Perpetual Chess Podcast

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the ever popular Commentator, Streamer, YouTuber and traveling chess professional, WGM Dina Belenkaya.  Dina is a 4 time Women's champion of St. Petersburg, which is no small feat given her native city's rich chess legacy. These days, Dina is based in France, represents Israel internationally, and competes frequently in various locations. Dina joined me shortly after returning home from the Reykjavik Open, an annual open tournament which is always popular among professionals and amateurs alike. This year several streamers competed and streamed their games, including Dina, Alexandra Botez, Eric Rosen and Simon Williams. In our interview, Dina discusses her recent tournaments, her study regimen, and how she balances streaming, content creation and her competitive chess goals. We also discuss her “chess upbringing” including her study tips and learning methods,and her childhood interactions with GM Anish Giri who was an early chess student of her mother’s. You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below. This episode was recorded live on April 7 on Dina’s Twitch stream (before the World Championship started) 0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 02:00- Reykjavik Open- trip report. How did Dina decide to attend and compete along with other streamers such as Alexandra Botez, Eric Rose, Anna Cramling and Simon Williams? Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy, Johnson-Belenkaya, Belenkaya-Gajewski 2023, Dina’s YouTube 26:00- What has changed since Dina switched from representing Russia to Israel? 30:00- Who is Dina’s secret chess trainer? What advice does he give her?Mentioned: GM Brendan Jacobsen, The GM Ran Away From Me36:00- What will Dina do to work on her chess? Does Puzzle Rush help her calculation abilities? Mentioned: Puzzle Rush42:00- What was Dina’s chess upbringing like in the chess mecca of St. Petersburg?Mentioned: IM Andrey Praslov, Asya Kovalyova (Dina’s Mother), Anish Giri, Endgame Studies 101  50:00- Does Dina remember GM Anish Giri as a kid in St. Petersburg? 1:01:00- What are Dina’s 2023 Chess and Content plans? 1:05:00- Does Dina get nervous when playing OTB games on stream? 1:07:00- Dina trash talks my chess skills (mildly) 1:11:00- If DIna had children would she encourage them to play chess? 1:12:00- Does Dina have a favorite chess “destination” tournament?Mentioned: Reykjavik Open, Sunway Sitges Open 1:14:00- Thanks to Dina for joining the show!Check out her YouTube channel here:Dina’s YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/thebelenkayaDina’s Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/thebelenkayaInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/dinabelenkaya/?hl=enTwitter:https://twitter.com/DinaBelenkayaIf 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

An ongoing World Championship match means more bonus coverage from Perpetual Chess! I am joined by FM Mike Klein from on-site in Astana, Kazakhstan. Mike and I chat about the surprising turns that have taken place in a match that has already seen 2 decisive results in 4 games, as GM Ding Liren looks to have overcome a rocky start. In addition to discussing the openings, Mike shares details about what the venue is like and how it compares to the other World Championships he has attended. You can find brief notes and timestamps below. Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ Ding Liren course here:https://www.chessable.com/world-class-ding-liren-/course/164045/02:00- What is the venue like, are there lots of fans there? Which chess personalities are at the match? 10:00- Ding’s mindset- has he turned the tides in the match after a slow start? 18:00- We have seen a different opening in all 4 games, will we start to see some variety? 23:00- How does Astana compare to Dubai and the other World Championships Mike has attended? 28:00- Thanks to Mike Klein for joining me! Follow him on Twitter here:https://twitter.com/ChessMike?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Duncan, a 24 year old Army logistician and Psychology Graduate Student, shares his experiences of how chess brings together the military and different cultures. They discuss an internal tournament held on a military base, playing chess in Poland, and the value of enjoying chess rather than fixating on results.

