Perpetual Chess Podcast

"Chess for Zebras" is a classic book that tackles the challenges of adult improvement in chess. In this podcast, the hosts, along with Professor David Franklin, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the book. They delve into topics such as the difference between knowledge and skill in chess, the challenges of handling each color, and the underrated skill of "just being." Tune in to find out more about this valuable book for chess players of all levels.

Perpetual Chess is back with a banger of a double episode. First up is chess superstar, GM Levon Aronian! Levon joined me from Spain after returning from the first season of the Global Chess League in Dubai. Levon reflected on the success of his championship-winning team, and we discussed why he thinks initiatives like this league are vital to the future health of chess. We then broadened the scope of our conversation, and Levon shared memorable stories about his humble beginnings and Armenia, and the lessons he had to learn when he shot to chess stardom in the mid 2000s. Lastly, Levon discusses his move to the U.S., his 2023 plans, and why he is not playing in the ongoing FIDE World Cup. Following Lev, we are joined by Jagdish Mitra. Jagdish is Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth at Tech Mahindra, and served as Chairperson of the first season of The Global Chess League. Jagdish looked back on a successful first season, and discussed the ambitious plans and long term vision that the league has for upcoming years. Both interviews left me excited about the future of chess! You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below. Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable. Here are some courses to check out:Techniques of Positional Play with GM Peter Heine NielsenLifetime Repertoires: Gawain Jones 1.e4 e5100 Repertoires: Alekhine Defense by CM Vjekoslav Nemec You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/4:00- GM Levon Aronian joins me from a park in Spain! How was Levon added as a last-second replacement to the Global Chess League? What sort of things does he usually negotiate before signing a contract to participate in an event? Mentioned: Chess.com’s Dog-Themed Bots including Levon’s Famous Dog, Ponchik 10:00- What was it like to be in Dubai for the Global Chess League?15:30- How can new players be incorporated into future Global Chess Leagues? 17:30- What steps are necessary to continue to grow chess and attract corporate sponsors? Mentioned: Indian Express article by Amit Kamath25:00- Levon’s scouting reports on Hikaru and Gukesh 26:30- Which young star is most likely to emerge as a world champion? 30:00- What was it like to play games for money to support his family as a kid? 36:00- Levon tells an amazing story of how Boris Gelfand taught him to treat chess professionally. 40:00- Why does Levon think chess has become increasingly professionalized?41:30- Is Chess960 the solution to the over-abundance of opening theory? Mentioned: GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jan Timman 49:00- Is it true that Levon traveled in the cargo department of a plane to get to tournaments? Mentioned: Sean Williams’ 2017 New Yorker feature on Levon Aronian, GM Melik Khachiyan 55:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What obstacles did Lev encounter in moving to the US?”  1:03:00- Will Levon write a book some day?Mentioned: GM Surya Ganguly’s “In Conversation with GM Levon Aronian”1:08:30- What is Levon’s study routine?1:09:00- Thanks to Levon for joining me! 1:11:00- Jagdish Mitra, the Chairperson of the Global Chess League joins the podcast! We begin by discussing the origins of the Global Chess League. 1:25:00- How did they decide on the unique format?1:30:00- How will they acquire new players? How can teams foster allegiance with chess fans? 1:41:00- Thanks so much to Jagdish for sharing the vision behind the Global Chess League. Here is how you can keep up with it:Twitter:https://twitter.com/GCLlive?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh off of commentating the match for Chess.com, Award-Winning Podcaster, Author, and 2-time US Women's Champion Jen Shahade joined me to reflect on GM Ju Wenjun's dramatic comeback. Jen shares what it was like to cover the decisive Game 12, and describes the moment when she realized we might not be going to rapid tiebreaks after all. We also discuss the historical context of GM Ju Wenjun becoming just the 6th player to win the Women's World Championship 4 times or more. After discussing the match, we catch up with Jen on her many ongoing projects, and her upcoming book, Play Like a Champion. Finally, Jen reminisces about the life and legacy of Isabella Choko, the Holocaust survivor and French Women's Champion who Jen had the honor to meet and interview. As always, the timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. 0:01- We begin by discussing the entertaining and instructive clinching game. When did Jen realize we might see a decisive result? Mentioned: Game 12,  J. Shahade-Perelshteyn 200310:00- Were the opening choices surprising? Mentioned: GM Jovanka Houska, GM Judit Polgar, GM Daneil Naroditsky, GM Alexander Kosteniuk, GM Wei Yi  14:30- Should the prize fund be higher? Mentioned: Norway Chess to Sponsor Women’s Tournament with Equal Prize Fund to Open20:00- Who could be the next potential challenger to Ju Wenjun? Mentioned: IM Alice Lee, GM Alexandra Goryachkina, GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Lei Tingjie, IM Vaishili R.  22:00- Jen discusses her upcoming book, Play Like a Champion! Mentioned: 700 Chess Problems by Edith Baird, FM Yosha Iglesias 27:00- Jen shares her memories of Isabella Choko who recently passed. Mentioned: Ladies Knight Episode 33 with Isabella Choko  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The FIDE World Cup is a unique, bi-annual tournament that is distinguished by its elimination format, its wide variety of time controls, and its significant prizes, both in terms of cash ($110,000 for first) and in the form of 3 spots that are awarded in the 2024 FIDE Candidates. This year’s edition starts Sunday, and I am joined by Chessable author, tournament organizer, chess superfan, and Twitter celebrity, Mr. Dodgy (Michael Duke) to preview the tournament. Mr. Dodgy and I share our “likes and dislikes” about the tournament and its format, discuss players we are excited to see, make feeble attempts at prognosticating the results, and discuss the FIDE Women’s World Cup, which runs concurrently and is also a star-studded tournament with spots in the Women’s Candidates on the line. 0:01- What is unique about this tournament? What notables are playing, and who is missing from the field?  0:07- Who will the commentators be? 09:30- We review the current state of the FIDE Candidates Cycle. More information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidates_Tournament_2024More information on the FIDE Circuit standings here:https://wcc.fide.com/15:00- What do we like about the FIDE World Cup? Mentioned: GM David Howell, GM Christopher Yoo 26:00-Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com.Mr. Dodgy recommends Jan Gustafsson’s 1. E4 e5 course, and Ginger GM and IM Richard Palliser’s “Harry Attack” course. https://www.chessable.com/the-harry-attack-fighting-kingside-fianchettos-after-1-d4/course/99939/https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-jan-gustafssons-1-e4-e5/course/28860/You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/29:00- Dislikes- What are common critiques of the World Cup?Mentioned: Episode 149 with GM Robert Hungaski, GM Harikrishna, GM Hans Niemann, 48:00- Who are the pllayers we are excited to see?Mentioned: GM D. Gukesh, GM Erigaisi, GM Pragganandhaa, GM Gregory Kaidanov, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Vincent Keymer 54:00- Why isn’t Alireza playing? 58:00- Predictions! Who will win the Open Section and who will emerge with the Candidates spots? 1:01:00- Who are we excited to see in the Women’s Event? Should it take place at the same time as the men’s event? Mentioned: IM Eline Roebers, IM Oliwia Kiolbasa, IM Carissa Yip, IM Jennifer Yu, IM Teodora Injac 1:09:00- Predictions for the Women’s World CupMentioned: IM R. Vaishali, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina Thanks again to Mr. Dodgy for joining us! You can follow him on Twitter here: 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

This week’s guest is the four-time U.S. women's champion and perennial US National Team Member WGM Anna Zatonskih. Anna joined me the week after her inspiring victory at the 2023 Cairns Cup to reflect on her standout performance. As Anna recounts, as the second to lowest seed in the tournament, most people had modest expectations for her, but despite self-doubt and busy life,  she nonetheless decided to prepare rigorously for the tournament and hoped to put her best foot forward. As it turned out, Anna not only won the tournament but unexpectedly secured her first Grandmaster norm at 44 years of age! Anna shares the advice that helped motivate her to double down on her study, how she went about studying, and she discusses how she plans to spend the $45,000 she won. We also discuss Anna’s emigration to the U.S. in 2002, her study regimen as a top youth player in Ukraine, and how she approaches teaching chess to her kids as a mom. I was so inspired by Anna’s story and I think that you will be as well! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below: Recorded June 21, 2023 Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 01:00- What was Anna’s mindset going into the Cairn’s Cup? How did she work on her game? Mentioned: Vladmirov’s 1000 Chess Studies, GM Daniel Fridman 28:00- Does Anna have family members in Ukraine? What rules should FIDE have place for Russian players competing from different countries? Mentioned: IM Irina Bulmaga’s Blog post 35:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Anna approach teaching chess to her own kids?” 38:00- How did Anna study chess as a child in the former Soviet Union? 40:00- How does Anna describe her  first days in the US in 2002? 45:00- Anna discusses her upcoming chess plans and life in Germany. 47:00-  Patreon mailbag question: “Should the “WGM” title have a different name?”Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s FAQ52:00- What are Anna’s next chess plans? Mentioned: Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources Thanks to Anna for sharing her story! If 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

After 6 games, the 2023 FIDE Women’s World Championship is closely contested. The challenger, GM Lei Tingjie leads the Champion, GM Ju Wenjun 3.5-2.5 as the players take a 2-day break to switch host cities. One of the top female players in the United States, WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins me to share her thoughts on the match. Begim was the 2018 Uzbek Women’s Champion and is now a member of the U.S. National team and a student at the University of Missouri. She has been annotating the games for Chess Life Online, you can view her annotations here. Thanks as always to Chessable for sponsoring Perpetual Chess! I forgot to mention in the podcast, but if you want to play the Italian game like Lei Tiangjie check out WGM Tatev Abrahmayan’s new course: The Italian Game: Inside & Out!You can check out some of my favorite courses here:https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 0:01- WGM Begim Tokhirjonova joins the podcast. Begim joins and shares her perspective on the match and on the openings we have seen so far. Mentioned: Cover Stories with Chess Life December 2022 (#49)11:30- Begim discusses her experience playing both GM Lei Tiangjie and GM Ju Wenjun 13:30- Can either player make any stylistic adjustments other than switching openings? 17:30- Begim discusses her plans for her own chess career including her study plans and her upcoming tournaments. Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman .26:00- Thanks so much to Begim for joining us! Here is how to keep up with her: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/begim09/?hl=enTwitter: begim09 https://twitter.com/Gulruhbegim Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guests on Perpetual Chess are the award-winning co-authors and tournament chess players, Dr. Christopher Chabris and Dr. Daniel Simons. Dr. Chabris, of course, is a cognitive scientist, USCF Master, chess dad, and frequent guest on Perpetual Chess. Dr. Simons is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois-Urbana and a tournament chess player in his own right. Their excellent new book, Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken in and What We Can Do About It is not exclusively about chess, but touches on the subject repeatedly,  and has many implications for our game. In our conversation, we talk about the book generally but also try to focus on “chess takeaways,” from the book material,  with a particular emphasis on the future of cheating in chess. Dr. Chabris has also been active on the tournament scene since we last spoke, so he shares a few fresh observations about chess improvement. I learned a lot both from the book and from our conversation, and I am confident that you will enjoy it. 0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Check out Anish Giri’s new course Lifetime Repertoires: Giri’s 1. E4 Part 3.   You can also see a list of my recommended courses here: You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 0:00- What is misunderstood about “Growth Mindset”? Mentioned: Chess Improvement, It's All in the Mindset, Episode 199 with Dr. Barry Hymer and GM Peter Wells 7:00- What is replication and why is it important for scientific studies?12:00- What is “desirable difficulty?” 16:30- Dan and Chris discuss a famous chess study that they recreated on their own involving the ability of chess players of different levels to recall chess positions. Watch the video here:Memory for chess positions (featuring grandmaster Patrick Wolff)24:00- Are there any studies of chess players that Dan and Chris would like to see done? 31:00- We have a  brief digression on how to deal with email scams, I was surprised by the advice given in Nobody’s Fool. 35:00- What can we do about cheating in chess? Mentioned: FM Nate Solon’s article Beating Hikaruhttps://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/beating-hikaruMore info on Apple Vision Pro:https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/48:00- Chris Chabris just played in two tournaments. What were his chess observations and conclusions?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nate Shuman is a New York City-based high school student who founded an organization called Mindmates. Mindmates has already facilitated workshops for many of the top scholastic chess organizations in the New York City area. Nate has experienced the benefits of mindfulness first-hand, as it helped him get through a lengthy chess plateau that he felt threatened to sap the joy of chess from him. In our conversation, Nate shares a couple of basic mindfulness techniques that can help any tournament player, and he reflects on his own chess career, including a 7-year plateau while going from 2100 to 2200 USCF. You can find the timestamps for the topics discussed below.  0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Their new courses include Starting out with 1. D4 by GM Ben Finegold. And The Audacious Milner-Barry Gambit by NM Han Schut. You can also see a list of my recommended courses here: You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 0:02- Nate shares how he got into chess at one of the top chess programs in the U.S. The Dalton School. How is chess taught there? Mentioned: WIM Beatriz Marinello, David MacEnulty, FM Gus Huston, NM Corey Evans, NM Yevgeny Feldman, GM Max Dlugy 13:00- What did Nate learn from experiencing a lengthy chess plateau at the 2100 level? 21:00- What is the vision behind Mindmates, Nate’s mindfulness-based organization, ? Mentioned: Episode 289 with Tony Ballard of The Gift of ChessEpisode 155 with Elizabeth Spiegel 34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What adjustments does Nate make for teaching younger kids?” Mentioned:How to Chess Episode 12 with Dr. Benjamin Portheault Dr. Benjamin Portheault’s course: https://mindfulness-for-the-tournament-player.teachable.com/p/mindfulness-for-the-tournament-player38:00- Nate walks us through a couple of simple mindfulness exercises46:00- Nate gives examples of affirmations chess players can use before games. 47:00- Nate discusses his future plans for MindMates. You can learn more about Mindmates via their website:https://www.mindmates.org/Email: Nate.Shuman at Mindmatesdot.org Follow @MindmatesChess on Instagram  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are trying a new format here on Perpetual Chess and are featuring tournament trip reports from 3 different amateurs who recently competed in the National Open in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have long wanted to know more about what it is like to attend and compete in this venerable chess festival, and I lined up 3 guests to share their reflections on the tournament and the chess lessons that they learned.My 3 guests are:1) NM Todd Bryant (aka StrongChess) joins the podcast to discuss his experience in the Under 2300 section. Todd is a Software Engineer for Chess.com, a chess dad, and a blitz and weight lifting enthusiast.2) Lindsey Newhall joins to report on the Under 1300 section, the Women’s Open tournament, and a family reunion of sorts. Lindsey is a California-based chess player, chess teacher and tournament director.3) Returning guest, Twitch streamer and chess teacher Cody Smith reports on the Under 1900 Section, and some Twitch streamer meetups.I hope you all enjoy this format, please let me know if you enjoy it and if it is something you would like to hear more of for big tournaments. Timestamps for guest appearances and info is below:0:01- Intro to the podSubscribe to my free newsletter here:https://benjohnson.substack.com/Thanks to Chessable for the support, check out their latest courses:https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/0:03- NM Todd Bryant “StrongChess” joins.23:00- Lindsey Newhall joins the podcast.Lindsey was featured in Episode 58 of Chess Journeys46:00- CL Smith rejoins the pod! CL Smith was in Episode 270 of Perpetual ChessFollow Cody on Twitch here:https://www.twitch.tv/clsmithxvIf 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

David Franklin is a constitutional law professor and practicing appellate lawyer. David also is a USCF expert and chess enthusiast who follows the chess world closely. In 2022, David came on Perpetual Chess to help explain the Hans Niemann lawsuit after it was filed. At the time he felt it was an uphill battle for Hans, which has proven to be the case given the lawsuit's dismissal. David rejoins the podcast to review the dismissal and to discuss what further recourse GM Hans Niemann might have, if any.You can hear David’s prior discussion of the lawsuit here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ciBvYBT6BD69w1TR3j1nJ?si=969ca9c1d61e47650:01- Brief addendum0:02- Professor David Franklin joins the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices