Perpetual Chess Podcast

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns for another detailed conversation with a very dedicated amateur. 35 year old Hans Henning is a Dublin based chess enthusiast, who has a demanding job in tech sales, but is also spending multiple hours per day studying chess. Hans first gained interest in chess through Ludwig Ahgren and Pogchamps and since then has made steady progress up to a LiChess blitz rating of around 1900. In our conversation, Hans shares some personal details about why he finds chess so motivating, and why he has a particular love for studying openings. Hans also shares some great recommendations for books, courses, and study methods. As always, more info to topics referenced and timestamps can be found below. Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here:https://benjohnson.substack.com/0:00- What motivates Hans to spend tons of time studying chess? Mentioned: Checkmate Pattern Manual, Common Chess Patterns 7:30- How in Hans’ opinion, should one train chess? 11:00- How did Hans pull himself out of a depressive period?14:00- Does Hans worry that he could be fighting an uphill battle by trying to improve at chess in his 30s and beyond? 16:00- 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/17:00- Why does Hans love openings and choose to emphasize opening study? Mentioned: CT-Art, ChessDojo30:00- What did Hans learn about managing opening files from GM Sam Shankland and Killer Chess Training? 34:00- Does Hans worry about spending so much money on chess improvement? 38:30- 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=benjohnson1239:00- Welcome to the Chess dot bomb! Karen discusses her favorite Chess.com premium features, which includes GM Johan Hellsten’s “Lessons feature”, I also discussed the “Play Like …” feature. 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).41:00- What was it like to get lessons with renowned trainer, GM Johan Hellsten? After working with Johan and other trainers why did he ultimately decide to work on his own? 48:00- Hans describes his OTB chess experiences 53:00- Hans shares some book and resource recommendations! Move First Think Later, How To Study Chess on Your Own, Think Like a Super GM, Understanding Chess Move by Move, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics, Endgame Strategy1:00:00- Thanks to Hans for joining us! You can follow him on Twitter here:https://twitter.com/IamHansHenningIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with another bonus pod discussing the ongoing controversy involving GM Magnus Carlsen and GM Hans Niemann. This week there have been significant new events and information brought to light, and I am joined by 2 separate guests to review the developments and help sort it out. After reviewing the key events and quotes, I am joined by GM Alex Fishbein (9:00) and then IM Greg Shahade (1:11:00). The interview with Alex was recorded Wednesday night, September 21, and Greg’s interview was recorded Tuesday September 20. Thanks to them both for sharing their insights! 0:00- Links from Intro: Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here:https://benjohnson.substack.com/Fabiano/Cristian Chirila C Squared Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCFB_rNGTaw&feature=youtu.beSinquefield Cup Arbiter statement:https://twitter.com/ChrisBirdIA/status/1572615484654358529?s=20&t=so_SVkkCpU_B6vw1AJfTyw8:00- 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=benjohnson129:00- GM Alex Fishbein joins the show9:00- Was there anything unusual in Alex’s 3 OTB games against Hans? 15:00- How likely does Alex think the “prep leak theory" is? 24:00- Does Alex agree with GM Jacob Aagaard’s shoplifting/bank robbing analogy from last week’s bonus pod? 33:00- The crux of the issue is that chess has always been played partially based on an honor system 41:00- Is it true that its easier to cheat online than live? 46:00- How likely is one to encounter cheating in a typical OTB tournament? 1:00:00- Alex sums up his thoughts about what may have happened in St. Louis 1:10:00- 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/1:11:00- IM Greg Shahade joins the show Thanks to my guests for joining the show!If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by the 2021 US Women’s Champion and one of the top junior female players in the world, IM Carissa Yip. I talked with Carissa in  early September, at an interesting juncture in her life- she had just concluded her first Chess Olympiad, and was setting out for California, soon to begin her freshman year at Stanford University. This gave Carissa an opportunity to reflect on her past and future in chess and beyond. We discussed the following questions: What went right (and wrong) for Carissa and the US Women’s Olympiad Team? Why does she love the King’s Indian Defense? How did she get to her current chess level, and what would she need to do to advance even more? How does she plan to balance academics and chess? Plus Carissa told some fun stories involving interactions with GM Levon Aronian, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Garry Kasparov, and others. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up-https://benjohnson.substack.com/0:01- Carissa discusses her day-to-day as she was on the verge of beginning life as a Stanford University freshman. 4:30- How did Carissa prepare for the Women’s Chess Olympiad, where the U.S. team finished tied for third place? How was the event? Mentioned: GM Melih Khachiyan, GM Alejandro Ramirez 14:00- How did she interact with the team?Mentioned: Levon Trolling, Carissa Yip (Note this is a Chess.com not Chessbase India video (as I said). My mistake): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxqiTZBAWFM18:00- Carissa discusses her critical win over IM Tania Sachdev in the last round  and her love for the King’s Indian defense. Mentioned: Sachdev-Yip 2022,  22:00- 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/23:00- What parts of her game is Carissa trying to work on? Mentioned: Carissa’s Ladies Knight podcast appearance, The Giant Chess Puzzle Book32:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who are Carissa’s favorite players of the past and the present? 