This week we are excited to catch up with the most popular chess content creator in the world, IM Levy Rozman aka Gotham Chess. With a Chessable course launching, and a book coming soon, Levy took a break from his busy schedule to reflect on another year of explosive growth in his content. His YouTube channel recently passed 3 million subs, and Levy’s TikTok account went from 0 to 1 million+ followers in about 3 months! In our interview, Levy takes us behind the scenes of the work that goes into the growth, and speculates about what type of chess fans might be driving the latest surge in popularity. It has been almost 2 years since my last interview with Levy, so there are many other topics to catch up on, including the FIDE World Championship, his retirement from OTB chess, his DMs with Magnus Carlsen and much more. It is always entertaining and enlightening to hear Levy reflect on chess and on his success! Timestamps of topics discussed are 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/ Sign up for the Perpetual Chess Linkfest- https://benjohnson.substack.com/Prior Levy appearances: Episode 180 Episode 2330:02: How much does Levy know about his audience? 0:08- What drives him to keep trying to grow his channel? 0:16:00- Does Levy think this recent growth is propelled by high school kids? 21:00- Does Levy still do his own editing? Who else helps him? 27:00- Has Levy interacted with Magnus one-on-one? 33:00- Levy’s thoughts on the Ding-Nepo World Championship40:00- How does Levy reflect on his abandoned pursuit of the GM title? 47:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Levy’s advice to a parent who may be trying to encourage a scholastic player to stick with tournament chess? 56:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Levy still have opening novelties he keeps to himself?” 58:00- What lines does Levy recommend in his new Chessable course? What rating range does it target? 1:04:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What differentiates Levy’s course from other Chessable 1. E4 courses?” 1:07:00- How did Levy’s visit to YouTube headquarters come about? 1:12:00- Has Levy’s daily life in New York changed much since our 2021 interview? 1:13:00- Life as a dog dad 1:15:00- Levy discusses his upcoming book, How to Win at Chess. 1:17:00- Levy’s 2023 plans 1:19:00- Thanks again to Levy for catching up with us! You should check out his YouTube channel! 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

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 Ben06:00- 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 Lawsuit50:00- Daniel's recommendations against the Rossolimo and AlapinMentioned: 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--uLNAODOVWvCTA1:22:00- NM Matt Jensen joins the show, and we dive into what his predictive model says about the Ding-Nepo match, including tiebreak scenarios1:36:00- Has Matt seen rating deflation on Lichess and Chess.com? Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman, Chessgoals’ Rating Comparison Data here1:43:00- 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 BooksMentioned: 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IM Willy Hendriks is a Netherlands based chess trainer, and an author of three books: Move First Think Later ( 2012 ECF Book of the Year), On the Origin of Good Moves, and his new book, Ink War: Romanticism vs. Modernity in Chess. Ink War is an entertaining and informative look at the first World Championship Match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. As we discuss the two players had some common biographical traits, but were bitter rivals away from the board. Willy explains why the job of a chess professional was harder in those days, and shares some common misconceptions about the contributions that each player made to the advancement of chess. Since Willy is an accomplished player, trainer and improver, we also discuss Willy’s chess improvement philosophy, his own OTB game, and a few of his favorite chess books. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. 0:00- Thanks to our presenting Chess Education sponsor, Chessable! You can check out their new courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/Info on GM Daniel King’s upcoming March 24 Masterclass here: https://www.chessable.com/using-the-outpost-masterclass/course/156548/Episode 182 - IM Willy Hendriks’ Prior Appearance 3:00- How is Willy’s OTB game progressing?  06:30- Does Willy have an overall chess improvement philosophy? 16:30- What gave IM Hendriks the idea to write about the Steinitz-Zukertort Match? 21:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- What led to Zukertort’s 2nd half collapse in the match against Steinitz, and what is Zukertort’s chess legacy? 28:00- Why does Willy think that the writings of Lasker, Euwe and Reti led to a misinterpretation of chess history? Mentioned: Masters of the Chessboard, Lasker’s Manual of Chess 33:00- Where does the title The Ink War come from?41:00- Did the famous game, Grimshaw-Steinitz actually occur or was it made up?Mentioned: Grimshaw-Steinitzhttps://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=171860446:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- Does Willy know what his next book project will be? 50:00- What Chess Books were influential for Willy? Tarrasch’s 300 Games, Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess, Pawn Power in Chess, Kotov’s Think Like a Grandmaster 53:00- Does Willy have favorite players or personal favorite games? 57:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- When Willy evaluates a position does he consciously count material? Mentioned: Move First Think Later1:04:00- As someone who has just written about the first World Championship, what does Willy think of the potential phasing out of the Classical World Championship tradition?Mentioned: Episode 319 with Dr. Howard BurtonThanks to IM Hendriks for joining us! Links for his books are here:New in Chess: https://www.newinchess.com/the-ink-warFree Sample Here- https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9134.pdfMove First Think LaterOn the Origin of Good Moves If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess we catch up with GM Cristian Chirila. A former Romanian youth champion, GM Chirila is now based in Missouri and has many roles in the chess world including commentator for the Grand Chess Tour, coach of the St. Louis University Chess Team, and co-host, with GM Fabiano Caruana, of the C-Squared podcast. On C Squared, GM’s Chirila and Caruana are often joined by prominent guests to discuss top-level chess news. The podcast is highlighted by its excellent production and has quickly found a large audience. In our interview, we discuss the origins of and future plans for C Squared. We also touch on World Championships, past and present, Cristian’s OTB game and lots more. We also briefly talk about the sexual assault allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez although, to hear Cristian and Fabiano’s full thoughts, one should listen to the latest episode of C Squared. The notes to topics discussed can be found below. Episode recorded February 28, 20230:00- Brief addendum regarding the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez (Recorded March 9, 2023)04:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com! Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/#!/new05:00- Cristian joins! What lessons has Cristian learned from launching the C Squared Podcast? Mentioned: Episode 47 with GM Cristian Chirila  15:00- Patreon mailbag question:” Do Chirila and Caruana have a long-term vision for C Squared?” Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon18:00- Is Cristian surprised by how forthcoming Fabiano has been on the podcast? 20:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Cristian worry that professionally collaborating with Fabiano could impact their friendship? 24:00- Cristian discusses C-Squared’s plans for the World Championship and his own thoughts on the Ding-Nepo match29:00- Cristian discusses his experience of working as one of Fabiano’s seconds during the World Championship match. 34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Were there moments in the 2018 World Championship where Cristian thought Fabiano would take the lead in the match?” 41:00- What was your day-to-day life like as a second during the match in London? 46:00- Patreon mailbag question:” Does Cristian think we will continue to see Rapid and Blitz elevated over classical chess?” 51:00- Cristian discusses his recent OTB tournament and upcoming plans. 57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Cristian’s role as head coach of the University of Missouri?” 1:03:00- We discuss the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez (recorded February 28) 1:08:00- Cristian discusses his upcoming tournament plans Thanks to Cristian for joining the show! You can subscribe to C-Squared here:https://www.youtube.com/@csqpodIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This month, The Adult Improver Series welcomes Ben Hunt of the Chess Boot Camp YouTube Channel. Through his channel and a Chess.com forum, Ben has built a community around helping players rated 500-1200 improve. Ben started pursuing chess seriously in 2019 and shares tons of helpful reflections including his favorite content creators, the challenges of transitioning to OTB, and what he has learned from creating a YouTube channel geared towards fellow chess amateurs. Ben’s enthusiasm for chess is contagious, and I really enjoyed hearing his perspective. 0:00- Thanks to recent Patreon subs, if you would like to join the community you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchessSub to the Perpetual Chess linkfest here:https://benjohnson.substack.com/02:00- Ben got very interested very quickly in chess in 2019- what precipitated that? Mentioned: Chess.com Lessons 07:00- Who are Ben’s favorite chess content creators?Mentioned: Ginger GM, IM Alex Banzea, GM Daniel Naroditsky, St. Louis Chess Club, Jonathan Schrantz, IM John Bartholomew10:00-Patreon mailbag question: “What is the goldfish method?” Why does Ben sometimes struggle to implement it?” Mentioned: Ben’s Goldfish Method Video, Move First Think Later, Chess Steps Method 17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/18:30- What has it been like for Ben to try out OTB play in the UK?23:00- Ben discusses his opening repertoire a bit as we discuss whether openings are overemphasized for club players. Mentioned: IM Andras’ Toth’s The Beginners 1. D4 Repertoire, SImon Williams’ The British Grand Prix, The Dvoretsky Endgame Manual, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, 100 Endgames You Must Know 34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What advice does Ben give to those who are struggling translating increased knowledge to an OTB performance above the 1000 level?”42:00- What is Ben’s tactics regimen? Mentioned: Chessbootcamp.club, The Woodpecker Method, Book Recap #6: The Woodpecker Method 50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.Or use this link for the same discount:https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson1251:00- What kind of material does Ben present on his YouTube channel? 55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are Ben’s chess goals?” 1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: “When you are showing a tactical puzzle, how important is it to show the moves that preceded the puzzle?”1:05:00- What are Ben’s interests outside of chess? 1:07:00- As we say our goodbyes, Ben gives 3 tips for getting to 1000. Thanks to Ben for joining! Here is how to keep up with him:Chess.com profilehttps://www.chess.com/member/benhunt72Chess Bootcamp YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/c/ChessBootCampChess Bootcamp Live https://chessbootcamp.club/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

Dr. Howard Burton is a documentary filmmaker and author. Howard holds a PhD in theoretical physics and an MA in Philosophy. He is also the founder of the award-winning multimedia initiative Ideas Roadshow. Their latest documentary, Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration, is a 4 part documentary that shows the cultural impact and history of chess from its origins to modern times. It is very informative and well produced, and features many familiar faces including GM Hou Yifan, IM Daniel Rensch, GM David Smerdon and Award Winning Chess Teacher Elizabeth Spiegel. In conjunction with the documentaries, Dr. Burton has written a book of opinion essays about the role of chess in culture, called Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess. It is enjoyable and provocative and discusses all that is right as well as what could be fixed within the chess world. Our conversation touches on both Howard’s book and his documentaries, and as his work does, helps to contextualize the role of chess in the world. Topics include the shortcomings of FIDE, Howard’s admiration for Paul Morphy, whether chess skills are transferable beyond chess, and Howard’s own history with chess Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.0:00- What framed Howard’s approach to separating his book of essays and documentaries?07:00- As somewhat of an outsider to chess, how would Howard change the chess world if he could?13:00- What should the role of a chess governing body be? 26:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.Or use this link for the same discount:https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson1228:00- What does Howard admire about Paul Morphy? Why does Howard think that Morphy isn’t placed on the same level as Fischer? Mentioned: Paul Morphy: Pride and Sorrow of Chess 36:00- How do the misogynistic statements of Fischer and Kasparov affect chess culture? Mentjioned: GM Alejandro Ramirez under Investigation for Misconduct 44:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/45:00- How did Howard interview people from all over the world for Through the Mirror of Chess? Mentioned: Seven Games: A Human History, Episode 263 with Oliver Roeder52:00- Does Howard play much chess?  Howard’s One Move at a Time Interview 55:00- What frustrates Howard about suggestions related to the transferable skills of chess? Mentioned: Brooklyn Castle featuring Elizabeth Spiegel 1:02:00- What role can chess play in social empowerment?Mentioned: Tunde Onakoya, Russell Makofsky of The Gift of Chess, GM Pontuss Carlsson Thanks to Howard for joining the show! Here are the links to keep up with him: Chess.com Blog (including more thoughts on Fixing FIDE) Info on watching the documentary here:Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural ExplorationAnd Get the Book Here: Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I am joined by IM Yaacov Norowitz. Yaacov is a trainer, a Chessable author, and a speed chess specialist who has won the World Open Blitz tournament 5 times.   He has a Chess.com peak blitz rating of nearly 3000. Yaacov has a unique background, and he had some entertaining stories to tell about topics that include :  His over 12000 blitz and bullet games against Hikaru Nakamura. Yaacov has known Hikaru since Hikaru was age 6, before he started playing competitive chess.  His early interactions with Gotham Chess, whom Yaacov taught  when Levy was a kid.  Yaacov’s  “dacha method” approach to chess learning  How Yaacov’s strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing impacted his chess playing.  Yaacov also is an avid chess reader and has plenty of book recommendations. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below. 0:00- Yaacov discusses his early blitz battles with a young Hikaru Nakamura and how Yaacov became a blitz specialist? 8:00- What differentiated Hikaru’s bullet peak from that of everyone else? Has Yaacov played other bullet wizards, Alireza and Andrew Tang? 14:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.16:00- What did Yaacov learn from his coach, the legendary player GM Roman Dzindziashvilli? Also what is “The Cheesecake Opening”? 22:00- Yaacov loved to read chess books as a kid. What were his favorites? Mentioned: Dojo Talks Podcast Episode 72, Capablanca’s Endings, Chess Praxis, How to Reassess Your Chess, Logical Chess Move by Move 27:00- How did Yaacov balance playing blitz and playing classical chess? 32:00- What were Yaacov’s blitz battles against GM Viswanathan Anand like? 36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/37:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Will Yaacov make a Chessable course on his “dacha theory” of chess learning?” 44:00- Yaacov discusses the origins of his collaboration with Elijah Logozar, a former Adult Improver guest. 50:00- Yaacov was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family. How did chess and religion intersect for him? 57:00- Yaacov taught IM Levy Rozman as a kid.  What was he like?58:00- Yaacov discusses his chess academy, Yaacattack.com 1:02:00- How does Yaacov advise one to spend their chess study time? 1:04:00- Thanks to Yaacov for joining the show! Website- Yaacattack.com The Yaac Attack Stonewall Chessable course-https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-stonewall-for-white/course/31827/The Yaac Attack- Caro Kann for Black https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-caro-kann-for-black/course/49678/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices