Perpetual Chess Podcast

Denis Markov, a 39-year-old working dad with deep chess roots, shares his calm and consistent approach to elevating his chess game. He emphasizes frequent competitive play, game review, and hard work. Topics discussed include recognizing exceptional players, chess development in the former Soviet Union, the importance of puzzles and community, and studying methods.

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. 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. 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- IntroUp 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 here13:00- 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 Liren19:00- 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 Garifullina32:00- 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 LiCHess38:00- 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 PodcastSt. 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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. 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-5Z00:00- 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=20:02- 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 19140:13- 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_D11NJI3I28:00- 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. 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_YCJKYgL9HJiCA07:30- 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=C8bpFF4nnPEGM Daniel King’s How Good is Your Chess Chess Life magazine archive with Pandolfini’s Solitaire Chess:https://new.uschess.org/chess-life-digital-archivesAlso available as a book:https://www.amazon.com/Solitaire-Chess-Bruce-Pandolfini/dp/08129365661:05:00- 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?”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. 0:01- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.comCheck 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=2d9ad8336bbb4cbcHow to Chess Episode 09https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tS4dfBFfxnOBmuLqnSfj3?si=2d75dd2c90ba4e610:02- GM Kuljasevic joins me! Pre-order his book: https://www.amazon.com/Ding-Lirens-Best-Games-Biography/dp/9083336689DIng Liren’s Best Games: A Chess Biography of the World Champion:https://www.newinchess.com/ding-liren-s-best-games-hardcover03:30- First topic- Budgeting Your Chess Study TimeMentioned: 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- Tactics20:00- Game analysisBooks: Logical Chess Move by Move, The Most Instructive Chess Games,Instructive Chess Miniatures 22:00- Dealing with nerves at critical momentsMentioned: Ding Liren-Nakamura 2022 30:00- Tips for how much time to spend analyzing games 32:00- Finding "model games"Mentioned: Chess Structures34:00- 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/GrandmasterThinkinghttps://www.chess.com/member/davorinkuljasevicPre-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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. 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/emiliacastelao33:00- 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/You can watch the documentary about last year’s event here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSx5qHpI5lw&feature=youtu.be Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. 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 talk27:00- 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.pdfAlso mentioned: GM Kasper Piorun41:00- 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 Larsen48:30- 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%5EauthorYou 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-labyrinthsFree preview from Quality Chess:https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/EndgameLabyrinthsOnlineExcerpt.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Can Kabadayi, a cognitive scientist and self-taught Candidate Master, discusses his journey from getting into chess at 17 to attaining a FIDE rating of 2100. He shares insights on the chess scene in Turkey and his interest in cognitive science. Can dives into the topic of chess calculation and highlights his new Chessable course. The podcast also covers cognitive abilities in humans and other species, chess skills, decision making, the benefits of Chessable, mindset in chess, studying openings, and the impact of starting chess early.

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. 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 Bruin16:00- 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/itowWhy 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-bruinIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The book review series Chess Books Recaptured is back to discuss a couple of great puzzle books with a strategic orientation. 1) First up, we discuss a lesser-known but excellent collection of puzzles and insightful analysis, Strategic Chess Exercises by GM Emanuel Bricard. Following that, we discuss one of the most (rightfully) acclaimed books of recent years, Think Like a Super GM by Phillip Hurtado and GM Michael Adams. Because these are both reasonably advanced books, we also share some similarly-spirited recommendations for lower-rated players. Joining me for it all, is returning guest, Dr. Michael Franco (NoseKnowsAll) who is a Software Engineer and fast-improving amateur player, who is active in various online chess communities.  Timestamps of books and topics discussed are below. Spotify playlist for other book reviews:https://spotify.link/Sx2hLmiTiDbThanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Among countless other instructive courses, Strategic Chess Exercises is available via Chessable:https://www.chessable.com/strategic-chess-exercises/course/16565/0:00- For what levels are these books best suited? 0:03- Why does Michael love the book Strategic Chess Exercises ? What is its format?  Mentioned: Available on Chessable and Amazon, Michael’s appearance on Chess Journeys (Episode 102)14:00- What are my quibbles about this high-quality book? 20:00- We discuss Think Like a Super GM by GM Michael Adams and Phillip Hurtado Mentioned: Thought and Choice in Chess by de Groot, GM Jesse Kraai’s Video Review of Think Like a Super GM, My written review of Think Like a Super GM 35:00- Any quibbles with Think Like a Super GM?39:00- Conclusions from and comparison between the 2 books. 47:00- We suggest similar books to these two that are accessible for players rated below 1500. Mentioned: Evaluate like a GM, The Reassess Your Chess Workbook, Power of Pawns, Simple Chess, Mastering Chess Strategy, Winning Chess Strategy 52:00- We finish up by discussing Michael’s next chess books and tournaments. Mentioned: Small Steps to Giant Improvement Contact Michael via Lichess:https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAllPre-order Perpetual Chess Improvement here (or wait for it to be available in other formats!) https://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Chess-Improvement-Practical-World-Class/dp/9083336549/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PPCN7OZTKJU6&keywords=perpetual+chess+improvement&qid=1695235338&s=books&sprefix=perpetual+chess+improvement%2Cstripbooks%2C79&sr=1-1If you would like to volunteer to potentially co-host a book discussion, you can do so via the form here:https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/co-hostIf 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