Perpetual Chess Podcast

This week I got the chance to catch up with author, trainer and Chessable author, GM Eugene Perelshteyn. We begin by discussing a recent online cheating controversy. An anonymous account was banned from Chess.com after beating GM Daniel Naroditsky in an online bullet match using only the “Meadow Hay” Gambit. Is this gambit so bad that it makes cheating likely? This controversy served as a springboard to discuss both online cheating and dodgy gambits. Eugene has recently released a course “Every Gambit Refuted” so he also shared general advice on how to react when you face an unknown gambit. These days, gambits can be particularly dangerous, as creators like IM Eric Rosen and GothamChess teach their audiences tricky openings. Finally, Eugene and I discuss some issues from the world of professional chess, including a lack of affordable opportunities to compete for the non-elite, the FIDE Candidates (which Eugene attended) and “the great eval bar debate.” Eugene is always insightful and it was great to catch up

The Perpetual Chess Book Review series, Chess Books Recaptured is finally back! I am honored to be joined by renowned author and chess journalist Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam to discuss GM Jan Hein Donner’s The King: Chess Pieces. The book is widely considered a 20th century classic and has been recommended by the likes of GMs Peter Svidler and Jan Gustafsson. It is a compilation of chess columns from a 3-time Dutch national champion, who spanned the chess generations between Max Euwe and Jan Timman. Donner is a brilliant, prescient and provocative writer who chronicles his own career, and also opines as the careers of Fischer, Spassky, Tal and others unfold in his proximity. Reading The King is a fun way to retrace 20th-century chess history, and the life and career of Donner. But, in my opinion, the book is not without its flaws. Donner’s writing is sometimes offensive, particularly when he bombastically shares his views about women in chess. I was grateful to have Dirk Jan help me discern whether Donner was bein

This week IM Levy Rozman (Gotham Chess) makes his annual return to Perpetual Chess to discuss what is new with him. I was particularly excited to chat with Levy as he recently announced his renewed pursuit of the GM title. Levy has been sharing lesson snippets and discussing his tournament plans on his channel, but I wanted many more details. What did he learn from his first norm-chasing experience? What will he do differently this time? Does he think he will be able to stick with it? Although most of us will never make GM, Levy’s quest to make it to the next level is relatable for me and for many other chess players. Aside from his OTB comeback, we discussed the swift rating-rise of popular gamer, Tyler 1, and the successes and lessons learned from Levy’s book.   Levy shared a few stories from meeting celebrities in recent months. It's always fun catching up with Levy, and I am especially excited to follow his renewed pursuit of the GM title! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. Thanks to our

This week the Adult Improver Series returns with an extremely insightful guest. Dan Bock is a North Carolina-based software engineer and dad, who finally got serious about chess improvement in 2021. At this time, Dan began to compete frequently, utilize digital flashcards, and make a conscious effort to make friends in the chess world in order to help make his hobby more fulfilling. Dan’s results have been rare and inspiring, as he has seen USCF rating rise from the high 1500s to the high 1900s (USCF) in the last 3 years. As Dan explains, while he is very directed in his decisions of how to approach chess study, he does not put in outlandish an number of hours of study per day. He is very focused on what actually decides the outcomes of his own games, and has made constant progress by keeping that as his North Star. I find Dan’s story very inspiring and am excited to see his continued progress!  You can find the Adult Improver Spotify Playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?s

This week I am excited to be joined by the popular chess streamer, YouTuber, commentator, and champion player, WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian. Anna-Maja joined me from her home in the Netherlands after concluding a busy few months of competitive chess. Although she had her share of setbacks, these tournaments were largely successful, as Anna-Maja recently earned her first WGM Norm!  Our conversation gave Anna-Maja the chance to reflect on the recent lessons she has learned as well as her goals both as a chess player and content creator. As she told me, Anna graduated from university somewhat recently and feels that this gives her an opportunity to devote all of her energy to chess improvement. She reflected on what aspects of the game she needs to work on, and also shared recommendations and advice for listeners. Last, and possibly least, we reflected on “Shoegate” the bizarre scandal where Anna-Maja somewhat unexpectedly made global headlines for her choice of footwear during the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz tournament.

Azel Chua is a 21-year-old Singapore-based self-taught Candidate Master who has built his own chess skills from the ground up. As Azel explains, he began working on his visualization skills as he sought a way to study chess during high school classes that did not especially interest him.. From there, Azel has developed a unique framework for calculating in chess that he calls “The Burger Technique,” as covered in his popular Chessable courses on Calculation.  In our interview, we discuss this technique, as well as hearing Azel’s thoughts and experiences with utilizing resources such as YouTube, and Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual. Azel also shares some helpful tips on ways to improve one’s chess intuition, and he delves into his background and the chess scene in Singapore. As always, timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.  Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_

We are back for one more 2024 FIDE Candidates reflection as we start to take stock of a historic tournament. Joining me (again) to discuss it is renowned trainer, opening theoretician, Chessable author, and 2022 Dutch National Champion, GM Erwin Lami. Erwin has frequently collaborated with GM Anish Giri, and he was on the World Championship preparation team for GM Veselin Toplov. Erwin shares his thoughts on GM Gukesh’s impressive ascendance, Fabiano and Nepo’s disappointment, and what this result does and does not mean for the trajectory of professional chess. We also discuss the performance of the other players, the Women’s Candidates, and Erwin’s plans for 2024. I always love to hear Erwin’s perspective, and discussing this tournament was not an exception. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com! Check out what they have to offer, and if you sign up for Chessable Pro (as you should), use this link to help support Perpeutal Chess: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm

41-year-old IM Renier Castellanos had all but given up on earning the Grandmaster title. His life was getting busier, and after 2 potential GM norms were not ratified by FIDE, he felt like it just wasn’t meant to be. But his friends and Killer Chess Training co-workers, GM Jacob Aagaard and Kallia Kleisarchaki, convinced him to keep trying. It turned out that was all it took! Two weeks ago, Renier got his final GM norm, to earn the title of Grandmaster at age 41. In our interview, Renier reflects on the lessons he has learned, and why he thinks he was still able to earn the title in this challenging era, despite not working on chess as much as he did in his 20s. Renier also shares his own advice on chess improvement, some book recommendations, and discusses what he observed from facing Super GM level players like GM Vladimir Fedoseev. This interview was conducted while the Candidates was still ongoing, but you can even hear Renier’s Candidates prediction to see how it played out. Timestamps of topics discusse

For the final FIDE Candidates bonus pod, award-winning Chess.com journalist, FM Mike Klein joins me from Toronto. We cover topics including the atmosphere in the playing hall, the presence of seconds and family members of the players, what to expect in rounds 13 and 14, and Mike provides his perspective on the controversy surrounding GM Alireza Firouzja's father. Thanks, as always, to Mike for providing so many behind-the-scenes details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we enter the final rest day, The FIDE Candidates tournament is set up for maximum drama with a three-way tie for first place and two rounds remaining. Joining me from Toronto to discuss it is FM Dalton Perrine. We highlight the continued trend of surprising opening choices and results, as well as the increased tension in the room as the tournament builds to a climax. In the women's section, we are down to two contenders for the Candidates title, as Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie are separated by a half a point.Dalton and I discuss all of the key matchups and surprises we have seen, as we look forward to the final chapter of an entertaining tournament. I will be back with one more bonus pod later on Friday, as Chess.com’s FM Mike Klein joins me from Toronto.  Mentioned in pod: @ponysunrise photos: https://twitter.com/sunrise_pony @chessnumbers tweet - https://x.com/ChessNumbers/status/1781113720212742568 Calib Wetheralll's Tournament Simulations- https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1c7iy1g/fide_candidates_

It is always an honor to hear 9-time Dutch Champion and former “best of the west” standout, GM Jan Timman discuss elite chess. In this interview he shares his thoughts on the 2024 FIDE Candidates. Topics include:  Who he favored going in Who he favors now Why the opening surprises?  His thoughts on Firouzja’s disappointing performance His next book 0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Check out GM Oliksiyenko’s course for Chessable pro members on the Candidates here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-candidates-2024/course/243222/  If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!  https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Its always a pleasure to speak with GM Timman! 0:03- GM Timman joins me!  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this week’s (non-Candidates) podcast I am honored to be joined by Lou Hays. Lou Hays is a businessman, accomplished chess author, and the founder of Hays Publishing, which published many popular books beginning in the 1990s. Lou also is an accomplished amateur player, who began tournament chess in his 20s and made it up to near master level. Lou has had the opportunity to meet some of the true legends of the game, and shares some amazing stories about his time spent with Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky and David Bronstein. We also discuss how chess improvement has, and has not changed over the decades, as well as Hays Publishing’s most successful books, and how the chess publishing industry has changed. I greatly enjoyed hearing Lou’s stories, and I am confident that you will as well.  0:00-  Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses include GM Romain Eduoard’s Lifetime Repertoires: King’s Indian Attack.   If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the p

Heading into the penultimate rest day, I provide a quick rundown of the standings and key stories of a closely contested and entertaining FIDE Candidates. Plus I briefly share my thoughts on the drama surrounding GM Alireza Firouzja's noisy shoes. Watch this feed for part 2, which will feature an interview about the Candidates with legendary former Dutch Champion, GM Jan Timman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back for with an in-depth breakdown of the first half of the FIDE Candidates. I am honored to be joined by commentator, author, Chessable author and Excellent YouTuber, GM Daniel King to discuss all that has transpired so far. What makes Nepo so good in these tournaments? Does Fabi have another gear? What has surprised Daniel the most? Tune in for this, plus player-by-player analysis. Timestamps of topics discussed below as always!  0:00- Brief big picture thoughts on the tournament 0:05- Nepo! What stands out about his performance? Mentioned: The Chess Mind’s Blog Post: https://thechessmind.substack.com/p/candidates-round-7 22:00- Fabiano  Mentioned: Anthony Levin’s Round 7 Recap: https://www.chess.com/news/view/2024-fide-candidates-tournament-round-7 30:00- Gukesh Final moments of Firouzja-Gukesh: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1c1sxzb/final_moments_of_gukesh_vs_firouzja/ 37:00- Firouzja  41:00- Pragganandha 48:00- Nakamura  53:00- Vidit 57:00- Abasov  59:00- Final thoughts on Open Section 

We are at the halfway point of a wildly entertaining 2024 FIDE Candidates! Ian Nepomniathchi continues to lead the Open Section, while Tan Zhongyi is in front in the Women’s Candidates This is the first part of what will be 2 podcasts discussing the tournament through 7 rounds. In this solo pod, I briefly run through the standings, upcoming pairings and share a few thoughts on the tournament. For part 2 (coming soon to this feed), I will be interviewing GM Daniel King of the Powerplay Chess YouTube Channel.  Links Mentioned: Live stream of my chat with GM Daniel King Friday at 9AM EDT/1PM GMT on the Powerplay Chess YouTube Chess  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiOR9OnXOEk (and later to this feed) Mentioned:  Final moments of Firouzja-Gukesh: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1c1sxzb/final_moments_of_gukesh_vs_firouzja/ Be sure to tune in for tomorrow Candidates interview with GM Daniel King, as well as our regular Tuesday weekly pod.  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon yo

For this week’s regular edition, (no FIDE Candidates talk) of Perpetual Chess, we are honored to be joined by two highly respected trainers and Chessable Authors. NM Dan Heisman is an engineer, turned author, YouTuber and trainer, who is particularly insightful regarding topics of adult chess improvement. I am a particular fan of his book, A Guide to Chess Improvement: The Best of Novice Nook. NM Laura Smith is a school teacher, chess trainer and former youth champion, who was the highest rated 13 year-old in the United States in 2002. Together, Laura and Dan have just collaborated on a new Chessable course, Can I Take It? A Beginner's Guide to Capturing Pieces. The course is geared toward beginner players and provides a comprehensive guide to an important tactical concept that Dan Heisman calls “counting.” In addition to discussing lessons from the course, we discuss some of the other original chess terms Dan has coined, Laura’s recent return to OTB chess, and upcoming projects for both authors. As always, t

The 2024 FIDE Candidates tournament is off and running with some entertaining chess and plenty of surprises. (Although perhaps the identities of the leaders in the Open and Women’s sections aren’t as surprising.) I have been riveted by this tournament and am hoping to provide audio analysis and perspective from different guests on each rest day. In today’s pod, I briefly share my early impressions, than welcome recent guest Denis Markov back to the podcast. Denis had just returned from attending Rounds 1 and 2 in Toronto and described what it was like to attend the event. We went into everything from FIDE’s cheat prevention methods, to what the viewing experience is like within the venue. Whether you are thinking of making a last minute trip to Toronto, or just want to live vicariously through Denis, I think you will enjoy his report of a trip that Denis says he definitely will not regret. We will be back with more coverage of this fantastic tournament on the next rest day, Friday April 12.  00:02 - Introduct

The Adult Improver Series returns this week, with a guest who has improved his chess rapidly. Jordan Groff is a 24 year old Connecticut-based chess instructor who was recommended as a guest to me by GM Eugene Perelshteyn. Jordan resumed chess in 2018 after some years away, and has gone from 1864 to more than 2260 in about the last few years. During  our interview, Jordan shares several ‘secrets” to his success. Aside from a lot of hard work and frequent competition, Jordan particularly credits a focus on the psychological aspects of OTB chess, and on opening preparation and tactics work. You can find out many more details in my interview with Jordan.  it is inspiring to see such fast progress! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.   0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses include Introduction to Chess Calculation, and GM Ganguly’s Lifetime Repertoires: Sidelines and Flank Openings for Black   If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support

The FIDE Candidates Tournament begins on April 4 in Toronto, Canada, and I could not be more excited to see who gets to challenge for the FIDE World Championship. As is tradition on Perpetual Chess, we have a few great guests joining to help discuss the action. First up is 7-time Brazilian champion & Correspondence GM, Rafael Leitão. In addition to a vast resume as a player, Rafael regularly annotates top-level games for Chess.com news coverage. Reviewing these games in detail on a daily basis gives Rafael unique insights into the tendencies of the world’s top players. Rafael and I discuss what to watch for in each player’s performance, fun facts, and what opening choices we might see from each player.  Following Rafael, I am joined by Tai Pruce Zimmerman, a/k/a Chess by the Numbers. Tai shares and discusses the win probability of both the open and the women’s candidates, and we also compare the output of Tai’s probabilistic model to the betting markets. Last but not least, I am joined by “On the Queenside,”

This week we return with another “Chess Improvement Q & A” episode, with another top trainer. Our returning guest is 2-time Swiss National Champion, turned trainer and blogger, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always insightful on everything related to chess improvement. He answers a wide range of questions from the online chess community. Topics discussed include: how to diagnose weaknesses, what to look for in a chess trainer, limiting blunders,and improving tactics, as well as Noel’s helpful advice for dealing with various common psychological pitfalls that chess players face. After 75 minutes of chess improvement talk, we turn our attention to Noel’s new course, Beginner Chess Mastery. It is a comprehensive guide for newer chess players, designed to take you up to about the 1200 level. If this describes you or someone you know, you will want to stay tuned until the end of the pod. Timestamps of all the topics discussed can be found below. If you or someone you know is below 1200 and looking to improve their games,