EP 367- Adult Improver Julio Calcina: A Chess and MMA Enthusiast on the Life Lessons that Each Can Provide.

The Adult Improver Series is back, and we have a very entertaining guest for you. Julio Calcina is a 32-year-old, Nottingham, England-based chess and Mixed Martial Arts enthusiast. Julio has found chess to be a transformative force for him and views chess as a microcosm of life. As Julio tells it, he used to be impetuous and aggressive in both chess and life, and made choices that sabotaged relationships and even contributed to his enduring a stint in prison. Throughout the years, Julio has stuck with the game, and it has helped teach him to be more contemplative and patient, both over the board and away from it. Julio loves to play daily chess on Chess.com, and also reports on the British O.T.B. scene, shares chess improvement recommendations, and discusses his near-term goals and plans in chess and beyond. It was a lot of fun chatting with Julio, and I think you will enjoy the conversation. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to Perpetual Chess Patreon subs! If you would like to join the community you can do so here: 

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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

Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and/or make a Chessable purchase, it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

Spotify “Adult Improver Series” Playlist- 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=f12d20ae06fd4a89

0:00- If you would like to be considered for, or suggest someone as an adult improver guest, you can submit your information via this online form:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adult

02:00- Julio Calcina tells his “chess origin story.” 

8:00- What has chess taught Julio about his own personality? 

14:00- What has helped Julio improve his game?

Mentioned: The Backyard Professor’s YouTube Channel 

https://www.youtube.com/@TheBackyardProfessor, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course

17;00- Julio describes his OTB experiences 

18:00- What happened that caused Julio to end up in prison? 

22:00- That time Julio caught his romantic partner engine-cheating against him in a chess game 

Mentioned: Man’s Search for Meaning by VIktor Frankl

Meditations: Marcus Aurilieus 

30:00- Patreon mailbag question: “As a martial arts practitioner, why does Julio think that chess improvement is more difficult than improving at ju-jitsu?” 

40:00- Patreon mailbag questions: “Does Julio consider chess a martial art in itself? Should chess be taught as part of martial arts curriculums?” 

47:00- Patreon mailbag questions: “How does Julio balance cardio, weights, and chess? Can chess help those with ADHD?” 

50:00- How would Julio describe the chess culture in prison? 

55:00- Is there a  link between drinking and chess in England?

1:00- What are Julio’s 2024 plans?

Thanks to Julio for sharing his amazing story! Here is how to keep up with him: 

LiChess 

Chess.com

JulioPDC Instagram

Facebook Julio Calcina 

EP 366- GM Raven Sturt: Chess Improvement Deep Dive with a Self-Taught Grandmaster. Board Visualization Tips, Book Recs & Lots more.

This week’s guest is Grandmaster and Chessable Author, Raven Sturt. Raven was a National High-School champion, but considers himself a late bloomer in chess because he had to work very hard to earn the Grandmaster title in his 20s. During this period, GM Sturt intensively trained his board visualization and pattern recognition skills, and he shares the fruits of his labor in his excellent Chessable Course, Developing Chess Intuition: Domination & Other Lesser Known Positional Concepts. During our conversation, we discuss the course, his book recommendations, and his unique approach to studying openings. Raven is working on a course on the Bird Opening (1. f4) , and has come to believe it is an underrated weapon for White. We also discuss Raven’s unique life trajectory. Raven grew up in New York City, went to McGill University in Canada, and has recently settled in Paraguay after traveling extensively. I really enjoyed chatting with Raven, and if you are interested in improving your chess game, you will definitely enjoy this conversation! 

Click here to Download the Episode

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

Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and/or make a Chessable purchase, it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

02:00- What does Raven think are the core tenets of chess improvement? 

07:00- What has Raven noticed in the differences in how kids and adults learn? 

09:00- After graduating from McGill University, Raven ended up pursuing chess full-time. What went into that decision? How did he approach his chess study?

11:00- Raven offers helpful visualization and calculation advice

Mentioned: Evaluate Like a Grandmaster 

16:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Does Raven find that his focus on improving intuition resonates with adult students?” 

22:40- Is competing OTB overrated as a method of chess improvement? 

25:00- How did Raven get better at practical play without competing frequently? 

Mentioned: MVL on C-Squared Podcast, GM Giga Qupardaze

31:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “What tips does Raven have for getting good at blindfold visualization?” 

Mentioned: Book Recap #10- Blindfold Chess, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall

Domination by Kaspayan

38:00- How does Raven recommend dividing chess study time? 

Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual  

45:00- Raven’s favorite chess books:

Chess for Zebras, Dvoretsky’s Positional Play, Book Recap #32- Chess for Zebras, Strategic Play by GM Jacob Aagaard, Shankland’s Small Steps to Giant Improvement 

50:00- What made Raven decide to study at a university outside of the U.S., to travel extensively, and to relocate to Paraguay? 

53:00- What international open tournaments are Raven’s favorites to attend? 

Mentioned: Sitges International, Floripa Chess Open, Paleochora International Chess Tournament in Crete  

1:00:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Why doesn’t the U.S. offer more tournaments with one round per day?” 

1:03:00- Is Raven training and competing right now? 

1:04:00- Why is the Bird opening underrated for White? 

1:06:00- What are Raven’s plans for his Youtube channel? 

1:08:00- 

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

Chessable course

YouTube

Blog

LiChess Coaches Page

EP 365- GM Abihimanyu Mishra: The Young Phenom on his Chess Improvement Regimen, His Next Goals, and his 2024 Plans

Photo in thumbnail by Lennart Ootes via Abimanyu’s Instagram

This week we are honored to be joined by the 14-year-old record-breaking prodigy, GM Abhimanyu Mishra. Abhimanyu made worldwide headlines when he became the youngest Grandmaster in history in 2021. Since breaking that record, GM Mishra has continued his rapid ascension and is now rated 2635. As the number #10 junior in the world, Abhimanyu is the only junior in the top 20 under the age of 16! In our conversation, we discuss Abhimanyu’s training regimen, both now, and as he quickly climbed up the ranks. His chess growth was well-chronicled in the enjoyable book, The Youngest Chess Grandmaster in the World, as well as his Chessable course, Youngest Grandmaster: Abhimanyu Mishra   Abhi also discusses how he balances chess and school work, his 2024 tournament plans, and the difficulties he has encountered in receiving invitations and sponsorship opportunities. Lastly, Abhimanyu reflects on unforgettable experiences, like training with Kasparov, and recently beating the legendary players such as GMs Vasyl Ivanchuk and Levon Aronian. I greatly enjoyed chatting with Abhi and can’t wait to see where the future takes him. 

Click here to Download the Episode

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

Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and/or make a Chessable purchase, it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

2:00- What motivates Abhimanyu Mishra to work so hard on chess? Why does he love it? 

4:00- Abhimanyu discusses his current training regimen. 

