the show. You can reach him and keep up with him via his website: 

https://movefirstthinklater.com/

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/

Episode 181- USCF Master Elijah Logozar (Adult Improver Episode)

 Tennessee-based teenage improver (19 years old)  and prolific Chessable author and superuser NM Elijah Logozar has taken his rating from the 1700s to the USCF Master title (2200) in about 3 years!  He has probably improved even more in online blitz and puzzle rush, which he utilizes as serious training tools. As Elijah tells us, his “secret” is that he often spends 10 hours per day on chess, an approach that admittedly is not replicable for most of us. But Elijah also takes the science of chess improvement very seriously, and despite his young age, he is well-versed on the topic of chess improvement and aging. Elijah is also a big advocate of and exemplar of using spaced repetition and The Woodpecker Method, and he answers questions and shares insight on how he thinks to best use these training tools.  So all in all, there is a lot to learn about chess improvement in this densely packed conversation. Please sit back and enjoy.   As always you can find more information, timestamps and hyperlinks below. 

Click here to download the episode.

04:00- After a brief intro Elijah dives into his experiences with spaced repetition in his training, and he talks about The Woodpecker Method in particular. 

Mentioned: Recapping The Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement wiith Neal Bruce, David Milliern, The Mozart Effect 

19:30- Elijah Logozar’s Chessable courses are on sale at Chessable.com! Check them out here:

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

20:00- Elijah fields a question related to frustrations with using the Woodpecker Method. For what level chess player is it really appropriate? Is solving for accuracy or speed more important? Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy, Flamingo Chess’s Woodpecker-Related Blog Post , Pokerram’s Chess Diary on ChessTempo, Randy Julian, ChessIMO app 

29:00- Elijah answers a question from a Patreon Supporter regarding other recommended methods of tactics training. 

Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual 

40:00- Openings talk! A Patreon supporter asks, “What should you do if you consult two different authors on chess openings and they each recommend a different move?” 

GameChanger by GM Mathew Sadler and Natasha Regan, Questions of Modern Chess Theory by Isaac Lipnitsky, Crush the Taimanov by Elijah Logozar 

52:00- A Patreon mailbag question relates to how Elijah uses Chessable in his study regimen, and another relates to how to incorporate analyzing one’s games. 

Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 

57:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Decode Chess- a company whose software explains the suggestions of chess engines in plain language that you can understand. Go here to try it out for free: 

https://decodechess.com/

58:00- One last Patreon mailbag question asks whether Elijah plays with training partners, and then we segue into the topic of Elijah’s favorite chess books. 

Mentioned: ChessDojo Discord Channel, Aagaard’s Thinking Inside the Box, Secret’s of Modern Chess Strategy by IM John Watson, Move First Think Later, Quality Chess Books, Small Steps to Giant Improvement,  Dynamic Chess Strategy, The Road to Chess Improvement 

1:13:00- Elijah volunteered to do an impromptu blindfold chess puzzle, so I read him a miniature that ends in a tactic. The game is here:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250708

1:17:00- Thanks to Elijah for coming on and sharing his chess improvement experiences. You can reach him on these platforms:

Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/author/logozar/

Chess.com- https://www.chess.com/member/logoczar

Twitter- https://twitter.com/ElijahLogozar

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

Episode 180- IM Levy Rozman

Photo courtesy of IM Levy Rozman

IM Levy Rozman is a 24 year-old, New York-based chess streamer, Chess.com announcer and instructor. Levy has quickly found an audience online due to his ability to explain chess in a humorous and accessible way. In our conversation, we talk about the origins of Levy’s announcing career, his chess ambitions, and about the fast-changing world of Twitch chess streaming in 2020. 

Please read on for lots more details, and timestamps. Embedded hyperlinks can be found on the podcast website here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog

Click here to download the episode.

0:00- We dive right into a discussion of the ways that chess coverage on Twitch has been making news recently. This includes the continued ascension of GM Hikaru Nakamura’s popular Twitch channel

Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Chessbae94, Alexandra Botez, GM Daniel Naroditsky 

6:45- Levy traces the origins of his popular Twitch channel, Gotham Chess. 

Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Alex Ostrovsky, Alexis Parades, Brooklyn Castle, Baruch College, 

15:00- Friend and Patreon supporter of the podcast, Chris Wainscott, asks Levy about whether he plans to pursue the Grandmaster title. 

Mentioned: Chess.com’s  I am not a GM tournament 

23:00- What are  Levy’s goals for his Twitch channel? What recommendations would he give to others thinking of getting into Twitch streaming? 

28:00- The Magnus Touch by Magnus Carlsen is still on sale at Chessable.com. Get it here:

https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-chess-strategy/course/39478/

29:00- Levy tells the story of how he got his start as an announcer for Chess.com.

Mentioned: GM Robert Hess, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Danny Rensch, Levy’s Recap of one of Magnus’ Recent Blitz Games,  Mr. Dodgy’s compilation of GM Magnus Carlsen’s recent Twitch stream, GM Peter Leko, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Jan Gustafsson  

35:00- Chris Wainscott asks Levy about the status of his amusing chess show, Post Mortem.

39:00- We also dive into a recent controversy involving Chess.com and Chess24.com, and the way that the sites broadcast events that are sponsored by their competitors. 

44:30- Levy answers another question from the Patreon mailbag, and gives some advice to a newer player who is having trouble avoiding blunders. 

Mentioned: You can buy Levy’s opening repertoire course here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-75djkXcEvJns9wvhony5bItA8Bv_f63lLUyXmvMPlCfIRg/viewform

51:00- A related question has to do with how a newer player should be using Chessbase. 

Mentioned: The London System, The King’s Indian Attack 

59:00- Levy fields a few fun questions from Twitter, and tells the story of why he got kicked out of legendary GM Arthur Yusupov’s chess camp as a kid. 

Mentioned: International Chess Academy, Sam Copeland’s interview with Levy Rozman, Greg Shahade, IM Teddy Coleman, Jen Shahade, IM John Bartholomew, IM Alex Ostrovsky

Thanks to Levy for coming on the show. Here is how you can keep up with him:

Twitch:https://www.twitch.tv/gothamchess

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q

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

Episode 179- John Hartmann returns again!

Photo courtesy of John Hartmann

US Chess’s John Hartmann is always a popular guest on Perpetual Chess due to his relatability and his encyclopedic knowledge of chess books. As of June 2020, John will no longer be the book reviewer, because he has been promoted to Editor of Chess Life Magazine!  Nonetheless, John’s passion for chess books remains strong, and he gives us a comprehensive rundown on some of the best recent chess books. John also gives an update on his chess improvement ambitions,  and we spend a lot of time talking about how coronavirus is affecting US Chess, and how it might change tournament chess. 

