Perpetual Chess Podcast

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is the hardest-working man in chess. He is Twitch Streamer, Chess.com commentator, and ambitious improver, FM James Canty. I have been a fan of James for a long time, so I was glad to finally get to ask him some questions about what motivates him to work so hard on his game. Naturally we also discussed what James specifically is studying, his pursuit of the IM and GM titles, and some of his favorite chess improvement resources. I find it energizing and motivating to talk chess with James, and I think you all will as well. As always, timestamps for topics discussed can be found in the show description. 02:00- What motivates James to keep working on his OTB game? What is his goal?Mentioned: Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, GM Maurice Ashley05:00- What is James’s current study regimen? How does he balance working on his game with streaming tons of chess?Mentioned: Test Your Tactical Skill, GM Kenny Solomon, GM Amon Simotowe 16:00- What are James’s favorite Chessable courses and books? Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation, Thinking Inside the Box, Encyclopedia of Combinations, Woodpecker Method, Tactics Time, Benedictine’s Visualization Series 28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/29:00- James discusses his love for the Scotch Gambit and his pending Chessable courses 35:00- What is his upcoming tournament schedule? What did James have to learn about how FIDE ratings and norms work? Mentioned: 2023 Charlotte Open 44:00- Does James ever get burnt out from chess? 47:00- 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=benjohnson1248:00- Patreon mailbag question: What inspires James’s dedication to fitness and weight lifting? 59:00- True or false: James is a rapper as well? 1:00:00- What did James learn from legendary trainer, GM Roman Dzindziashvilli? 1:02:00- What was James’s fondest memory from attending the Global Chess Championship in Toronto? Mentioned: GM Wesley So, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, IM Danny Rensch, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Robert Hess, GM Wesley So’s Chessable Courses, Chessgames.com1:06:00- What advice does James give to younger players? Thanks so much to James for sharing his passion for chess with us! Here are all of the links to keep up with him:YouTube:Twitch:Twitter: MerchInstagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are rejoined by 2019 Swiss National Champion, blogger and trainer, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always extremely insightful on matters related to chess improvement, and has recently released a video course sharing his own recommended approach. The course, Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos, tackles many of the questions commonly contemplated on the pod, such as which aspects of the game to prioritize, how to analyze games and how to approach opening study. Noel even has a section on how one should learn any discipline, and relates his experiences as a tennis and poker improver. Lastly, Noel shares some thoughts and his own experiences on cheating in tournament chess and discusses his continuing recovery from a brain injury. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below. Prior Interview with Noel- Episode 248 with GM Noel Studer 02:00- Patreon mailbag question: I am working hard on my chess, but I am not improving. Should I give up on the possibility of improvement? 13:00- We discuss Noel’s chess course. What audience did Noel have in mind? How did he go about making the course?  19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/20:00- We discuss a few of the chess improvement recommendations from Noel’s course that resonated with me, and the reasons that they struck a chord with me. 28:00- What was the primary contributor to Noel’s chess growth when he was an up and coming player? Mentioned: GM Artur Yusopov, Lee Child “Jack Reacher” Novels, The Tim Ferris Podcast 33:00- Why does Noel think it's important to write down one’s thoughts when reviewing OTB games? 37:00- What did Noel learn from doing calculation-training with GM R.B. Ramesh and GM Sam Shankland? 44:00- How would Noel respond to someone who says that his course, at $297, is too expensive?48:00- 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=benjohnson1249:00- Has Noel read any good books lately? Mentioned: Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism50:00- What has Noel learned about chess learning through trying to improve at tennis and poker?  1:04:00- We discuss top level chess, especially the Magnus/Niemann saga and the issue of cheating in chess. Mentioned: Episode 310 with John Hartmann, Belgian IM Stephen Docx expelled from tournament, Episode 301 with Dr. Kenneth Regan 1:22:00- What is next for Noel? How is his health? Thanks to Noel for joining me, you can keep up with him by subscribing to his blog!Blog- https://nextlevelchess.blog/Course- Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are joined this week by a legend of British chess, GM Jonathan Speelman! Jonathan is a three- time British champion, a two-time World Championship Candidate  an author, Chessbase.com columnist, and a trainer. He has been ranked as high as #4 in the world in 1989 and has worked as a second for GMs Viktor Korchnoi, Vishy Anand and Nigel Short. As you might imagine, such a wealth of chess experience gives Jonathan an endless array of stories and a great perspective on what differentiates top players. Jonathan considers questions such as these: Why does he consider Ivanchuk the most talented player he has ever encountered? Could Anand potentially have beaten Kasparov in 1993? Could Jonathan have been World Champion? Does he regret pursuing chess after studying mathematics at Oxford? It was quite an honor to hear GM Speelman’s modest reflections on a brilliant career. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below. 0:00- John shares his thoughts on Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship, which recently culminated with Hikaru Nakamura defeating Magnus Carlsen in the final. Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Andrew Tang 08:00- GM Speelman has said that GM Vasyl Ivanchuk is “the most talented player he has ever encountered.” What differentiates Chucky? Mentioned: Ivanchuk-Van Forest 2022 (featuring 26. Nd7!), More on the game from GM Speelman here, Info on “A Grimshaw” here, Novotny here, Karpov-Spassky 1974, Karpov-Korchnoi 1974, Karpov-Unzicker 197418:00- GM Speelman reflects on the experience of working on Korchnoi’s, Short’s and Anand’s teams. 31:00- 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=benjohnson1232:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Shopify! To try out their payment service for $1 a month, please visit the link: shopify.com/chess.33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Jon discover a novelty via a Norwegian Newspaper to surprise GM Nigel Short in the Candidates?Mentioned: GM Jonathan Tisdall, GM John Nunn40:00- What are Jonathan’s recollections of his Candidates match vs. GM Jan Timman? 46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/47:00- Many chess greats, like Fischer, Kasparov, and Jonathan himself have grown up without a dad, does Jon think there is a reason for this?48:00- What was Jon’s approach to chess when he was climbing the ranks in his 20s? 1:00:00- Did Jon watch any of the Trent-Hambleton chessboxing match?1:02:00- Jon shares stories about Larsen, Tal and Ljubomir Ljobojevic. Mentioned: Speelman-Larsen 1978, Ljubojevic-Speelman 1980 1:11:00- Jon has always had poor vision. Has it impacted his chess? 1:13:00- What are Jon’s Twitch streaming plans?1:15:00- What are Jon’s plans for his Chessbase Column?1:20:00- Thanks so much to Jonathan for joining us! Here is how to keep up with him:LiChess Coaches Page:https://lichess.org/coach/Jon_SpeelmanChessbase Column:https://en.chessbase.com/author/jon-speelmanTwitch:https://www.twitch.tv/jonspeelmanJon’s Game Collection is still available on Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Speelmans-Best-Games-Batsford-Chess-ebook/dp/B00PIWLT6O Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As 2022 draws to a close, I am (re)joined by Chess Life Magazine editor and Award Winning Journalist John Hartmann to reflect on a year of seismic change in the chess world. First and foremost, cheating in chess has been thrust to the forefront in the wake of the Carlsen/Niemann scandal. We review the latest legal developments in this particular story and also provide some details on a new chess cheating scandal from a tournament in Spain. John and I also discuss the big “chess business” news of 2022. As we discuss, it is hard to predict the ramifications but it is likely to eventually lead to lots of changes in how chess events are presented. Lastly, of course, Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the World Championship Cycle. Will people still tune in to watch Ding face Nepo in 2023? Is Magnus right that Classical Chess’ popularity is receding? After reviewing the news, I catch up with John Hartmann on recommended chess books, the health of US Chess and chess generally, and we even discuss what we learned from our own tournament games in 2022. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below. Happy New Year Everyone! 0:02:00- We provide an update on the Niemann/Carlsen scandal and discuss the biggest story of the year, cheating in chess. Mentioned: The Sunway Sitges Invitational, FM Andy Woodward, FIDE World Rapid & Blitz 13:45- A new scandal related to cheating is breaking now, as a Belgian IM was banned from a tournament for refusing to be searched with a metal detector. More info here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/stefan-docx-expelled-from-benidorm-openMentioned: GM Arthur Kogan, GM Romain Eduoard’s Tweet 24:00- 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=benjohnson1225:00- We provide an update on Big Story #2- The Chess.com Merger with The Play Magnus Group, which is now complete39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/42:00- Big story #3, Magnus stepped down from the World Championship cycle. What does this mean for the cycle going forward? 48:00- We provide an update on the Woman’s World Championship Cycle. GM Tan Zhongyi will face GM Lei Tingjie for the right to face GM Ju Wenjun for the World Championship. 49:00- Is US Chess seeing continued interest in tournament chess? Mentioned: GM Awonder Liang, GM Christopher Yoo, JJ Lang, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, Ladan-Abrahamyan 2022, Cover Stories with Chess Life with WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova 59:00- Quick tangent on the upcoming Tata Steel tournament. 1:02:00- Quick update on our own years in tournament chess Mentioned: My interview with GM Jesse Kraai for ChessDojo, The Streak App (Its actually $5), FM Nate Solon 1:09:00- Has John checked out any new chess books this year? Mentioned: Reinfeld’s Immortal Games of Capablanca, Cambridge Springs 1904, Albert W. Fox, A Chess Life on and Off the Board by John Hilbert, A Life at Play by Lubomir Kavalek, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Learning Chess with Vladimir Simagin by GM Mihail Marin, GM Jacob Aagaard’s A Matter of Endgame Technique, 1001 Endgame Exercises for Beginners by IM Thomas Willemze, Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championships Volume 3 Thanks to John for rejoining! His Twitter:https://twitter.com/hartmannchessTo Subscribe to Chess Life Magazine you can sign up for a US Chess membership here (even outside of the US):https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chessIf you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchessIf you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is author, psychology professor and avid chess player, Dr. Joel Sneed. In the professional realm, Joel is a practicing clinical psychologist, and his research focuses on the topics of late life depression and cognitive impairment. A casual chess game with a patient led to Joel's discovery of competitive chess, and since then he has always found time for the game. In addition to co-authoring some excellent chess books, Joel has achieved very unusual gains for an adult learner.Joel began tournament chess at age 33 with a 1200 rating, and at age 48 is rated over 2000! Joel thinks that part of the reason for his success has been his emphasis on the psychological side of chess, as discussed in his latest collaboration with GM Boris Gulko, Analyzing the Chess Mind. The book provides both traditional game analysis from GM Gulko, as well as more general advice about chess psychology from both the GM and the Professor. It was fascinating to hear Joel’s story, and there is much to learn from his book and from our conversation! Please read on for timestamps and topics discussed.01:00- Joel tells the story of his starting to discover tournament chess through working with a patient at a psychiatric hospital. 07:00- What has chess taught Joel about himself? Why was he initially attracted to the game? Mentioned: Episode 300 with GM Ulf Andersson 13:00- Joel hasn’t played a tournament since May, why not? 17:00- Joel discusses how he began to collaborate with his co-author, legendary GM Boris Gulko. 19:00- What advice would Joel give to a friend who is having trouble finding the motivation to return to tournament chess? Mentioned: IM John Watson 25:00- Patreon mailbag question: What advice does Joel give to someone who wants to get into a beneficial mindset before a tournament? 35:00- 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=benjohnson1237:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Joel’s advice for someone who is prone to bullet chess addiction and tilt?Mentioned: Episode 216 with Dr. Jana Krivec50:00- How has studying his own chess tendencies helped Joel in his activities that take place away from the chess board? 57:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/58:00- What chess lessons did Joel learn from the golf book, Golf is not a Game of Perfect? 1:07:00- What were the biggest contributors to Joel’s slow and steady rise from 1200 to 2000 USCF? 1:11:00- What are Joel’s favorite chess books, besides his own Lessons with a Grandmaster collaboration with GM Boris Gulko? Mentioned: The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald, How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman 1:17:00- What is meant by “Ego is a limited resource?” 1:22:00- Thanks so much to Joel for joining me. You can email him at prof.sneed at gmail dot com Be sure to check out his books with GM Boris Gulko as well: Analyzing the Chess Mind:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Analyzing-Chess-Sneed-Boris-Gulko/dp/1784831123/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YLXPM3IWVAKS&keywords=Analyzing+the+Chess+Mind&qid=1671420382&s=books&sprefix=analyzing+the+chess+mind%2Cstripbooks%2C109&sr=1-1Forward Chess: https://forwardchess.com/sample/analyzing-the-chess-mindLessons with a Grandmaster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode was recorded at Suite Recording Studios in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and is also available with video on the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel. Chess Books Recaptured returns, this time to discuss 10 books for the price of one! My guest co-host is FM Carsten Hansen, who returns to the pod to join me in selecting and discussing different chess books for different chess experience levels. Carsten is a prolific author, the book reviewer for American Chess Magazine, and a Chess Life magazine columnist. In addition to a lot of book talk, we discuss Carsten’s chess-improvement efforts and OTB plans, and a few of his recent collaborations with IM Cyrus Lakdawala. There is always so much to learn from Carsten, and I am confident we have selected worthwhile book recommendations for chess enthusiasts of many backgrounds.  02:00- How do we define an “underrated” chess book? 04:30- Aside from reading chess books, who are some of our favorite chess content creators?Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Andras Toth, IM John Bartholomew, GM Daniel King, Chess Feels, C Squared, Chicken Chess Club, Ladies Knight with Isabella Choko 8:30- Book #1- Open Files by Uhlman and Schmidt 12:00- Book #2- Arkell’s Endings by and GM Keith Arkell  16:00- Book #3- World Chess Championship 1948. Contact the translator, Jan Verendel via his website: https://verendel.com/18:00- Book #4- Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making by GM Ramesh23:00- Book #5- Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss by GM Patrick Wolff Mentioned: Episode 189 with GM Patrick Wolff  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/27:00- Book #6- Instructive Chess Miniatures  by FM Alper Efe Ataman 30:30- Book #7- Rewire Your Chess Brain by IM Cyrus Lakdawala Mentioned: Episode 197 with IM Cyrus Lakdawala,  Endgames Studies 101 on Chessable37:30- Book #8- The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald 42:30- Book #9- Positional Chess by IM Shaun Talbut Mentioned: Move First, Think Later by IM Willy Hendriks Mentioned: Improve Your Positional Chess by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 182 with IM Willy Hendriks 47:00- Book #10- Universal Chess Training by GM Wojciech Moranda 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=benjohnson1254:00- How is Carsten currently working on his chess and blitz games?  Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual by CrafyRaf, The Dirty Harry Sicilian by IM Christof Sielecki, Play the Orangutan by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen1:11:00- Bonus book talk! Carsten showcases a few books that aren’t translated into English but should be. Mentioned: Larsen Volume 1, 30 Years at the Chessboard by Jens Enevoldsen1:19:00- Which of Carsten’s recent books would he recommend most highly?Mentioned: The Anti-Alapin Gambit, The Smyslov Workbook, The Chess Wizardry of Wotowa, Back to Basics: Chess Openings1:24:00- Some of Our Favorite Books of 2022: . Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championship, Albert W. Fox: A Life on and Off the Chess Board by John S. Hilbert, Evaluate like a Grandmaster, Think Like a Super GM1:25:00- Thanks to Carsten for joining me in studio! You can check out his books here:https://www.amazon.com/Books-Carsten-Hansen/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ACarsten+HansenFollow him on Twitter here:https://twitter.com/carstenchessIf you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community and be able to submit questions for guests and receive other perks, you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is GM Srinath Narayanan. Srinath is a 3 time Asian Junior Champion, a popular Chessable Author and a high-level trainer. GM Srinath has worked with many of India’s brightest young talents including, GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nihail Sarin. I caught Arjun at an interesting time, as both Arjun and Nihail had just won events in the star-studded Tata Steel India tournaments. What does it feel like when your longtime students are suddenly outperforming world elites like Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So? How does Srinath adjust the training plans of his students as they go from 2500 to 2700? We also talked about openings, as Srinath has co-authored (with GM Sahaj Grover) standout Chessable courses on The London System and the Catalan. We also discussed chess improvement, engine use, and we got Srinath’s take on the Carlsen/Niemann saga. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below. 0:00- What has surprised Srinath about the rise of his students, GMs Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nihail Sarin? Mentioned: Srinath’s Recent interview with IM Sagar Shah of Chessbase India’ 15:00- GM Erigaisi unleashed some epic opening preparation in a game against Sarin in their recent Tata Steel India Tournament. Did Srinath have a hand in the prep?Mentioned: CORRECTION- The article mentioned is by IM V Saravanan, my apologies V Saravanan article highlighting Erigaisi’s amazing prep 20:00- What training methods did Srinath use with GMs Sarin and Erigaisi?29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/31:00- Since he has co-written Chessable courses on both the London System and the Catalan, how would Srinath compare the two? 39:00- Srinath is an advocate of playing training games in an opening to learn it. Can improvers do this against a computer or is it better to find a training partner? 45:00- When discussing engine evaluations, Srinath says “not all zeroes are equal”. What does he mean by this? 49:00- Does Srinath have any tournaments coming up?Mentioned: FIDE World Rapid and Blitz 54:00- 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=benjohnson1255:00- Srinath shares his thoughts on the Niemann/Carlsen story and cheating in chess generally. Mentioned: His Tweets About it, Niemann-Erigaisi 20221:11:00- What is Srinath’s chess-improvement advice for ambitious amateurs? Mentioned: Move First and Think Later, On the Origin of Good Chess Moves 1:17:00- Thanks to GM Srinath for joining. Here are links to keep up with him:Chessable CoursesYouTubeTwitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by trainer, author and 6 time New Jersey state chess champion, IM Dean Ippolito. Dean has been an accomplished active player for decades, and a major theme of our conversation is the increasingly unforgiving nature of modern competitive chess. As Dean explains, players at all ages and levels are better prepared and more skilled than ever before. Competing with them is a challenge, but Dean relishes the opportunity to put his best foot forward and shares helpful advice for players of all levels who are looking to do the same. Dean was a lifelong New Jersey resident who recently relocated to Charlotte, in part to compete in events at the Charlotte Chess Center. Most recently, Dean played in the star-studded US Masters tournament. We also discuss Dean’s new book, Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers. The book draws on Dean’s decades of teaching experience and is a good choice for scholastic players and amateurs rated below 1500 or so. Lastly, Dean shares some fun stories from his years of high-level chess. As an accomplished veteran of the US Chess scene, Dean has seen the rise of Nakamura and Caruana and many others, and in his extensive chess travels, he has had memorable games against some world class competitors . You can find timestamps of topics discussed below. 0:00- You can subscribe to my free weekly chess news round up, the Perpetual Chess linkfest here:https://benjohnson.substack.com1:00- Dean reflects on the ups and downs of his chess career as it relates to his ratings up and downs, which translates to good universal advice for OTB players. 10:00- What would it take for Dean to become a Grandmaster? Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman (Ratings Discussion)15:00- What has Dean observed about adults sometimes losing interest in competitive chess? 20:00- What adjustments has Dean made for modern tournament chess? Mentioned: The Woodpecker Method 34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/36:00- What was the US Masters and North Carolina Open like in Charlotte? Mentioned: FM James Canty, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, GM Aman Hambleton, GM Daniel Naroditsky 45:00- What training will Dean do to try to earn the GM title? 55:00- 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=benjohnson1256:00- Why write a chess book?Mentioned: The Art of Attack in Chess, Get the E-Book here1:04:00 - Dean has decades of experience running chess clubs/academies. What advice does he give to those thinking of opening one? 1:11:00- What are Dean’s favorite chess memories? Mentioned: Ippolito-Sasrikan 2017, Morozevich-Ippolito 1997, GM Awonder Liang, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Parimarjan Negi 1:29:00- Thanks to Dean for joining me! Here is how to reach him:Email- Dean at deanofchess dot comBook- Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers. Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/deanofchess/?hl=enTwitter- https://twitter.com/deanofchess?lang=enWebpage- https://www.deanofchess.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vishnu is a 31 year old tech consultant, chess author and dad who has been waking up at 4 AM to study chess for hours before his family and work life begins. Vishnu shares his study routine and chess resource recommendations from studying chess intensively in recent years. Vishnu also candidly discusses his long term goal of becoming a GM, a goal that many would say is impossible for someone with so many other responsibilities to achieve. Lastly, Vishnu’s shares some of his best advice from his new book,  The Chess Bible – Most Instructive Tips, Axioms, One-Liners & Mantras. Although I am not sure if Vishnu will be able to achieve his ultimate goal, I enjoyed talking chess with him and can’t wait to see how his chess journey continues to unfold. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- Why does Vishnu work so hard on his chess? What are his goals? Mentioned: Vishnu’s rating page is here4:30- Why does he think no one has ever gone from the 2100 level to GM in their 30s? What makes Vishnu think he can be the first? 8:00- Vishnu details his study routine. 10:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Vishnu utilizes his Chess.com premium membership by making Puzzle Rush a part of his daily routine. If you decide to upgrade to a premium membership at Chess.com, you can help support the pod by signing up using this link (https://go.chess.com/Perpetual).Mentioned: GM Noel Studer’s Next Level Chess Blog 12:00- Vishnu continues discussion of his daily chess study routine?Mentioned: Chess Tempo, ChessMood.com, Blog Post- How Grandmasters Memorize Openings 25:00- 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=benjohnson1226:00- How has Vishnu’s routine changed? How often does he compete? 30:00- Vishnu shares a few book recs:Small Steps to Giant Improvement, Soviet Middlegame Technique 33:00- How does Vishnu deal with frustration and naysayers? Mentioned: FM James Canty, GM Ben Finegold, GM John Shaw 38:00- Does Vishnu’s tournament routine change with a tournament coming up? 42:00- What has Vishnu learned from ultra marathon runner David Goggins? 47:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/48:00- We discuss Vishnu’s book. He shares the inspiration for The Chess Bible – Most Instructive Tips, Axioms, One-Liners & Mantras and shares a few axioms… Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman’s How to Reassess Your Chess, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy 1:01:00- What improvement advice would Vishnu give to other improvers? Mentioned: 45 Positional Methods and Techniques, Chess Training for Post Beginners 1:04:00- Thanks to Vishnu for joining me! You can find him on Facebook or email him at kvwarrier108 at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As suspense builds in the FIDE Women’s World Championship Cycle, I am joined by one of France’s top female players to discuss what has transpired so far, and what is coming. My guest is WIM Andreaa Navrotescu. Andreaa is a Romanian-born, French-based chess player, Twitch streamer and commentator. Andreaa joined me shortly after returning from Monaco, where GM Lei Tingjie defeated Anna Muzychuk in a tense match, to advance to the next stage of the cycle. Andreea was there working as FIDE Press Officer. She described the atmosphere in Monoco and helped us preview the matches which will be starting next week in Uzbekistan. We also discuss Andreea’s own chess career, including her favorite memories, her content recommendations, her upcoming tournaments, and her current goals as a chess player. I very much enjoyed chatting with Andreea and look forward to tracking her career as well as the continuation of the FIDE Women's Candidates tournament. 0:00-  To nominate a chess educator for the Andy Lerner award, please go to this link:https://chessintheschools.org/andy-lerner-excellence-in-chess-education-award/2:45- Andreea joins the show and begins with a trip report of what it was like to be in Monaco for the FIDE Women’s Candidates quarter-final match, and to talk about which participants remain. GM Lei Tingjie has advanced to the semi-finals over the Muzychuk sisters and GM Humpy Koneru. More info on the Women’s World Championship cycle here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Candidates_Tournament_2022%E2%80%932315:00- Did the players bring trainers to help them prepare?Mentioned: GM Srinath Narayanan, GM Yuriy Kryvorucho 18:00- Who does Andreea consider the favorite in the bracket that features GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Tan Zhongyi? 20:00-Andreea shares some final reflections on the Women’s World Championship cycle so far including what chess lessons she took away25:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/26:00-Andreea discusses her chess development in Romania and France. What chess lessons did Andreea learn from her dad, IM Catalin Navrotescu? 32:00- Is GM Alireza Firouzja well known in France? 36:00-Andreea discusses her study regimen and her current chess goals. Mentioned: Sam Shankland’s Chessable Courses, GM Romain Edouard, GM Veselin Topalov 45:00-Andreea describes her experience at the Olympiad.Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen 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=benjohnson1252:00- Andreea discusses her upcoming tournament schedule and how she trains for an upcoming tournament59:00- Andreea discusses her Twitch streaming plans, as well as the popularity of chess Twitch streaming in France. Mentioned: Fiona Steil-Antoni, IM Julien Song, GM Laurent Fressinet  1:07:00- Outside of chess, what are Andreea’s interests? 1:09:00- Thanks to Andreea for joining the show! Here is how to keep up with her:Twitter-https://twitter.com/andy_rekt_chessInstagram-https://www.instagram.com/andy_rekt_chess/Linktree-https://linktr.ee/andy_rekt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices