With the 2023 FIDE World Chess Championship less than 2 weeks away, we bring you a double episode dissecting the match between GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi and GM Ding Liren. Since we feature 2 knowledgeable guests, we also discuss topics ranging from chess improvement, to the Sicilian defense, to online rating deflation. First up is popular YouTuber, commentator, author and Chessable Author, GM Daniel King. Daniel has attended multiple World Championships and was able to provide helpful context on a match that many feel ambivalent about given the historical and geopolitical circumstances. Despite many valid reservations, Daniel points out that this is an extremely compelling chess matchup between the #2 and #3 players in the world. Daniel also discusses his new Chessable course, King’s Anti-Sicilians, recalls the first Kasparov-Karpov match that he attended, and shares some reflections on what his passion for guitar and bass has taught him about chess improvement. 

Guest #2 (1:22:00) is NM Matt Jensen, a statistician and the co-founder of the chess education site, Chessgoals.com. Matt gives us a look at the analytics of the match. Who do his mathematical projections favor? How likely is a tiebreak? Who would be favored in a tiebreak? Matt has also done extensive research on ratings comparisons across chess sites, and with Chessgoals, designs study plans for different level players, so we also talk some chess improvement and chess books. As always, timestamps for all of the topics discussed with both guests can be found below. 

0:00- You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here: 

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

01:00- Basic facts on the match including venue, time control, dates from Ben

06:00- GM Daniel King joins the show. We begin by providing an overview of the Ding-Nepo match. 

22:00- Should Nepo be allowed to play in a World Championship, given his past ties with the Russian government? 

Mentioned: Nepomniatchtchi Signed Open Letter to Putin by Peter Doggers 

28:00-Patreon Mailbag Question: “What does Daniel think of the possibility of selecting Openings for the World Championship in order to limit draws”?

39:00- How does Daniel compare the modern era to prior eras during which the highest rated player was not the undisputed champion, such as with Kasparov in the 1990s?

44:00- The Carlsen-Niemann scandal 

Mentioned: Professor David Franklin on the Hans Niemann Lawsuit

50:00- Daniel's recommendations against the Rossolimo and Alapin

Mentioned: Episode 315 with World Correspondence Champion, Dr. Jon Edwards, King’s Kalashnikov Sicilian 

1:05:00- Daniel shares his memories of attending the 1985 Kasparov-Karpov World Championship match, and he talks about a memorable game he played against Mikhail Tal.

Mentioned: GM Jon Tisdall, IM David Goodman, King-Tal 1985, How to Win at Chess by GM Daniel King 

1:13:00- What has playing music taught Daniel about Chess Improvement? 

1:21:00- Thanks, as always to GM Daniel King for joining me! 

Check out his Chessable courses here:

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

Subscribe to Power Play Chess here:

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

1:22:00- NM Matt Jensen joins the show, and we dive into what his predictive model says about the Ding-Nepo match, including tiebreak scenarios

1:36:00- Has Matt seen rating deflation on Lichess and Chess.com? 

Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman, Chessgoals’ Rating Comparison Data here

1:43:00- What does Matt’s research reveal about how best to study chess? 

1:46:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Has Matt’s thinking on the best study plans evolved as he has worked with more students? 

1:49:00- Matt’s favorite Chess Books

Mentioned: Yusupov Build Up Your Chess Series, Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman, Silman’s Endgame Course 

1:53:00- Thanks to Matt for sharing his insights! Check out his study plans at Chessgoals.com.

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