Click here to download the episode

0:00- We begin by discussing how coronavirus is affecting tournament chess and especially the US Chess Federation. They are launching many exciting initiatives, but they are also facing some financial headwinds, as the US Chess President Allen Priest recently discussed in  a video. . 

Mentioned: John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #1, John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #2, Chris Bird’s The TD Show, Jen Shahade, IM Carissa Yip, WGM Sabina Foisor, US Chess’ YouTube Channel, Chess.com, IM Eric Rosen, Sunway Sitges Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Steve Doyle, US Chess President Allen Priest, Melinda Mathews, Chess Life and Review Online Archives, Bob Sostack, Chess Life for Kids, Chessable.com, GM Jacob Aagaard on the US Candidates, Brian Karen, Ding Liren-Caruana 2020 

You can renew Your US Chess Membership here: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php

35:40- Chessable’s newest release is from GM Simon Williams AKA the Ginger GM. Simon has recorded 30+ hours of video to accompany the classic chess book, The Art of Attack. It’s on sale now. Check it out here:

https://t.co/R93A3rez9K?amp=1

36:00- We talk about changes with the book review column for Chess Life Magazine, and about John’s favorite recent chess books. 

Mentioned: IM John Watson, Beyond Material, Keep it Simple, 1. d4 , GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s The Benoni is Back in Business, Hein Donner: The Biography, GM Max Euwe 

The Best I Saw in Chess by Stuart Rachels, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendricks The Nemesis: Geller’s Greatest Games, Douglas Griffin,  Coaching Kasparov, The Anand Files, Training Program for Chess Players, 1st Category , Bob Long, The Search for Chess Perfection, Dale Brandreth, Bobby Dudley, Fundamental Chess Strategies in 100 Games,  

55:00- John talks a bit about what it is like to be a member of 365ChessAcademy, and to learn from GMs Aagaard, Ramesh and others. 

Mentioned: GM Reinier Castellanos, IM Christopher Yoo, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, GM Karsten Muller, GM Alex Fishbein, Megan Chen’s Perpetual Chess Interview, Harold Stenzel 

1:06:00- John answers some Patreon mailbag questions regarding the conditions under which OTB tournaments might eventually return.  

Mentioned: IM Steffan Löffler’s Chessbase Article on Long-Distance Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Jack Spence, Nassau Chess Club, IM Jay Bonin 

1:18:00- Thanks again to John for joining the show once again. You can follow all of US Chess’ Podcasts here: https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/

Follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Sign up for the US Chess Fundraiser, “Blitzing Covid,” here:

https://new.uschess.org/news/top-stars-register-blitzing-covid-event-may-30th/

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

Bonus Pod -Recapping Judit Polgar's How I Beat Fischer's Record with Jen Shahade

This month for Chess Books Recaptured, my good friend Jennifer Shahade joins me to  talk about a book that we both absolutely love,  How I Beat Fischer’s Record by legendary GM Judit Polgar. 

   Of course, Jennifer is a great person to discuss this book, as she herself is quite an ambassador for female chess players, and among other distinctions, Jen is the two-time US Women’s Champion, and the host of 2 award winning podcasts, Ladies Knight, and The Poker Grid.  In this podcast, Jen and I share our favorite quotes, stories and games from this 2012 Quality Chess publication, and we also contextualize the life and legacy of GM Judit Polgar. Please read on for lots more details, hyperlinks and timestamps.

Click here to download the episode

0:00- We kick off by discussing how we decided to discuss Judit’s book, and to talk generally a bit about how Jen personally,  and the chess world generally, are being affected by the coronavirus. 

Mentioned: Ladies Knight Podcast, The Grid Poker Podcast, Jen Shahade’s Twitch Channel  The Polgar Sisters, Training or Genius? by Cathy Forbes, IM Not a GM Speed Chess Championship, IM Greg Shahade, St. Louis Chess Club’s Clutch Chess 

10:00- We drill down more specifically into Judit’s book and her story. What is the background of the Polgars? Do Judit’s books get the credit they deserve? For what level is the book most helpful? 

Mentioned: From GM to Top 10, A Game of Queens, David Llada, IM Eric Rosen, Lennart Ootes, GM Susan Polgar 

Forward Chess- Use Promo Code “Judit” if you buy one of her e-books from them! 

20:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. To check out the exciting new course from World Champion Magnus Carlsen, go here:

https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-strategy-lesson/course/40115/

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, IM John Bartholomew 

23:00- We talk about how Judit changed women’s chess by eschewing Women’s Events in favor of mixed events. Will another woman follow in her footsteps? 

Mentioned: GM Hou Yifan, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Humpy Koneru on The Ladies Knight Podcast, Free Excerpt of Judit’s Book from Quality Chess here: 

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIBeatFischersRecordExcerpt.pdf

31:00- We discuss some of our favorite quotes and stories from the book.

Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Susan Polgar, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, My 60 Most Memorable Games, GM Pal Benko, GM Mikhail Marin, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Vasil Ivanchuk

Gelfand-Polgar 1989, GM Jonathan Rowson, Magnus Kingdom app

48:00- It was tough to pick only a few favorite games each from the book, but we did! Here they are:

Polgar-Chilingrova 1988

Polgar-Lars Bo Hansen 1989

Tisdall-Polgar 1988

Zifroni-Polgar 1990 

Polgar-Flear 1989

Tolnai-Polgar 1991

Xie Jun- Polgar 1988

1:05:00- What are the chess improvement takeaways from this book? 

Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar’s interview on Perpetual Chess, GM Alejandro Ramirez, Polgar at London Chess Conference, Irving Chernev’s Chessboard Magic, GM Garry Kasparov 

01:27:00- Thanks so much to Jen for helping out this month. You can follow her on Twitter here. This month’s donation went to the US Chess Women Initiative. 

01:28:00- 

Next month we will be recapping The World Champion’s I Knew  by Gennadi Sosonko, and Vjekoslav Nemec, from Chessentials.com, will be helping me out! 

Here are the Blindfold puzzles:

Puzzle #1 1500 level White to move and win - White- pawns f4 and g5, king on d4, Black- pawn on a4, king on b4 

NOTE ON PUZZLE #2 I READ THE PUZZLE WRONG, IN ADDITION TO THE PIECES I NAMED, WHITE ALSO HAS A QUEEN ON A2

Puzzle 2 2100 level?- White to move, mate in 2

White: King on a1, queen on a2,  pawns on e3 and e5, Rook on h1, knight on c7

Black- king on g7, pawn on g6, knights on g8 and e7, rook on f8

Puzzle #1 1500, (no answer)

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=p/sxHjHhQ80fM5Wyr61XVDyFOXYjK/iYLp/yrSAVD4QDSejK9esxUSalDqwfPRMa

Puzzle #1 (with answer)

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=C5uNj27llXNFWn+fpTM5aJ5KAh6KUuvEy4NUwoMGsQu1GzQDUuWenT4JDbZIYkOT

Puzzle 2 (no answer)

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=J7FWNzeNYfxbPbbZ0zvfhLMidbk2WTeOzHsDINW2lzM+ASdC3LiG6ffAHEHt+fYR

Puzzle 2 (with answer)

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=52M6/pp9vjMEa4VHOSY8zwERFKd4U2rcHcmxDigzJUCyIZqEBGQD9CCR0+SjpAe2

Episode 178- IM Kåre Kristensen (Adult Improver Series)

IM Kåre Kristensen (right) takes on GM Nigel Short

What is the likelihood that a fully employed dad in his mid 40s could bring his rating from 2200 FIDE up to  2400 and earn the title of International Master at the age of 54? I didn’t know the answer to this question, but this week’s guest, IM Kåre Kristensen actually did it!  Kåre was at such a low point in his chess in 2008 that he considered quitting.   But instead he stuck with it and became one of the relatively rare folks to earn the IM title past the age of 50!  How did he do it? What did he study? How hard did he work on chess? What does he do away from the chessboard? You can hear Kåre’s inspiring story in  this week’s Perpetual Chess. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 

Click here to download the episode

0:00- We discuss the impact of the coronavirus in Denmark, as well as a bit about Kåre’s professional and family background. 

8:00- Chess talk time! IM Kristensen shares his “chess origin story,” and traces some of the ups and downs of his career, culminating in his earning the IM title at the age of 54! 

24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. They have just released what may be their most exciting course to date, The Magnus Touch! Check it out here:

25:00- Kåre answers a few questions from The Perpetual Chess Patreon Mailbag relating to his experiences with the effects of aging on one’s chess game, and whether he has made any age-related changes to his game. . 

Mentioned: GM Jens Kristensen, FIDE Title Application Webpage

43:00- Kåre shares the chess improvement methods that have been most effective for him, and gives a few universal tips. 

Mentioned: Tactics Trainer Endgame App. GM Mikhail Botvinnik 

57:00- Now that we know what Kåre studied, it’s time to find out how much he studied to keep improving!

Mentioned: The Anand Files by FM Michiel Abeln, The Slav Defense, Grandmaster Chess Move by Move by GM John Nunn 

1:05:00- Jaydeep Chakrabarty writes in to ask Kåre for advice about building an opening repertoire. Read more about Jaydeep’s new Digital Chess Board, named Rolling Pawn, here:

https://chessbase.in/news/The-Rolling-Pawn-Making-Digital-Chess-board-affordable

Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games 

1:14:00- Another question from the Patreon mailbag: if Kåre could restart his chess career from scratch, how would he approach his studies? 

Mentioned: Bent Larsen’s Best Games , IM Christof Sielecki, 

1:23:00- Kåre tells a story from a long-ago tournament where he sat near a young Vishy Anand and took notice of his play. 

Mentioned: Anand-DeFirmian 1986

1:30:00- Thanks so much to IM Kristensen for joining the show and sharing his experiences and advice. You can keep up with him as follows: 

Email him here: 

kaarek@me.com

Reach on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/karehove.kristensen

Episode 177- GM Peter Heine Nielsen

The Team Anand “war room” in Sofia- Pictured clockwise from bottom left are GM Surya Ganguly, GM Radoslaw Wotjasek, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, and GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov. Photo by Eric van Reem

This week on Perpetual Chess, we break from format a bit, as 5 time Danish Champion and world-class chess trainer, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, takes us behind the scenes of the night before a decisive game in a World Championship Match. The Match in question, was the 2010 World Championship between GM Viswanathan Anand and GM Veselin Topalov in Sofia, Bulgaria. The game was game 12, the final game of the “classical portion” of the match, with Peter Heine Nielsen and his fellow “ Team Anand” members, preparing Vishy to take the Black pieces against GM Topalov in a tied match with the World Championship and $1.2 million Euro prize for the winner.

How is it decided which opening will be played? How is work delegated among the team members? Why did 2 former World Champions and other chess heavyweights also pitch in to help with preparation this night? How did it feel when GM Anand won the game? GM Peter Heine Nielsen answers all of these questions and many more in a very fun and detailed conversation about a landmark game in modern chess history. You might want to play through the game in question before you listen, then sit back and enjoy the interview. More notes, timestamps and details can be found below. 

Click here to download the episode

0:00- We begin by discussing a bit of background about the match, with discussion of other relevant background information, and of how GM Anand and his team felt as they were going into the deciding game of the match. 

Mentioned:  Team Anand Members: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Radoslav Wojtazek, and GM Surya Ganguly, Mind Master by GM Viswanathan Anand, 2008 FIDE Anand-Kramnik World Chess Championship in Bonn, Germany  For more background on this match, you can listen to the following  Perpetual Chess Interviews with:

FM Michiel Abeln, GM Vishy Anand, GM Ivan Cheparinov, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov

10:00- What factored into GM Anand’s decision to surprise Topalov with the Queen’s Gambit Declined in Game 12?  

21:30- Friend and supporter of the podcast, IM Kåre Kristensen, writes in to ask about the role that the “supercomputer” played in the match. It was rumored, though not confirmed, that Team Topalov was accessing a turbo charged chess engine to help with preparation.

Mentioned: 

Rybka Chess Engine

24:30-  None other than World Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen has a free lesson available on Chessable.com, called “The Magnus Touch.” To check it out, go here: 

https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-strategy-lesson/course/40115/

25:00- Once the opening for the Game 12 was chosen how was work delegated among the Team Anand members? How did former World Champion Kramnik end up voluntarily helping Team Anand, what about GM Kasparov? 

Mentioned: Lasker Variation of Queen’s Gambit Declined, The Catalan, 2006 Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match, aka Toilet Gate , GM Gata Kamsky, GM Magnus Carlsen, Topalov’s Manager Silvio Danailov, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Boris Gelfand, “Elista Ending” of the Slav, as seen in Game 3 of the 2012 Match

40:45- Peter delves into the nature of the help given to Team Anand by then 19 year old GM Magnus Carlsen, and the unsung hero for prepping that night, British GM Luke McShane. 

Mentioned: GM Elizbar Ubilava, The “problem” line that Peter mentions and that Luke McShane solved, can be seen in Peter Heine Nielsen’s  tweet here. 

58:30- After all of this stressful prep, what did Peter and the other seconds do once Game 12 actually started? 

Mentioned: GM Anish Giri’s annotations can be seen here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=ZwNTGxiK5g4jm8Ba5hiyjQg4B+imvQdy6OM469Al0wHO6syTLjEAW3HQ0haiyTYd

1:15:30- Thanks so much to GM Peter Heine Nielsen for regaling us with his experiences. You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/PHChess 

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

Episode 176- GM David Howell

Photo by Wolfgang Jekel via WikiCommons

GM David Howell is the three-time champion of the United Kingdom and holds the record as the youngest player to earn the GM title in UK history. He has been a top 50 player in the world rankings and has a peak rating of 2712. He has been well-known in British chess circles since the age of 8, when he impressively beat GM John Nunn in a blitz game! As David tells, such accomplishments,have come with amazing opportunities, such as playing against and alongside GM Magnus Carlsen and training with GM Garry Kasparov, but he has also had to reckon with significant external expectations placed on him from a young age. 
In the past year, David has also been getting more involved in chess media. He is now the chess columnist for The Times of London, was one of the broadcasters of 2019 Gibraltar Chess, and has begun doing entertaining “banter blitz” shows for Chess24.com. David also recently released a great instructional DVD, called “Winning Grandmaster Methods: How I Got to 2700.” In our conversation, we discuss all aspects of David’s chess work, and David candidly relives the ups and downs of his chess career, and shares some of the standout stories and improvement advice from his DVD. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

Click here to download the episode

0:00- We chat a bit about how the coronavirus is treating David, and what he has been up to lately, including his newly released instructional DVD with GingerGM productions. 

Mentioned: Seaford UK, Fiona Steil-Antoni vlogs, Tarjei Svenson, GM Glenn Flear, Jonathan Tuck

Get David’s DVD here: 

https://www.gingergm.com/shop/winning-grandmaster-method-how-i-reached-2700

12:00- David reflects on his early successes as a chess player, which included a highly publicized victory in a blitz game over GM John Nunn when David was only 8 years old. 

Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Maxime Vachier Lagravel, GM Ian Nepomiatchi, GM Sergei Karjakin

GM Gukesh, GM Nihail Sarin, GM Praggnanandha 

17:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks what a player of David’s caliber sees in his head when he calculates. 

Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky’s books, WGM  Irina Bulmaga, IM Alex Astaneh Lopez

The challenging study David mentions is here (courtesy of GM Howell).

Study without solution-

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=Thm/+4QGsQHfyDb55qwo4REWIVCKvhD977E7/BrRE7MFkgmTATFslXhf5s5JATWH

Study with solution and GM Howell's notes-

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=Thm/+4QGsQHfyDb55qwo4ZWrCY08yKCmpxLo+sU05WHO9bKH07ZkGszC+OXuIZvb

26:00- What was it like to have high expectations placed on him by chess fans once David was identified as a bright chess talent? Does he think about different paths his career might have taken based on different life choices? 

Mentioned: GM Nihail Sarin, GM Alireza Firouzja

35:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. If you want to work on knowing the classics and improving your calculation at the same time check out Chess Calculation Training 3: Legendary Games, by GM Romain Edouard

https://www.chessable.com/chess-calculation-training-3-legendary-games/course/1587/

 36:45- What was it like to travel to GM Garry Kasparov’s home to play training games with him in 2017? 

43:45- GM Howell also helped Peter Svidler prepare for the 2016 Candidates Tournament.  What did he learn from that experience? 

45:30- What does GM Howell think of this year’s FIDE Candidates so far? 

46:30- Out of his recent jobs as banter blitzer, chess writer, chess announcer, and chess competitor, which is David’s favorite? 

Mentioned: GM Jan Gustafsson 

50:00- In the final rounds of the 2019 Chess.com Isle of Man Grand Swiss, GM David Howell came agonizingly close to qualifying for the 2020 FIDE Candidates, but he missed out. How has he processed that experience?  Did it affect his mental health? 

Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Simon Williams, WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni, GM Wang Hao-Howell 2019 

57:30- David tells a few more fun stories about encounters with celebrities, both in and out of the chess world. 

GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, GM Magnus Carlsen, Woody Harrellson, Dave Grohl 

1:01:00- We discuss a bit more of what can be learned from David’s instructive and fun DVD, Winning Grandmaster Method, How I Reached 2700.  

Mentioned: Short-Timman 1991, Fischer-Benko 1963, Howell,D-Bitalzadeh 2009,  GM Simon Williams, IM Simon Ansell, 

1:05:00- Thanks to David for a fun interview.  Help him boost his follower count on Twitter and Instagram. 

David’s Twitter here:

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

David’s Instagram here:

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

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Episode 175- GM Jesse Kraai returns

Photo by Macauley Peterson

This week author, teacher, YouTube presenter and philosophy Ph. D, Grandmaster Jesse Kraai is with me again to share more of his wisdom. Given his academic background, it is always fun to hear Jesse philosophize about chess and life, and this was a good time to catch up with him as we talked about the ways that tournament chess is changing and speculated about how it might continue to change due to shifts in perspective brought on by the coronavirus. Naturally we also talked about lots of chess improvement ideas, as Jesse shared his current chess goals, his approach to chess, and outlined the vision of ChessDojo. ChessDojo is a new online chess learning community that Jesse has launched together with IMs David Pruess and Kostya Kavutskiy. As always, please read on for more details and timestamps.

Click here to download the episode

0:00- Jesse discusses his personal experiences with the coronavirus, something which fans of his Youtube videos saw him endure.   Jesse also discusses the ways that the coronavirus affects his chess teaching, Chessdojo, and how it might affect chess tournaments in coming years.  

Mentioned: 

Jesse Kraai’s first appearance on Perpetual Chess in October of 2017: 

GM Jesse Kraai’s Road Back to 2500 series

IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai 

Chess Dojo YouTube channel    Chess Dojo discord 

22:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable! 

Check out the excellent book Chess Structures with Chessable's MoveTrainer capability here.

24:00- What are Jesse’s core beliefs about how to improve at chess? 

Mentioned: 

Jesse’s video- The True Path to Chess Improvement 

The Road to Chess Improvement by GM Alex Yermolinksy , Chess24’s Magnus Invitational 

IM Greg Shahade,GM Garry Kasparov 

34:30- We discuss Chess.com’s fun ongoing tournament, The “I’m Not a GM Speed Chess Invitational”. 

Mentioned: IM Danny Rensch, IM Greg Shahade, IM Christof Sielecki, IM Lawrence Trent, IM David Pruess, IM John Bartholomew, WGM Anna Zatonskih

38:30- How can club players go about learning structures rather than lines in openings?  

The London System, The Colle, The Zukertort 

45:45- A question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Jesse if his background as a student of  philosophy shapes his views on chess. 

Mentioned: GM Emanuel Lasker, Martin aka Saychess on Twitter, GM Capablanca, Chess for Life by Mathew Sadler and Natasha Regan, The Scandanavian expert whose name I was forgetting is GM Sergei Tiviakov 

1:00:00- Our conversation transitions to a discussion of whether chess books are decreasing in popularity. Mentioned: GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez, IM Cyrus Lakdawala

1:06:15- A Patreon supporter writes to ask Jesse’s opinion of the TV show Stranger Things. 

1:11:00- Thanks to Jesse for re-joining us! 

Keep up with GM Jesse Kraai here: 

Twitter:

Website

Follow ChessDojo here: 

Youtube

Twitch

Discord:

Twitter

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

Episode 174- GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Photo by Winicjusz Drozdowsk via WikiCommons

This week it’s my great honor to host former World Champion of chess, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov. In addition to winning the 2004 FIDE World Chess Championship title, Kasimdzhanov was the 1998 Asian Champion of Chess and finished 2nd overall at the 1999 World Junior Championship and the 2002 FIDE World Chess Cup. 

These days, of course, he is best known as a world-class chess trainer, as for many years he assisted former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, and today he works with the world’s 2nd highest ranked player, GM Fabiano Caruana. GM Kasimdzhanov is a renowned opening theoretician, and he has produced many video courses for Chessbase, including the recently released The Benoni is Back in Business. Given such a varied and accomplished career, obviously there was a lot to discuss, including the controversial 2020 FIDE Candidates Tournament, which he recently attended with GM Caruana. Please read on for more details and timestamps. 

Click here to download the episode.

0:00- GM Kasimdzhanov begins by discussing the Chess24 Magnus24 Cup  and shares how Fabiano will prepare and adjust for the format of this tournament. 

Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Ian Nepomniatchi, CNN article about Firouzja-Carlsen match, GQ-England chess article

8:00- GM Kasimdzhanov attended the now-postponed 2020 FIDE Candidates  in Yekaterinaburg, Russia with GM Fabiano Caruana. He shares his frustrations about the circumstances under which the event took place and discusses what might be done to complete the tournament. 

Mentioned: GM Teimour Radjabov, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkavich, GM Magnus Carlsen, Lev Tolstoy, GM Ding Liren  

29:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out Chessable’s course about the Petroff defense,  Fight 1.e4 like Caruana by IM Chrisof Sielecki here: https://www.chessable.com/fight-1e4-like-caruana/course/15717/

30:00- Rustam answers a couple of questions from the podcasts’s Patreon supporters:

1. What are the best and the worst aspects of being a second to a top player? 

2. What was it like to play Magnus Carlsen at Chess.com’s Isle of Man Tournament in 2019, given how much time GM Kasimdzhanov has spent helping Fabiano prepare for him? 

Mentioned: GM Kasimdzhanov-Korchnoi 2002, GM Alireza Firouzja 

42:30- What does GM Kasimdzhanov notice about the play of some of  the top teenagers in the chess world, including GMs Nodirbek Abdussatorov, Alireza Firouzja,  Nihal Sarin, D Gukesh? 

Mentioned: GM Nakamura 

46:00- What improvement advice could Rustam give for working chess enthusiasts? 

Mentioned: The Anand Files by Michiel Abeln, Mind Master by GM Viswanathan Anand 

49:00- Rustam shares what he discovered  in making his fun and informative new Chessbase course,  The Benoni is Back in Business, and he delves into ways that  he researches openings more generally. 

55:00- GM Kasimdzhanov discusses a couple of the books he has read recently, chess and otherwise. 

Mentioned: Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane, Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess, by GM Ivan Sokolov 

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

Bonus Pod- Recapping The Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce

Photo by Neal Bruce

This month on Chess Books Recaptured, I am joined by Neal Bruce. Neal is the head of product management for a software startup, a dad, and a dedicated adult improver who has built a following on Twitter by sharing a lot of the chess puzzles on which he is always working. 

For this month’s book review podcast, Neal suggested that we discuss two groundbreaking chess tactics books, Rapid Chess Improvement (2002)  by Michael de la Maza  and The Woodpecker Method (2018) by GM Axel Smith and GM Hans Tikkanen. As we explain, these chess books have significant differences between them, but they share a common thread in that they both strongly emphasize the efficacy of using spaced repetition to better assimilate tactical patterns and to improve chess visualization skills. Whether you are a chess player, chess teacher or both, it is important to be aware of the benefits of spaced repetition and to give some thought to how best to incorporate it into a chess training routine. In our conversation, we summarize and offer our opinions of each book, and discuss the experiences that other chess players have had using the training methods that these books advocate. As always, please read on for lots more details, links and timestamps. 

Click here to download the episode.

0:00-  We begin by introducing this month’s guest co-host, Neal Bruce. 

Guest co-host application form here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/co-host

Chris Chabris Perpetual Chess interview here: 

7:40- First up is a discussion of the controversial tactics manifesto, Rapid Chess Improvement by Michael de la Maza.  

Mentioned: USCF Master Dan Heisman, Dan Heisman’s Chess.com article, The Michael de la Maza story, de la Maza’s Chess Cafe article here, GM Ben Finegold, IM Jeremy Silman, Silman review of Rapid Chess Improvement here: IM Christopher Yoo, Young-Kyu Yoo, Chess.com thread discussing Rapid Chess Improvement, Polgar’s Chess Tactics for Champions, CT-Art 

30:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable. It provides a great way to train with and learn the Woodpecker Method. Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-woodpecker-method/course/10582/

31:00- We introduce and discuss the excellent 2018 book, The Woodpecker Method by GMs Axel Smith and Hans Tikkanen from Quality Chess. 

Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating by GM Axel Smith,, IM Andreas Skytte Hagen, and  Talent is Overrated by Geoffrey Colvin,  A free excerpt of the Woodpecker Method is available from this link: , IM Kostya Kavutskiy’s Steam of the Woodpecker Method can be viewed here: 

51:00- We discuss the experiences that some other chess players have had using the Woodpecker Method. Mentioned: NM Elijah Logozar, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM Andrew Greet’s blog regarding The Woodpecker Method is here: , FM Gabriel Petesch, 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations by Fred Reinfeld 

58:30-  We discuss some other tactics books that could be effective with the Woodpecker Method. 