Mentioned: GM Karsten Muller’s Endgame Magic, Abhi’s interview on C-Squared 

13:00- How structured is Abhi’s chess-study schedule? 

18:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Abhi think chess learning has changed over generations?’ 

23:00- Abhimanyu discusses how he approached studying Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 

30:00- What are Abhi’s favorite games that he has played? 

Mentioned:-Mishra-Ivanchuk 2023, Mishra-Aronan 2023 

Post mortem video of IVanchuk game via Chessbase India:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPQ3S9KgUY

34:00- Is Abhi still interested in table tennis and other sports? (He wrote about this in his book.)

38:00- Abhi discusses the financial challenges of being a young elite player. 

Mentioned: GM Praggnanandhaa gets big sponsor

40:30- Abhi discusses his famed journey to the GM title. 

43:00- How does Abhi select tournaments? Was he invited to Wijk an Zee? 

46:00- What was it like to work with Kasparov? Who is the GOAT? 

50:00- Would Abhi consider going to university? 

54:00- What shows does Abhi watch? 

Mentioned: C-Squared podcast

58:00- Thanks to GM Mishra, for joining me, you can follow him via these social media channels: 

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu.mishra2509/?hl=en

X:

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

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 364- GM Patrick Wolff- Recent Chess News Breakdown: Prearranged Draws, Bizarre Dress Codes, the Candidates Cycle- Is it time to Replace FIDE? Plus a Chess and AI update

GM Patrick Wolff is quite accomplished on and off the chess board. In the 1990’s he was a  2 time US Chess Champion and a member of GM Viswanathan Anand's prep team.  Patrick is also the author of Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, a book that is always one of my first recommendations for newer players.  In more recent years, he has worked as a hedge fund analyst.  This varied background gives Patrick unique insights into the intersections of the chess and the business worlds. In our conversation, Patrick shared his opinions on all of the recent controversies which have plagued the chess world. As Patrick explains, the recent flare-ups involving dress codes, prearranged draws and a chaotic qualification process for the FIDE Candidates are all connected. Patrick thinks that the chess world needs a new governing body, and that the game is poised for more explosive growth if this can occur. In addition to all of the news, we caught up on lessons Patrick learned from playing in the US Senior Championship,  and his observations on the continued evolution of chess engines. There is always lots to learn from GM Wolff, and I appreciated hearing his perspective.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, , and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

03:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on prearranged draws in light of the Dubov-Nepomniachtchi prearranged draw. 

Mentioned: Background info here, Video and discussing of it here 

13:00- What did Patrick think of the controversy surrounding Anna Maja Kazarian’s footwear? 

Mentioned: NY Times article 

20:00- We discuss the chaotic  FIDE Candidates qualification cycle, which culminated in GM Alireza Firouzja scrambling to gain a few rating points.

Mentioned: C Squared pod discussion of the issue 

28:00- Patrick discusses the history of FIDE, as it has evolved during his career. 

Mentioned: Florencio Campomanes 

51:00- Why didn’t Kasparov’s PCA work?

55:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on the April 2024 FIDE Candidates. 

57:00- Patrick reflects on his performance in the US Senior Championship. 

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, You can view the games discussed here: 

https://www.chess.com/events/2023-us-senior-chess-championship/games

1:12:00- What age-related effects does Patrick notice, aside from struggling to remember opening lines? 

1:15:00- Patrick discusses the way computers are effecting opening theory.

Click here to download the episode

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, , and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

03:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on prearranged draws in light of the Dubov-Nepomniachtchi prearranged draw. 

Mentioned: Background info here, Video and discussing of it here 

13:00- What did Patrick think of the controversy surrounding Anna Maja Kazarian’s footwear? 

Mentioned: NY Times article 

20:00- We discuss the chaotic  FIDE Candidates qualification cycle, which culminated in GM Alireza Firouzja scrambling to gain a few rating points.

Mentioned: C Squared pod discussion of the issue 

28:00- Patrick discusses the history of FIDE, as it has evolved during his career. 

Mentioned: Florencio Campomanes 

51:00- Why didn’t Kasparov’s PCA work?

55:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on the April 2024 FIDE Candidates. 

57:00- Patrick reflects on his performance in the US Senior Championship. 

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, You can view the games discussed here: 

https://www.chess.com/events/2023-us-senior-chess-championship/games

1:12:00- What age-related effects does Patrick notice, aside from struggling to remember opening lines? 

1:15:00- Patrick discusses the way computers are effecting opening theory.

EP-363 Jennifer Shahade on Playing Like a Champion, Building Confidence, and what "Zapping" is in Chess.

This week’s return guest is 2 time US Women’s Champion and award-winning author, podcaster and commentator Jennifer Shahade. Jennifer has recently released the excellent and inspiring new tactics book, Play Like a Champion. Play Like a Champion is a collection of biographical sketches of top woman players, featuring memorable tactics for a wide range of experience- levels. In our conversation, we discuss Jen’s writing and puzzle selection process, new chess vocabulary, Jen’s advice for starting chess clubs, and her decision to leave US Chess. We also discuss Jen’s next projects and her plans for 2024. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

0:00- Be sure to check out their new courses, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

03:00- We discuss Jen’s recent event at the Marshall Chess Club. 

04:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What is Jen’s advice for starting a Women’s meetup/chess club?” 

07:30- Why does Jen think there might be a “confidence gap” between how women and men assess their own chess skills?

Mentioned: Elizabeth Spiegel, Shawn Martinez

14:30- What led to the shift in Jen’s confidence level as a chess player when she was a teenager? 

15;00- How did Jen decide on the wide range of difficulty within her puzzles?

Mentioned: The Botez Sisters, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, IM Sara Khadem

25:00- New chess strategy terminology: What is a “zap”? What does it mean to “think sideways?”

29:00- How is Jen’s next book progressing? 

31:30- Jen discusses her collaboration with IM Jeremy Silman, who was her publisher for the book Chess Bitch. 

Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Anna Hahn, Irina Krush, Pal Benko: My Life, Games, and Compositions 

38:00- Will Jen be blogging more frequently?

Mentioned: Jen’s substack

40:00- Jen discusses her decision to leave US Chess in the wake of the Alejandro Ramirez allegations.

Mentioned: How Sexual Assault Allegations Against a US Chess Grandmaster went Unaddressed for Years,French female players Open Letter,  Article regarding Steve Shutt, coach at Masterman High School (which Jennifer and I attended), Carol Meyer stepping down as US Chess Executive Director 

48:00- Jen on her 2024 events and plans:

Chesskid National Festival, Russell Makofsky’s Impact Coaching Network, FM Mike Klein, FM James Canty, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Daniel Rensch, ASAP Philly 

53:00- How to enter to win a copy of Play Like a Champion signed by Jennifer Shahade 

• 1) Either leave a podcast review on Spotify/Apple Podcasts, Sub to the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel, OR subscribe (for free) to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest Substack. You can also subscribe to to Jen Shahade’s YouTube Channel or Jen’s Substack

• 2) After completing step 1, email a screenshot to ben@perpetualchesspod.com subject line- Contest! 

SIGNED BOOK IS US ONLY, outside the US, you can still enter to win a free Forward Chess Digital Copy of Jen’s book. (there are two prizes in total) Please specify in the email whether you are in the US or outside of the US.

Entries will be closed on January 16 and winners will be announced via email shortly thereafter 

55:00- Thanks, as always to Jen for joining me. Be sure to check out her book and to subscribe to her blog. 

EP 362- IM Jeremy Silman tribute: IM John Donaldson and IM Cyrus Lakdawala look back on their friend's life and legacy

Photo of IM Jeremy Silman in 1988 via his website

Legendary chess author IM Jeremy Silman valued his chess friendships highly, and referred to his inner circle as his chess ‘“posse.” This week, two members of that posse, IMsJohn Donaldson and IM Cyrus Lakdawala join me to share stories and biographical details about their friend. As one might expect from Silman’s books, they recall a friend who was funny, empathetic, extremely strong as a chess player, and a brilliant writer and gifted public speaker. John and Cyrus both begin with their first recollections of meeting Jeremy in 1981, and they take us through his chess life and his journey from a chess nomad to a devoted husband, cat dad, and one of the most successful chess authors of all time. Thanks to John and Cyrus for helping us all learn more about Jeremy’s life. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. . 

Click here to Download the Episode

Noteworthy obituaries of IM Silman:-

https://new.uschess.org/news/im-jeremy-silman-1954-2023

https://www.chess.com/news/view/jeremy-silman-1954-2023

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/books/jeremy-silman-dead.html

Fred Wilson’s old interviews with IM Jeremy Silman will be posted to the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel by the end of the week. 

Interview #1-

https://youtu.be/FVDGwFIUjkA

Interview #2 coming soon.

01:30- John and Cyrus share their first memories of meeting IM Jeremy Silman, both in 1981. 

Mentioned; Chuck Johnson

07:00- John and Cyrus describe Silman’s “hippie days.”

12;00- How did Jeremy get his start in chess? 

Mentioned: IM John Grefe, Dennis Waterman, IM Jack Peters, Bob Long, and 

Silman’s article describing his ‘posse’-

https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-books-and-youth-vs-old-age

Silman’s Chess Odyssey 

22;00- Cyrus discusses the legacy of How to Reassess Your Chess, as well as Jeremy’s unique insight into a need for literature addressing club players. 

26;00- Why did The Complete Book of Chess Strategy sell so well? How did his other books do?

33;00- John and Cyrus discuss Jeremy’s abilities as a speaker, and the success of the series he did for “Great Courses”

Mentioned: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-play-chess-lessons-from-an-international-master 

38;00- Did financial success change Jeremy? John also discusses some of Jeremy’s students. 

Mentioned: von Frankenstein, Allan Horn, Brady Anderson, NM Vanessa West 

43;00- Could Jeremy have been a GM?

Mentioned: Ken West?, IM Jack Peters, IM Douglas Root 

50:00- John and Cyrus discuss the challenges of fe as a chess author and how chess content has changed. 

1:13:00- John discusses the health challenges Jeremy faced late in life. 

1:16:00- What jobs did Jeremy have outside of chess? 

1:21:00- John discusses Jeremy’s love for chess books, and for Japan! 

Mentioned: The Games of Tigran Petrosian by Shekhtman 

1:26:00- Should we care about analytical mistakes?

Mentioned: Vitiugov vs. Robson 2013 

1:31:00- Favorite Silman stories 

Thanks so much to John and Cyrus for sharing their memories of IM Silman

Book Recap #33- IM Jeremy Silman's The Amateurs Mind (with David Hamm)

In the wake of IM Jeremy Silman’s recent passing, Chess Books Recaptured returns to review one of his classic books, The Amateur’s Mind. The Amateur’s Mind sold over 90,000 copies, and IM Jeremy Silman said that he thought it was his best instructional book. What made this book, and Silman’s writing so unique? We dive into that topic, share many memorable (and amusing) quotes from the book, and briefly discuss some of the other works from IM Jeremy Silman’s illustrious canon. Joining me for this discussion, is David Hamm. As a 1000 (ish) rated, relatively recent chess devotee, who is also an attorney with 3 kids, David is just the type of reader that Silman likely had in mind when writing this book. While The Amateur’s Mind might not be my #1 recommendation if your goal is to improve your game, it was a ton of fun to read it and to discuss it, and reflecting on IM Jeremy Silman's legacy has left me more impressed with his work than ever. Timestamps of topics discussed and links of articles referred to are below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

IM Jeremy Silman’s How to Reassess Your Chess is now on Chessable, and The Amateur’s Mind will be coming in 2024! Use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- Thanks to Fred Wilson of Fred Wilson Books for allowing me to share Fred’s old interviews with IM Jeremy Silman. They will be posted soon to the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel, so make sure you are subbed. 

0:03- David Hamm joins me to discuss the book. We begin by discussing how David got into chess, and to IM Jeremy Silman. 

0:07- We briefly go over IM Jeremy SIlman’s bio, and discuss some of Silman’s works.

Mentioned: NY Times obit by Dylan Loeb McLain, Chess.com obit by Tarjei Svensen

John Donaldson’s obit for US Chess

12:30- What makes SIlman’s writing stand out?

Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess, Nick Visel’s Review of Amateur’s Mind 

19:00- If chess improvement is your primary focus, what books could one consider as alternatives to Amateur’s Mind? 

Mentioned: Simple Chess, Winning Chess Strategies, Mastering Chess Strategies, Techniques of Positional Play 

22:00- We read the first few paragraphs and discuss Silman’s meticulous approach to writing. 

Mentioned: Dojo Talks Episode 92: Remembering IM Jeremy Silman, Zen in the Art of Archery 

29:00- We read our favorite quotes from the book! 

Mentioned: Alekhine-Maroczy 1923 , IM Willy Hendriks, Silman response to Hendriks ADD LINK 

52:00- Closing thoughts and our favorite Silman’s books ranked! 

Mentioned: Autobiography of a Goat, Make it Stick, How to Reassess Your Chess, Silman's Complete Endgame Course, Silman's Chess Odyssey 

Volunteer to co-host a book review podcast via the following form:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/co-host

Thanks to David for doing a great job co-hosting! Here is how you can reach him:

LiChess Chessdad1979

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hamm-1a3a325?trk=public_post_feed-actor-name

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 361- Professor/ GM David Smerdon: Renewed Chess Cheating Allegations and the New “Gender Equality in Chess Index.”

This week we are joined by the economist, award-winning author, and top Australian player, GM David Smerdon. David is a professor at the University of Queensland. With a statistical background, David is a particular expert in the intersection of statistics and chess and is frequently able to combine his chess expertise with his academic research. Since chess cheating has been in the news again, we begin by getting David’s thoughts on the renewed allegations against GM Hans Niemann, as well as the recent concerns about rampant online cheating voiced by GM Vladimir Kramnik. David drew some interesting comparisons between these cheating scandals and a recent one in the academic world. David also had some recently published chess research to discuss, as he and a team of collaborators have recently launched the “Gender Equality in Chess Index. (GECI)” What is the goal of his index and how did they arrive at the numbers?  Lastly, we catch up on David’s chess career. As David details, he doesn’t have a ton of time to study, but is competing when he can with a specific goal in mind. There is always lots to learn from GM Smerdon, and it was a pleasure to catch up with him Timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! Help support Perpetual Chess by signing up for Chessable pro using this link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:00- Intro

Mentioned: Tarjei’s Svensen’s article, Dojo Talks EP 101  with GM Vladmir Kramnik 

0:02- David discusses cheating in the chess world, and draws parallels to some scandals in the academic world.

Mentioned: Did an honesty researcher fabricate data?, GM Alex Fishbein 

10:00- Has any good come of the recent chess cheating scandals? 

Mentioned: GM Mamedyarov withdraws from 2018 tournament after accusing opponent of cheating, Hans Niemann competes in London Chess Classic after stunning result in Zagreb 

17:00- Chess.com statement regarding Kramnik allegations against Nakamura 

23:00- Do continued allegations against Niemann cause concern about the viability of the future of OTB chess? 

Mentioned: Poker pro alleged to have used special contact lenses to see through a deck 

26:30- Can statistics help detect “smart cheating”?

29:00 What was the genesis of the idea for a “chess gender index”? 

Mentioned: Mongolia Tops Chess Gender Index by Leon Watson 

34:00- Is it likely that  Queen of Katwe contributed to the success of women’s chess in Uganda?What did he notice about other high ranking countries? 

41:00- What are the components of the index? 

51:00- David discusses his other chess-related research

52:00- How is David’s chess game, and what is his current chess goal? 

Mentioned: Episode 30, The Complete Chess Swindler 

Thanks to David for joining me again.  Here are links to keep up with him:

X: https://twitter.com/dsmerdon

David’s Blog;

https://www.davidsmerdon.com/

EP 360- Adult Improver Ben Hodgkiss just quit his job to pursue chess full-time. Here is his story.

Ben Hodgkiss is a 32-year-old chess enthusiast who has worked in a few different fields, but feels like he has not yet found his professional calling. Ben knows that he loves chess though, and for at least the next year, he has decided to live the life of a chess professional and to chronicle this pursuit on his YouTube channel. Many chess players have fantasized about taking such a leap, so I was fascinated to hear that Ben is actually doing it! In our conversation, we cover the nuts of bolts, of how Ben will pay the bills, and what Ben will study, but we also discuss his goals for the project and his chess-related goals. Ben has already collaborated with well-known presenters like IM Eric Rosen and IM Andras Toth and recently played his first of what will likely be many OTB chess tournaments. I really admire Ben’s dedication to his chess passion and am excited to share his story with you! Timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

Click here to download the episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com! Find out more about becoming a Chessable pro member, and receiving a wide range of features here: 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- How did the idea of doing a year of full chess come about?

Ben’s Reddit post is here: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/17anc4k/quit_your_job_chess_full_time_for_a_year_how_do

0:08- What are Ben’s goals for this project? What is his chess history?

13:30- Patreon mailbag questions: Does he think it will be more challenging to maintain motivation? Would taking a week or a month off be beneficial for one’s chess? 

22:00- Patreon mailbag questions Is it possible that working full time subtracts 200 points from your chess strength? 

Mentioned: Check out Tactics Time author Tim Brennan’s rating graph here:

https://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=12718954

30:00- What was Ben’s first OTB tournament like? 

37:00- Ben discusses his study regimen more, and why he decided to join the Chess Dojo. 

41:30- We discuss the best potential ways for Ben to chronicle his chess pursuit on YouTube. 

50:00- Ben read my book and wanted to discuss some topics on it! We start with discussing visualization. What does one see when visualizing a chess board?

Mentioned: Chess Steps 2, Thinking Ahead, Visualize Courses on Chessable 

1:03:00- Ben asks me: which chess weakness of mine am I working on?

1:07:00- Thanks so much to Ben for sharing his inspiring story, be sure to check out his YouTube channel here:

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

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

patreon.com/perpetualchess

EP 359- Davaun Williams (aka Chess Knowledge with H1) on Chess TikTok Stardom, Opening Traps, and Improvement Recs

This week I am joined by a rising star in chess media, Davaun Williams. To his 200,000+ Tiktok followers and nearly 80,000 Instagram followers, Davaun is better known as “Chess Knowledge with H1.”  In our conversation, we discuss H1’s chess origins, the origins of the nickname “H1,”  and how he gained fame for using a demo board and throwing the captured chess pieces during his entertaining videos. Davaun’s videos feature a lot of opening traps, and  he has just released his first Chessable course, “Opening Traps You Must Learn.” In addition to discussing chess openings, Davaun shares other chess improvement advice, and even advises me on whether or not I should continue to post videos on TikTok. All in all, this was a fun conversation, and it was great to learn more about Davaun’s background. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

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Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. You can see their latest courses here:

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

0:02- Davaun has been making chess content for years, but during the past year he has seen his TikTok channel explode. What changed? 

0:05- Does Davaun have plans to dedicate himself full time to chess content? 

0:06- Davaun discusses his unusual USCF rating history:

12:00- Davaun’s favorite chess content creators

Mentioned: Gotham Chess, IM John Bartholomew, KingsCrusher, The Chessbrahs 

13:00- Davaun’s chess origin story

Mentioned: Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition 

17:00- How did Davaun develop the habit of throwing the Demo board pieces after they are captured in his videos? 

20:00- How did Davaun decide to write a Chessable course on Opening Traps? 

Mentioned: Davaun’s video about the Polish/Orangutan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQQW_ZHbut4

23:00- What  is Davaun’s theory as to why his shorter videos get more traction than the longer ones? How is his podcast, Chess Knowledge with H1 doing? 

https://open.spotify.com/show/6AefOx7Atzw3bgyfHG2bjR?si=3ed28f8e7d794837

27:00-Is Davaun interested in, and does he cover, top-level chess? 

Mentioned: Agadmator, Gotham Chess 

30:00- Will Davaun’s kids play chess?

33:00- What is Davaun’s favorite aspect of chess? What is his favorite opening to play?

39:00- Davaun gives both chess improvement and chess content advice. 

44:00- I ask Davaun’s advice: Should I continue to post videos to TikTok if noone is watching them? 

Thanks to Davaun for joining the pod, here is his linktree:

https://linktr.ee/H1chess

EP 358- GM Robert Hungaski on Teaching Chess Teachers, Nakamura, Shirov, Niemann The Indian Chess Boom & more

This week  a favorite guest returns to the pod, GM Robert Hungaski. Robert wears many hats in the chess world, as an accomplished player, Fide Senior trainer and International arbiter. His newest project involves organizing and presenting FIDE-sanctioned chess teaching seminars from some of the top trainers in the world, including Grandmasters Gregory Kaidanov, Alexey Shirov, Antoaneta Stefanova and many others. These seminars provide a unique opportunity to learn tricks of the trade from some chess legends. In addition to this project, Robert always has plenty of entertaining and insightful stories, and this interview is no exception. Robert reflects on his encounters with young Nakamura and Niemann, his trip to the 2022 Chess Olympiad, his friend GM Ulf Andersson, and, of course, he leaves with a bit of chess study advice and a book recommendation. It is always fun to talk chess with GM Hungaski! 

Click here to download the Episode

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

Check out their new courses here:

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

Check out my favorites here:

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

More information about the FIDE trainer seminar’s here:

https://fideamerica.net/tca/registrations/?fbclid=IwAR1TQF5uATurqzF0Prwmr6QEg8LWJ165d0ttZrvOG2N0LlqLjqZkbEWdJ6w

Prior Interview 2019- Episode 149 

02:00- Robert describes his “chess upbringing” and why his contemporaries  (such as Nakamura, Vitugiov and Le Quang Liem) made him feel like he had no chess talent. 

Mentioned: GM Joel Benjamin, Jen Shahade 

08:00- Robert reflects on the rise of chess in India and describes his trip to the 2022 Olympiad.

11:00- Robert discusses the teachers’ seminars he is arranging featuring top GMs like Shirov, Kaidanov, Illescas and many others. It will take December 8-10. 

Also Mentioned: Stefanova, Cheparinov, Bologan, Yottachess.com 

25:00- Robert tells stories about GM Alexei Shirov.

Mentioned: GM Andy Rodriguez 

31:00- Who are the most impressive players Robert has analyzed with?

Mentioned: GM Grande Zuniga, Ulf Andersson 

32:00- As a fellow Connecticut native, what have been Robert’s interactions with GM Hans Niemann? 

39:00 Robert tells a few stories about spending time with GM Bill Lombardy, Boris Spassky and others 

46:00- Ulf Andersson stories 

50:00- Robert’s chess improvement advice 

55:00- Patreon mailbag question- 

“How many openings does Robert suggest that his students learn?”

Mentioned: Boom Boom- The World vs. Boris Becker 

1:01:00- Who is the most impressive blitz player Robert has ever seen?

1:02:00- Book talk!

Mentioned: Domination by Kasparyan 

Thanks to GM Hungaski for joining me, you can contact him via his website:

https://gmhungaski.com/

EP 357- Adult Improver Denis Markov on How a Calm and Consistent Approach has Elevated his Chess Game

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns with another guest with a great story. Denis Markov is a 39 year-old working dad with a passion for chess. Denis has deep chess roots which date back to a childhood in Russia where he took classes at the fabled “Palace of Pioneers.” According to Denis, he did not show exceptional talent in those days and eventually set chess aside for some years. Now based in Pennsylvania, Denis returned to competitive chess in mid-2021 and since then, through hard work and consistency has elevated his USCF rating from 1742 to over 2050! While this type of improvement is quite unusual, Denis is adamant that he isn’t doing anything to “reinvent the wheel.” In our conversation Denis details an approach focused on frequent competitive play, game review and lots of hard work. I found our conversation grounding and inspiring at the same time. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Adult Improver Series Spotify Playlist here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=680ff07480434ec9

0:00- 

Thanks to those who help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon! If you would like to join the community, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

0:01- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! 

New Chessable courses including Silman’s Endgame Course, and new ones by GM Erwin L’ami, GM Johan Hellsten. 

You can check out their latest offerings here:

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

2:00- Denis joins the show! What is his “ why”?

What does he do when his motivation to study chess is low?

Denis’ Reddit post detailing his success:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/16sw628/1740_to_2040_uscf_in_2_years_adult_improver/

11:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How will Denis approach teaching chess to his kids?’ 

14:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘Does Denis think that his Russian background helped his chess development?’ 

21:00- What got Denis back into chess in his college years?

Mentioned: Aron Nimzowhitsch’s My System

25:00- Denis’ study routine

Denis’ coach: 

https://lichess.org/coach/Davjan

34:00- Denis discusses his approach to openings, especially as it relates to playing the same opponents repeatedly. 

42:00- How did Denis settle on studying via ChessTempo and the Chess Steps workbooks? 

Mentioned: Arthur Yusupov’s series, Chess Steps Method

48:00- What is the nature of Denis’ work with his coach? 

54:00- Does Denis have any theories on why he is seeing gains while others might be struggling? 

1:03:00- More book recommendations!

Mentioned: Sam Shankland’s books, Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky, GM Johan Hellsten’s books, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios, GM Ivan Sokolov’s Winning Middle Game Strategies, Sokolov’s interview with Chessbase India, His How to Chess Interview is Now Out! 

1:08:00- Thanks to Denis for joining me! You can email him at dvmarkov at gmail dot com 

Or follow him on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/dvm0101/

EP 356- FIDE Grand Swiss Recap/FIDE Candidates Lookahead plus LiChess Catchup with Community Manager Chris Callahan

Photo of IM R. Vaishali and GM Vidit Gujirathi (the winners of the Grand Swisses) by Anna Shtourman via FIDE

Next week’s podcast is arriving early, and it's a double episode! For the first segment, I am joined again by Chessable author and trainer CM Vjekoslav (Vjeko) Nemec. Vjeko and I discuss the riveting, recently concluded FIDE Grand Swiss. India’s ascension continued as GM Vidit Gujirathi and IM R. Vaishali’s had impressive victories in the Open and Women’s Sections respectively. With more spots in the 2024 FIDE Candidates now settled, we also look ahead to what is shaping up to be quite an entertaining fight for the right to challenge for the World Championship titles. Lastly, Vjeko followed this event quite closely, so he recommends several interviews and games from an action-packed tournament for us to check out. 

Lichess.org Logo

Following Vjeko, I catch up with Chris Callahan (38:00) about what is new with LiChess.org since our last chat in 2021. Chris reports that LiChess is continuing to see solid growth, and discusses their plans in terms of both community outreach and potential additional features on the website. We also discuss the latest in cheat detection and LiChess’ decision to stop working with US Chess and with the St. Louis Chess Club in the wake of the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez. It is always fun to catch up with Chris and hear about what is going on with LiChess. As always, timestamps of the many topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! Silman’s Endgame Course is now on Chessable and on sale if you act quickly!

https://www.chessable.com/silmans-complete-endgame-course-from-beginner-to-master/course/199399/

0:00- Intro

Up to date information about ordering my book, and events can be found here:

5:00- CM Vjekoslav Nemec joins me to recap the FIDE Grand Swiss 

5:30- Who won and earned Candidates’ spots in the FIDE Grand Swiss? 

More info here

13:00- What can chess do to make more tournaments feel as important as the Grand Swiss and the FIDE World Cup? 

Mentioned: Tarjei Svensen’s article about GM Ding Liren

19:00- What players and personalities stood out in the tournament? 

Mentioned: L’ami-Gujirathi 2023 

Bogdan-Daniel Deac interview with Fiona Stiel-Antoni:

Mishra’s amazing analysis of his win over Ivanchuk:

Sevian’s analysis of his win over Firouzja

 L’ami-Gujirathi 2023 

24:00- Who are the early favorites to win the 2024 Candidates? 

27:00- What stood out from the Women’s section?

Mentioned: GM Pia Cramling, GM Tan Zhonkyi, GM Humpy Koneru 

IM Vaishali’s analysis of her round 3 win over Garifullina

32:00- Early thoughts on the 2024 Women’s Candidates Field 

36:00- Thanks to Vjeko for coming back to talk with us- check out his Twitter page here:

37:00- Chris Callahan joins the pod to talk LiCHess

38:00- How LiChess has changed in recent years?

Mentioned: Episode 221 with Chris Callahan, 

LiChess game database available for download here:

42:00- How do LiChess blogs work? How is it determined which posts get on the home page? 

Mentioned: FM Nate Solon 

46:00- How do they treat blog posts that are somewhat promotional in nature? 

48:00- What, if any, are the technical upgrades the LiChess team is working on? 

50:00- What are most requested features for LiChess?

52:00- Chris’ discusses the financial situation of LiChess. 

LiChess’ costs spreadsheet here:

54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does LiCHess have plans to become a non-profit (501c3) in the US?’ 

57:00- What is the latest on LiChess’ cheat detection efforts?

1:03:00- What went into Lichess’ decision to stop working with US Chess and the St. Louis Chess Club?

Mentioned: Breaking the Silence, Chris’ interview on Ono Another Chess Podcast

St. Louis Chess Club Statement 

1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How can one volunteer with the Women in Chess Foundation?” 

1:13:00- Thanks to Chris for joining the pod! You can email him at chris.callahan at Lichess dot org 

EP 355- Cecilia Albertini and Chandler Toffa- Two filmmakers discuss their touching new chess documentary, The City of Human Chess

My guests this week are Cecilia Albertini and Chandler Toffa the director and co-producer (respectively) of the charming new documentary The City of Human Chess. This short documentary tells the story of Marostica, Italy, where a famous chess game is recreated by human volunteers on a bi-annual basis. The event has a long tradition and draws upwards of 4000 paying customers. It is a touching story about people working together and the connective power of chess, and I greatly enjoyed watching it and discussing it with its creators. We also discussed Cecilia and Chandler’s backgrounds both in chess and away from it. Timestamps for topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

If you sign up for MagellanTV, use link code to save 30%!

http://go.chess.com/livingchess.

Trailer for the film here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kdaZSb-5Z0

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. 

You can check out new courses, including the excellent Silman’s Endgame Course, presented by IM Alex Banzea, here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/?page=2

0:02- Cecilia and Chander discuss how they became aware of the bi-annual human chess game. 

0:07- What is the history of the human chess game in Marostica, Italy?

0:12- Which chess game is demonstrated by the humans in the game? 

Mentioned: Nimzowitsch-Alapin 1914

0:13- How much time on location did Ceclia spend? 

20:00-How did they decide to show the film on the Magellan platform? 

25:00- Chandler discusses his prior collaboration with Chess.com, Griffin’s Gambit, which you can watch for free on YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5_D11NJI3I

28:00- Chandler and Cecilia discuss their own chess games! 

33:00- Thanks to Cecilia and Chandler for joining me! Please be sure to check out their film via this link to save 30%!

http://go.chess.com/livingchess

EP 354- Perpetual Chess Improvement Book Discussion with Dr. Christopher Chabris

My book, Perpetual Chess Improvement, is now available from New in Chess (and should be shipping from Amazon any day now), so it was time to dedicate a podcast to discussing it in detail. Joining me for the discussion is longtime friend of the pod, cognitive scientist, author and USCF Master, Dr. Christopher Chabris. Christopher had a sneak peak at the book and shares his impressions of it and interviews me on the topics that interested him. . We discuss what I call “The Four Pillars of Chess Improvement,” how the project came about, and the key lessons I derived for improvement of my own chess game from writing it. Whether or not you are interested in reading the book, I hope you find this discussion of chess improvement worthwhile. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

03:00-Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. You can check out what is new here:

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

And you can check out some of my favorites here:

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

05:00- Book announcements 

Full info on book signings and ordering signed books here: 

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/book?fbclid=IwAR0oy_PqpOhc-S7sP-mOZClmKZyhKwuWUbthSY8Um4qVp_YCJKYgL9HJiCA

07:30- Book discussion with Dr. Christopher Chabris 

14:00- What is the target audience for the book? 

17:00- The importance of playing serious games 

25:00- Why did I write several pages about IM Levy Rozman’s pursuit of the GM title? 

32:00- Why did I write a book? Did I ever want to quit this project?

42:00- How did I decide that “The Four Pillars of Chess Improvement” should be identified as these: 1) Play competitive games 2) Review them 3) Solve puzzles and 4) Find a Community?

53:00- What is my next project?

Mentioned: Episode 349 with Dr. Anique de Bruin 

1:01:00 Patreon mailbag: Advice for Solitaire chess 

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, my video on How to Do Solitaire Chess on LiChess Studies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8bpFF4nnPE

GM Daniel King’s How Good is Your Chess 

Chess Life magazine archive with Pandolfini’s Solitaire Chess:

https://new.uschess.org/chess-life-digital-archives

Also available as a book:

https://www.amazon.com/Solitaire-Chess-Bruce-Pandolfini/dp/0812936566

1:05:00- Patreon mailbag question:

“What are some scientifically proven ways to improve at chess? What about unproven ways that Ben thinks are effective?”

1:13:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Which piece of advice do I think will be most helpful for my own improvement?” 

EP 353- GM Davorin Kuljasevic: Chess Improvement Q & A (plus discussion of his great new book on GM Ding Liren)

GM Davorin Kuljasevic is a renowned author, trainer and player, best known for the excellent book, How to Study Chess on Your Own. Because GM Kuljasevic has worked with players of varying ages and skill levels, and has written a book on the topic of chess study, he is the perfect person to field questions for a Chess Improvement Q & A. In our far-reaching conversation, we cover topics ranging from budgeting study time, to analyzing games, to playing against kids, and many others. We also discuss Davorin’s excellent forthcoming biography on GM Ding Liren, DIng Lirens Best Games: A Chess Biography of the World Champion. Ding, of course, is a fascinating and admirable player and there's so much to learn both from his games and from his approach to chess. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to download the Episode

0:01- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com

Check out GM Fabiano Caruana’s course here: 

https://www.chessable.com/caruanas-ruy-lopez-dark-archangel/course/188495/

And GM Kuljasevic’s course, Beyond Material :

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

And some of my favorites: 

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

Prior interviews with Davorin: 

Episode 229, June 2021 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nllqVtGfVA9gqdELutNpP?si=2d9ad8336bbb4cbc

How to Chess Episode 09

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tS4dfBFfxnOBmuLqnSfj3?si=2d75dd2c90ba4e61

0:02- GM Kuljasevic joins me! 

Pre-order his book: 

https://www.amazon.com/Ding-Lirens-Best-Games-Biography/dp/9083336689

DIng Liren’s Best Games: A Chess Biography of the World Champion:

https://www.newinchess.com/ding-liren-s-best-games-hardcover

03:30- First topic- Budgeting Your Chess Study Time

Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 

13:00- Do chess books still have value?

Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky, IM Jeremy Silman, Think Like a Grandmaster, The Life and Games of Smyslov 

16:30- Tactics

20:00- Game analysis

Books: Logical Chess Move by Move, The Most Instructive Chess Games,Instructive Chess Miniatures 

22:00- Dealing with nerves at critical moments

Mentioned: Ding Liren-Nakamura 2022 

30:00- Tips for how much time to spend analyzing games 

32:00- Finding "model games"

Mentioned: Chess Structures

34:00- Tips for those that struggle with time trouble 

Mentioned; How to Chess Episode 14 with Peter Svidler 

41:00- Was Davorin surprised by the strength of a particular element of Ding’s play?

48:00- What is the ideal time control for newer players? 

51:00- What calculation improvement resources are recommended for intermediate players?

Mentioned: Calculation: A Complete Guide for Tournament Players by Azel Chua, Fundamental Chess Calculation Skills by CM Can Kabadayi 

54:30- Advice for playing against kids 

Mentioned: Qatar Open, Nakamura, Carlsen, Kaidanov-Van Foreest 2023 

1:01:00- If a study approach isn’t working, like a particular opening or emphasis on a phase of the game, how do we know if we should stick with it or change the approach? 

1:03:00- Davorin discusses his workbook series and plans for a 2100 level edition, How to Study Chess on Your Own Workbook 

Mentioned: Workbook , 1500-1800, Workbook 1800-2100 

1:06:00- What does Davorin mean when he suggests that a player should study one’s openings deeply? Does it change at different levels? 

1:09:00- What were the origins of Davorin’s Ding Liren book?

1:20:00- Thanks so much to GM Kuljasevic for joining, you can reach out to him via the Lichess or Chess.com Coaches pages:

https://lichess.org/coach/GrandmasterThinking

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

Pre-order my book, Perpetual Chess Improvement: Practical Chess Advice from World Class Players and Dedicated Amateurs. It will be available soon from Amazon and other major retailers. 

https://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Chess-Improvement-Practical-World-Class/dp/9083336549/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NC8JT9EJX0R&keywords=perpetual+chess+improvement&qid=1686853259&sprefix=perpetual+chess+improvement%2Caps%2C291&sr=8-1

EP 352- Emilia Castelao and Craig Dubose: Two Chess Enthusiasts on their Chess Passion Projects

This week on Perpetual Chess we feature two chess enthusiasts who are driving initiatives to improve the chess world. 1) Emilia Castelao is a history grad student, chess photographer and chess historian, who is collaborating with Mr. Dodgy to launch the Women in Chess Foundation. Their mission is to advocate for and empower women in the chess community. Emilia has a broad vision for the foundation, but the first order of business is to ensure a safe competitive environment for tournament players. With this goal in mind, the foundation is training onsite advocates to volunteer at tournaments all over the world. In our conversation, we also discuss Emilia’s chess background and the roots of her enthusiasm for chess photography and history. 2) Craig Dubose is an Ireland-based dad and relatively recent chess enthusiast. Craig believes that more can be done to convert new chess fans into tournament players, and is running an annual tournament in Ireland, The Sligo Chess Tournament. Craig runs this tournament on a not-for-profit basis with the aim to improve the playing experience of area chess enthusiasts. Craig and his team made a documentary about last year’s event, which you can see here. In our conversation, Craig discusses the challenges and rewards of running such a tournament, and shares tips for anyone interested in starting to run their own tournaments. 

As always, timestamps of guests interviewed and topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check our their new courses here: 

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

And some of my favorites here: 

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

Subscribe to my free newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

3:15- Emilia Castelao joins the pod to discuss a new initiative called the Women in Chess Foundation. 

Mentioned: Lula Roberts, Mr. Dodgy 

To volunteer to become an advocate go to:

https://www.womeninchess.com/

19:00- Emilia discusses her background and her interest in chess history.

Mentioned: Endgame by Dr. Frank Brady, Chess Notes by Edward Winter, Profile of a Prodigy, Episode X with Dr. Frank Brady 

26:00- What got her into chess photography?

28:00- Does Emilia play and study chess much? 

32:00- Thanks to Emilia for joining the pod!

Keep up with the Women in Chess Foundation here:

https://www.womeninchess.com/

Follow her on Twitter/X here:

https://twitter.com/emiliacastelao

33:00- Craig Dubose joins the podcast to discuss the background of the upcoming Sligo tournament in Ireland. 

Mentioned: Welcome to Wrexham, Word Wars 

45:00- Is it a priority to recruit titled players to compete in the tournament?

48:00- Why does Craig run the tournament on a non-profit basis? 

52:00- Is it challenging to find a venue for a chess tournament?

58:00- What is Craig’s advice for anyone interested in running a weekend tournament? 

59:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Craig have a plan for what would happen if he were no longer able to run his tournaments?” 

1:01:30- Does Craig get to play much?

1:04:00- Thanks to Craig for joining the pod! You can learn more about the Sligo tournament here: https://itsligochesstournament.ie/

EP 351- Steffen Nielsen: The author and award-winning endgame study composer on what makes a good chess puzzle, and whether endgame studies are good for your chess calculation.

This week’s guest, Steffen Slumstrump Nielsen is one of the most accomplished chess endgame study composers in the world. Steffen’s new book, Endgame Labyrinths (co-authored with GM Jacob Aagaard) compiles what they consider to be the most instructive endgame studies of all time. It is a beautiful book filled with challenging and instructive studies. In our conversation, we discuss how Steffen came to be interested in the “subgenre” of designing chess puzzles, the components that make a good study, and who he believes to be the best endgame study composers of all time. Finally, Steffen shares some details on his creation process and offers recommendations if you would like to learn more about endgame studies. Links of the topics referenced can be found below. 

Click here to Download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check our their new courses here: 

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

And some of my favorites here: 

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

0:00- How did Steffen discover the art of composing endgame studies? 

0:04- How does Steffen work with engines when comprising a study? 

Mentioned: Chessbase India feature on Steffen Nielsen:

https://www.chessbase.in/news/Giants-of-Modern-Studies-Part-I-The-Tactical-Thaumaturgy-of-Steffen-S-Nielsen-

11:30- What makes a good endgame study? 

15:30- How useful are endgame studies for chess improvement? (potential break)

Mentioned: Episode 339 with WGM Anna Zatonskih 

19:00- As an study composer, is calculation a strength of Steffen’s? 

21:50- How much time per week does Steffen spend composing studies? What does his family think of it? 

Mentioned: Steffen’s YouTube talk

27:00- What, if anything, differentiates Steffen’s prize-winning studies from others? 

Mentioned: Tim Krabbe’s blog, Episode 226 with Tim Krabbe 

33:00- Which famous players has Steffen meant who enjoy endgame studies?

Mentioned: GM Jan Timman 

35:30- What did Steffen observe from observing the approach to solving of people like GM Sam Shankland and GM Christopher Yoo? 

Mentioned: Free Preview of the Book here:

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

Also mentioned: GM Kasper Piorun

41:00- We discuss the invaluable endgame study database from Harold van der Heijden. More info here: 

https://www.hhdbvi.nl/

44:00- What endgame study books has Steffen studied:

Mentioned: Kasparyan’s Domination in 2545 Studies, Oleg Pervakov’s Studies and Books, The Art of the Endgame 

46:00- What was Steffen’s approach to chess study? What authors did he like?

Mentioned: Bent Larsen

48:30- How long has this book been in the works? 

49:00- Steffen’s closing thoughts!

Mentioned: GM Wojciech Moranda 

51:00- Thanks to Steffen for joining the program!

Follow Steffen on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/SteffenNielsen8?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

You can read more about composing studies on this blog:

www.chessstudy.art 

Buy the book from Quality Chess:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/3/443/endgame_labyrinths_hardcover_by_jacob_aagaard_and_steffen_nielsen/

Or on Forward Chess:

https://forwardchess.com/product/endgame-labyrinths

Free preview from Quality Chess:

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

EP.350- CM Can Kabadayi: A self-taught Candidate Master and Cognitive Scientist on Calculation, The Chess Aging Curve and his Favorite Chess Books

Can Kabadayi is a cognitive scientist, a self-taught Candidate Master, and a popular and prolific Chessable author. Given his academic background, Can is especially interested in the challenges of adult chess improvement, and devotes his chess work to helping adult learners. 

In our conversation, we discuss the origins of Can’s interests in chess and cognitive science, his Chessable courses, his OTB plans, and notable research related to chess and cognitive science. Can is an avid bibliophile and also shares plenty of book recommendations.  All in all, there is lots to learn from this conversation, as there is from Can’s courses and YouTube channel. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. 

Click here to download the Episode

0:00- Can retells the story of how he got into chess at the age of 17, and how he attained a first rating of approximately FIDE 2100! 

Mentioned; Capablanca’s Fundamentals of Chess 

0:07- Can describes the chess scene in Turkey. 

Mentioned: GM John Nunn, GM Jonathan Rowson, Instructive Chess Miniatures 

11:00- Can describes how he became interested in cognitive science. 

Mentioned: Fernand Gobet’s The Psychology of Chess, Thought and Choice in Chess by Adrian de Groot 

Mentioned:  Take a chess cognitive test via Dr. Can’s YouTube channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyOpUyss3Sc, Think Like a Super GM 

24:00- We discuss chess calculation, which is the topic of Can’s new Chessable course. 

Mentioned: Under the Surface by GM Jan Markos 

30:00 What are the most common types of mistakes Can sees in adult players? 

32:00- More book and author recs!

Mentioned: The Secret Ingredient, NM Dan Heisman 

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is it still good advice for amateurs not to study openings?” 

41:00- Patreon mailbag question: “All things being equal, what is the best age to start playing chess?” 

Mentioned: Can’s Reddit Q and A, YouTube video: How good can I become if I start chess at age 30?, Episode 346 with NM Todd Bryant 

49:00- Does Can have any plans of returning to competitive chess? 

Mentioned: Episode 309 with Dr. Joel Sneed 

Thanks to Can for joining me! Be sure to sub to his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.CansClinic

Can’s Chessable page:

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

EP 349- Dr. Anique de Bruin: Deliberate Practice and the Science of Chess Learning

This week on Perpetual Chess, we look at chess study from a different angle- what does the science of learning teach us about how best to study chess? Joining us to discuss it is an expert in the field, Dr. Anique de Bruin of Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Dr. de Bruin researches the topics of deliberate practice and desirable difficulty and researched and wrote about chess skill acquisition both in her dissertation and in an essay she wrote called “Helping Chess Players Improve” for the book The Chess Instructor 2009. In our conversation, Anique highlights noteworthy research around chess and deliberate practice, shares advice for chess instructors and self-motivated students, and discusses what her research revealed about gender and chess. This was a fascinating conversation that helped me refine my thinking about how to best teach and study chess independently. Timestamps of the topics discussed are below. 

Click here to download the Episode

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check our their new courses here: 

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

And some of my favorites here: 

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

0:00- As a researcher without a chess background, what initially got Anique interested in researching chess? 

Mentioned: KPrime Podcast Episode 3 with Anique de Bruin

16:00- Is it necessary for deliberate practice to be “unenjoyable?” 

18:00- Did the publication of Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell alter the nature of Anique’s research?

20:00- What did Anique’s research and gender reveal about gender and chess?

26:30- Patreon mailbag question: What books does Anique recommend to learn more about the science of learning? 

Mentioned: In Their Own Words: What Scholars and Teachers Want You To Know about How to Apply the Science of Learning in an Academic Setting (free download) 

https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/itow

Why Don’t Students Like School  

Make it Stick: The Science of Learning 

28:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the biggest thing chess coaches get wrong? 

32:30- Patreon mailbag question: Is their evidence to support the contention that chess players do better academically? 

35:00- Anique discusses her recent research relating to self-regulated study “desirable difficulties”

43:00- If Anique could do a research study about any chess topic, what would it be? 

45:30- Anique gives her parting advice for self-directed adult chess students. 

Thanks to Dr. de Bruin for a fascinating interview! Her contact info is on her bio page with the University of Maastricht:

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/abh-de-bruin

Thanks