Bain- Chess Tactics for Students: 

Simple Checkmates by Gillem

Polgars Chess Tactics for Champions 

Tactics Time 1 and 2 

Practical Chess Exercises 

1:04:00- I almost forgot to discuss Chess Twitter Superstar Mr. Dodgy’s success with De La Maza’s recommendations. 

Mentioned: CT-Art 3.0

Chess Reddit Thread about Rapid Chess Improvement here.

Jenn Shahade, How I Beat FIscher’s Record by GM Judit Polgar, The Metrowest Chess Club in Massachusets 

1:09- Thanks to Neal Bruce for joining me, you can often find him at The Metrowest Chess Club in Massachusetts, and you can follow him on twitter here:

 1:10- Blindfold Puzzle Time

Puzzle #1- 

White: Qa8, Ne2, Kb1

Black: Pawn h3, g2, King h2

Diagram without solution here:

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=CtHlIdi7v5KwhYZKLeX8KdwATJb4Z+RYNB4gL3s0KIl/bXhLJciNi3uIyyyTvFVK

Puzzle #2- 

King on e6, Pawn on f5, Pawn on h2

Black- Pawn on g7, King on e4 

Diagram without Solution here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=rXk3i7RQycyvOctzSUHBDFSJro9imf2wP2eVil+22YlpuPK+wk5sBX+H3SSccNUL

Diagram with Solution here:

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=azBNpAgXY9oGDztWmyP+q2v3Mt0fa94dgPdcUtHMz2erkqRWd4lmlQlsJtwSnpUw

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

Episode 173- USCF Master Philemon Thomas (Adult Improver Series)

Photo courtesy of Jamel Mosely, Philemon Thomas pictured on left

Philemon Thomas is an Albany, NY native who has been playing competitive chess for 14 years. During this period, Philemon has endured ups and downs, but his evident passion for the game has always kept him coming back to the board. In March of 2020, all of his hard work culminated with Philemon earning the title of USCF Master! This places him in the 98.8 percentile of US Chess’ tournament players, and he also is the first African-American chess master who is based in the Albany area. To hear the study tips and advice that Philemon has picked along this journey, please tune in to the interview. More details and timestamps can be found below.

Click here to download the episode.

2:30- We begin by learning a bit more about how Philemon got hooked on chess and what he has done to improve over the years. 

Mentioned: Townsend Park in Albany NY, Franklin-Mercantile Chess Club in Philadelphia, Washington Square Park in New York City, Union Square in NYC

7:50- What books helped Philemon along the way? 

Mentioned: My System by Nimzowitch, The Art of Attack , IM Jeremy Silman, IM Mark Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual , Darryl Perkins, Bobby Rotter, Aanarian Stevens, Smyslov Endgame Virtuoso, Dave Finneman 

14:50- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. The Art of Attack in Chess is one of the many books you can read and train with on Chessable utilizing its MoveTrainer technology. Check it out here:

https://www.chessable.com/the-art-of-attack-in-chess/course/24575/

15:50- Patreon supporter of the podcast, Firas Siraf of the Apprenchess Twitch channel writes in to ask what lessons Philemon has learned from his chess learning experiences. Another listener asks about how he fights through plateaus. 

Mentioned: The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, 

23:30- How does Philemon divide his chess study time? What his approach to chess openings? 

Mentioned: CT-Art, The Magic of Chess Tactics by GM Karsten Muller 

30:30- We walk through Philemon’s rating graph and he discusses the obstacles he encountered at various rating levels. Here is his rating graph: http://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=13312957

36:00- We discuss Philemon’s different approaches to different time controls. 

43:00- When did Philemon set the goal of earning the USCF Master title? What are his current goals? 

45:00- Does Philemon think that chess is less popular amongst African-Americans than people of other backgrounds? 

47:00- Philemon gives a few more chess recommendations based on his experiences.

Mentioned: Think Like a Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov, Chess Books Recaptured: Podcast talking Think Like a Grandmaster with NM Christopher Chabris 

50:00- Thanks so much to Philemon for joining the show. You can contact him or track his progress via his Facebook account:

https://www.facebook.com/philemon.thomas.94

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

Episode 172- GM Andy Soltis returns

Photo courtesy of GM Andy Soltis

Despite having retired from his day job at the NY Post, noted chess author and historian GM Andy Soltis remains quite busy writing chess books. This week he returns to Perpetual Chess to tell some great stories and discuss the books that he has been working on since our last conversation, in September of 2018. In particular, we discussed GM Soltis’ new book, How to Swindle in Chess, and his recently updated classic, Bobby Fischer Rediscovered. Andy was able to also provide some great historical perspective on topics ranging from chess in New York City in past decades, to the 2020 FIDE Candidates, to the coronavirus. Please read on for further details and timestamps. 

Click here to download the episode.

 0:00- We begin by catching up a bit on the impact that the coronavirus had on GM Soltis’ travel plans, and Andy shares some great historical perspective on some New York City chess characters. 

Mentioned: Marshall Chess Club, GM Robert Byrne and IM Donald Byrne, GM Arthur Bisguier, IM James Sherwin, GM William Lombardy, Caroline Marshall, Manhattan Chess Club, Bobby Fischer, IM Ray Weinstein, Bruce Pandolfini, GM Nicolas Rossolimo

13:15- When I spoke with Andy, the 2020 FIDE Candidates Tournament was ongoing despite the corona virus, and he was able to provide some historical perspective on other historical tournaments that took place under unusual circumstances. 

Mentioned:  Mannheim 1914 Chess Tournament, Alexander Alekhine, Frank Marshall, Efim Bogoljubov, Ian Nepomniatchi, Alexander Grischuk, Ding Liren-Caruana 2020, Capablanca-Marshall 1918, GM Mikhail Tal, Carlsen-So 2020, Fischer-Taimanov 1971 match, game 4, Bobby Fischer: The Greatest? By Max Euwe, Frank Brady, FM Asa Hoffman, My Great Predecessors: Volume 4 

29:00- Andy expounds on an interesting column he recently wrote for Chess Life magazine, called The Half Life of Truth: How long is it relevant what the result would have been in a famous chess game with best play?

 Mentioned: Bobby Fischer Rediscovered, Fischer-Celle 1964, Fischer-Blackstone 1964, Fischer-Spassky 1972 Game 1, The Complete Chess Swindler by GM David Smerdon 

37:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out Garry Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, using Chessable’s MoveTrainer here:

https://www.chessable.com/my-great-predecessors-part-1/course/22994/

38:00- What did GM Soltis discover in researching his new book, How to Swindle in Chess 

Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand, Keres-Geller 1962, Carlsen-Van Wely, Viktor Korchnoi, GM Emanuel Lasker

48:00- How should chess improvers stuck at home with extra study time spend that time?  

Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Mikhail Tal, Ruth Haring, GM Peter Biyiasis, Eliot Hearst  

55:00- In closing, Andy tells a story in which he compares his experiences after September 11 in  NYC to the current tense moments we are now living through. 

Thanks, as always, to GM Soltis for sharing his chess knowledge with us. You can buy all of his books here:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B000APTX5I?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

EP.171 - Chess Twitch Streamer GoldDustTori (Adult Improver series)

Photo courtesy of GoldDustTori

In the 16 months since she got into chess, 23 year old Chess Streamer GoldDustTori has seen both her online following and her Chess.com rating grow quickly. As her chess.com rating graph shows, she has gone from not knowing what en passant is, to a blitz rating which recently topped 1600. In our conversation, Tori retells how she got into chess and chess streaming, and shares how her consistent focus on a few key aspects of chess improvement have helped her boost her rating. 

Please read on for more details and timestamps.

Click here to download the episode.

0:00- FIDE Candidates Coverage Resources: Chess.com Youtube, Chess24YouTube, US Chess YouTube, Powerplaychess 

3:00- Tori introduces herself and explains how she got into chess and chess streaming. 

Mentioned: TwitchCon, GM Eric Hansen of the Chessbrahs, WIM Alexandra Botez, IM Danny Rensch, John Urschel, World of Warcraft, GM Aman Hambleton, IM Eric Rosen 

11:30- As Tori explains, when she started streaming chess, she barely knew the rules of the game. How has she gone from 0 to 1600 in less than 1.5 years? 

Mentioned: Tori’s YouTube Channel, Her Twitch Channel, including archive 

17:30- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their many tactics resources here:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-tactics/

19:00- Tori answers a few questions from our Patreon supporters relating to what time control she thinks one should play at in order to improve, and what she has learned from streaming with super strong players  like GM Daniel Naroditsky and GM Jon Ludvig Hammer? 

27:00- Tori reflects on her first live tournament, which took place at the North American Open in Las Vegas in December of 2019. 

Mentioned: IM Hans Niemann, GM Daniel Naroditsky, NM John Williams, chess.com drills/lessons

38:00- Tori discusses a recent special event in which participated: The Isolated Queens tournament, organized by Alexandra Botez and Jenn Shahade. 

Mentioned: GM Irina Krush, WGM Katerina Nemcova 

41:00- Tori fields a couple of questions and comments relating to how she deals with haters and trolls. 

Mentioned: Taylor Swift’s Miss Americana, Scene from From Dusk til Dawn mentioned  by IM Christof Sielecki (starting at 1:50 mark)

54:00- GM Denes Boros writes in to ask how her perception of the chess world has changed as she has gotten to know it better. 

Mentioned: National Open

57:40- What would Tori’s “bullet point” advice be for how to improve at chess? 

1:01:00-- What are Tori’s current chess and Twitch goals? 

Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen

1:07:00- Thanks so much to Tori for joining the podcast. Here is how you can keep up with her:

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/golddusttori

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi3rJHTCrXPLn4tfWQLTELA

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

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/golddusttori/?hl=en

Episode 170- GM Daniel King returns

Photo by Lennart Ootes, courtesy of GM King

Two weeks after Part 1 of our interview GM Daniel King returns. We catch up on the all of the drama surrounding the first 6 rounds of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, both over the board, and away from the board, as the spread of the Covid-19 virus continues to be an unwelcome, but serious disruption to some wonderful chess games.

Following the Candidates discussion, GM King updates us on the many other projects that have been keeping him busy, including a discussion of his forthcoming book, Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire.

Please read for many more details and timestamps relating to this fun and wide-ranging conversation.

Click here to download the episode.

0:00-  We begin by discussing the FIDE Candidates. Why did Daniel cancel his plans to announce at the tournament, why didn’t FIDE call it off? Should/will they call it off now? And last but not least, what does GM King think of the chess so far? 

Mentioned: GM Teimour Radjabov, Powerplay Chess, GM Jesse Kraii for Chess Dojo, GM Jacob Aagaard for US Chess, Giri-Nepomniatchi 2020

20:00- We discuss GM King’s forthcoming book, Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire. Daniel gives a bit of background about how he became enthralled by this story, and a taste of what we can read about in this book. Free excerpts of the book are available via New in Chess Magazine, and New in Chess Publishing. 

Mentioned: Sultan Khan-Capablanca 1930, Sultan Khan-Tartakower Match, GM Daniel King’s Patreon page, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Maia Chiburdanidze 

40:55- This episode is brought to you in part by Chessable. Links for GM Harikrishna’s Game of the Day Analysis and Candidates Course and the Candidates sale are below:

Candidates Course- https://www.chessable.com/candidates-2020/course/34649/

Candidates Sale- https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/

41:30- Daniel tackles a couple questions from a Patreon supporter of the podcast, relating to how he learned to speak German, and to the philosophy behind Powerplay Chess, Daniel’s excellent YouTube channel. 

Mentioned: Daniel King’s Powerplay DVD’s from Chessbase, GM Alexander Morezevich, GM Nigel Short, GM Ruslan Ponamariov, GM Jan Gustafsson, GM Baskiran Adhiban 

54:30- GM King discusses another project he has been busy assisting, a forthcoming Chessable course called Tournament Ready, by Alex and Sarah Longson. 

Mentioned: IM Mike Basman, FM Alex Longson, WFM Sarah Longson 

58:00- GM King shares some chess study advice for those who are stuck at home with extra time on their hands. 

1:02- Daniel shares some stories about one of his other passions- playing music. 

Mentioned: Geert van der Velde of Chessable, Juga on Jenn Shahade’s Ladies Knight Podcast 

1:10- Thanks to GM King for coming back on the show! All the links you need to keep up with him are below 

Youtube channel, Powerplay Chess:

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

GM King’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanielKingChess

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Bonus Pod- Chess Books Recaptured- Discussing The Road to Chess Improvement with Bryan Castro

Welcome to another edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured!

 My guest co-host this month is Bryan Castro. Bryan is a dad, businessman, chess teacher and adult improver from Buffalo, NY. Bryan and I are both fans of GM Alex Yermolinksy, and we share a strong affinity for his instructive and readable 1999 chess-improvement memoir, The Road to Chess Improvement. We like this book so much that we were not going to let a global pandemic stop us from getting together and sharing our favorite quotes, games and chess-improvement takeaways from this somewhat underappreciated gem. Please read on for more details, timestamps and relevant links. 

Click here to download the episode

4:00- After a few programming notes, Bryan Castro joins the show and shares a bit about his personal background.

7:00- What does Bryan like about The Road to Chess Improvement? 

Mentioned: Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, GM Jon Ludvig Hammer, IM John Watson’s Review of Road to Chess Improvement, Hear GM Yermolinksy’s interview on Perpetual Chess here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-chess-podcast/id1185023674?i=1000382608741

10:00- Both of us used the original Gambit version of Road to Chess Improvement 

11:00- What was happening in the chess world when this book was released in 1999? 

Mentioned: GM Kasparov, GM Alexander Khalifman, GM Alexei Shirov, GM Viswanthan Anand 

13:00- Bryan shares a bit more about Yermolinksky’s background. 

Mentioned: GM Gregory Serper, GM Alexander Shabalov 

15:00- For what level player is this book most helpful?

16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.  Check out GM Pentala Harikrishna’s 2020 FIDE Candidates “Game of the Day” analysis and accompanying course here: 

https://www.chessable.com/candidates-2020/course/34649/

 17:30-  We dive into the book, as Bryan reads some inspiring opening paragraphs from The Road to Chess Improvement  

Mentioned: GM Alekhine, GM Botvinnik, 

20:00- We discuss the structure of the book and our favorite chapters. 

Mentioned: Vladimir Zak

29:30- We share a few of our favorite quotes from the book. 

Mentioned: GM Evgeny Bareev, GM Vassilly Ivanchuk, GM Peter Svidler, GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Sam Shankland, GM Viktor Korchnoi, GM Jan Timman, GM Alexander Beliavsky, GM Mikhail Tal, GM Mikhail Botvinnik

40:00- We each pick a favorite game from the book. 

Mentioned: GM Arthur Yusopov, Yermolinsky-Khmelnitsky 1995, Hjartarson-Yermolinsky 1996  

45:00- What are the chess improvement takeaways from The Road to Chess Improvement? 

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade 

48:00- How useful is the book for improvement?  

49:00 What, if any, are our quibbles with the book? 

Deep Blue vs. Garry Kasparov

52:00- Closing remarks and good bye to Bryan Castro. In lieu of paying Bryan for his efforts I will be making a small donation to the East Aurora Chess Club.  You can keep up with Bryan the following ways: 

Bryan’s Youtube Channel here:

https://youtube.com/betterchesstraining

Bryan’s website, Better Chess Training here: 

http://www.betterchesstraining.com/

Follow him on twitter here:

https://twitter.com/YourBryanCastro

56:00- Blindfold puzzles of the month:

Puzzle #1- White to move, find the best move 

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=xyVYfoozbF6iR+wCrD8E3LVWoPU8wRa2aKCSWt9SSPcJjEME8Mrb+Gps4wVo0mBi

Solution #1- 

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=BTkwJm0GgCBPOr6bmORI2c020+oxdq6CvPpZFqSIU5JeJajZLmJQ+1Dar2t6cnXF

Puzzle #2- Black to move and win material

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qf6 5. Nxc6 Qxc6 6. Qe2 Bc5 7. Nc3 Ne7

2. Qf3 Ng6 9. Bc4 Ne5 10. Qe2 {Black to move and win material} 0-1

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=PORw9ncvRoVlZBKq9xADW1F9Baqw/xYlJ4PcRqNZuq6OstdGFms4ToOP81KIlbJi

Solution #2-

https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=oTOKuSqLokqFRarUHxOWMZ4rMpkpXZC0Sg8zv++1qev07Vg9PA0sgLjIvYHJXcdE

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

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

Episode 169- FM Terry Chapman (adult improver series)

Photo courtesy of FM Terry Chapman

FM Terry Chapman is a  63-year old retired businessman, having floated his company on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in 1999, with a day one capitalization of over £100 million. The Terence Chapman Group Plc was a major sponsor of chess activities in Britain, but Terry is probably best known in the English chess community for his charity match against Garry Kasparov in 2001 (at two pawns odds), which he only narrowly lost, 1 1/2 - 2 1/2!

As he discussed in the great book, Chess for Life by GM Mathew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan, Terry retired in 2007 and started devoting a lot of energy to competitive chess. In the next handful of years, he took his rating from 2156 to a peak of 2331! Last summer, Terry came equal first in the British over 50's Championship, a title he was proud to add to his British junior championship title won 49 years previously. In our conversation, Terry catches us up on what has occurred since the 2016 publication of Chess for Life. He shares the chess improvement lessons he has learned over the ups and downs of the last 12 years. Please read on for more details and timestamps.

Click here to download the episode

0:00- We begin by delving a bit into Terry’s chess and personal background. What life circumstances motivated him to ramp up his competitive chess in the year 2007?  

Mentioned: GM Jonathan Rowson

7:00 How had the chess world changed in the years that Terry was busy building a career and raising a family? Did he feel rusty upon returning to the board? 

Mentioned: Chessbase 

13:00- A Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess asks FM Chapman if he thinks one should change their opening repertoire as they get older? 

Mentioned: NM Fred Wilson, GM Ben Finegold 

17:00- What coaches has Terry worked with?

Mentioned: GM Jonathan Speelman 

21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Here are a few of the tactics resources Chessable offers: 

Mastering Mates: https://www.chessable.com/mastering-mates-1-1111-one-move-mates/course/11134/

Tactics Time: 

https://www.chessable.com/tactics-time-1/course/21108/

Woodpecker Method:  

https://www.chessable.com/the-woodpecker-method/course/10582/

22:00- Patreon supporter, and adult improver  NM Han Schut writes in to ask Terry to ask for an update about time trouble issues that Terry mentioned in Chess for Life.  

Mentioned: GM Natalia Zhukova 

32:00- What is a typical day of chess study like for Terry Chapman? 

Mentioned: Chess Calculation Training Volume 2: Endgame by GM Romain Edouard, New in Chess Yearbooks, New in Chess Magazine 

43:00- Terry has described himself as a bit of an opening specialist, but also says his memory is nothing special.  How does he pull that off? 

Mentioned: Kotrianas on the King’s Indian 

49:00 What other books does Terry recommend for Club players? 

Mentioned: Aagaard Manual Volume 1, From Amateur to IM, Winning Chess Strategies, Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Pump Up Your Rating, Yusopov books, Everyman Chess Move by Move series 

56:00- What is the latest on Terry’s chess progress? 

1:00- Terry tells a few stories about brushes with chess legends, including playing a charity game with Garry Kasparov. 

Mentioned: GM Tony Miles, GM Ding Liren, GM Vishy Anand, GM Vladimir Kramnik , Garry Kasparov on Desert Island Discs, Understanding Maroczy Structures by GM Adrian Mikhalchishin 

1:15- Thanks so much to Terry Chapman for sharing his tips and some great stories. You can reach him via email here: tpdchapman@gmail.com.