36:00- 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: How does Carissa plan to balance academics and chess? 43:00- What is the real story behind GM Andrew Tang’s photo, taken with GM Magnus Carlsen? Mentioned: Episode 241 with GM Andrew Tang, Andrew Tang blog post  50:00- Thanks to Carissa for joining the pod! You can keep up with her:Twitter:https://mobile.twitter.com/carissayipchessInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/carissayip/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with another bonus pod to discuss the Sinquefield Cup controversy with Tuesday’s guest, GM Jacob Aagaard. Jacob has worked with Hans personally, and like the rest of the chess world has been following this story very closely. There has been no statement from GM Magnus Carlsen, but there have still been many developments worth discussing in the past week. Timestamps of topics discussed are below, thanks to Jacob for rejoining us! Be sure to subscribe to my free weekly chess news roundup, the Perpetual Chess Linkfest, you can do so here:https://benjohnson.substack.com/0:00- What are the key events of the last week? What does Jacob think of the cheating theories?Mentioned: St. Louis Chess Club Arbiter’s Statement:https://grandchesstour.org/blog/2022-sinquefield-cup-chief-arbiter%E2%80%99s-statementJames Altucher Podcast with IM Kenneth Regan GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/85620:00- 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=benjohnson1221:00- We discuss a couple other of the videos and posts regarding whether Hans potentially cheated OTB before the Sinquefield Cup. Mentioned: Atlanta Kings ResearchTodd Bryant’s Response to above research Nikos Ntirlis’ Additional Response (Not mentioned on the podcast)29:00- Why does Jacob think that Hans is “the perfect test to expose the fallibility” of our current anti-cheating measures? 35:00- Jacob’s discusses the statement issued by Chess.comMentioned: Chess.com statement https://twitter.com/chesscom/status/1568010971616100352?s=20&t=lM603tHenLUdoXSKjm4aBQ42:00- Patreon mailbag question: Even as a recreational player, it is frustrating to get emails that you played online cheaters. Should online cheaters be punished more harshly? 49:00- 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/50:00- Why hasn’t Magnus issued a statement? What does Jacob think about his handling of the World Championship announcement? Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold Video59:00- Jacob discusses IM Ken Regan’s recent interview on The James Altucher podcast Mentioned: Carlsen-Niemann 2022, Video Version of Altucher Ken Regan Podcast, Background on the 2010 French Olimpiad cheating case hereThanks to Jacob for hopping back on and sharing his thoughts! Book- A Matter of Endgame TechniqueQuality Chess- http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/Killer Chess Training Facebook- 365 Chess Academy / Killer Chess Training | FacebookGM Jacob Aagaard’s Twitter- https://twitter.com/GMJacobAagaard?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.:Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by award winning chess author and renowned trainer, GM Jacob Aagaard. It has been more than 2 years since our last long-form interview, and we had tons of topics to cover. We discussed topics including the rise of the top young talents in the chess world, potential World Championship format chances, and chess business news. There was also plenty of talk about chess training and improvement. Our talk about improvement was particularly focused on endgames, because Jacob has recently released an ambitious and highly informative new book, A Matter of Endgame Technique. This book is nearly 900 pages in length and is packed with practical tips and illustrations of moments at which Grandmasters have gone wrong in endgames. Although Perpetual Chess is an audio only format, we tried to extract a few lessons that listeners can apply to their own games. GM Aagaard is never hesitant to share his opinions, and I always learn a lot from speaking with him. You can find timestamps of the topics discussed, as well as links for topics referenced below. 0:01- Perpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up-https://benjohnson.substack.com/GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/8560:02- Jacob discusses the “tidal wave” of young chess talents emerging from India and elsewhere. In 10 years, how many of the top 20 players in the world does he predict will be from India?13:00- Which young players does Aagaard consider most likely to someday be World Champions?Mentioned: Gukesh-Abdussatorov 2022, IM Levy Rozman Gukesh Interview 21:00- What in particular precipitates Jacob’s suggestion that IM Vaishali R may someday be Woman’s World Champion?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- What was Jacob’s reaction to the news that Chess.com is acquiring The Play Magnus Group? 35:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “What does Jacob think of potential changes to the World Championship Format?” 51:00- 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/53:00- What chess lessons can we learn from Jacob’s great new book A Matter of Endgame Technique? Mentioned: Think Like a Super GM, Under the Surface, Chess Tactics from Scratch, Positional Decision Making in Chess, Thinking Inside the Box 1:05:00- What is “The Steinitz Rule”?1:11:00- What is “The Shankland Rule”?1:16:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “What books similar to Thinking Inside the Box does Jacob recommend? Mentioned: Chess Structures, GM Johan Hellsten, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, The Road to Chess Improvement 1:20:00- What does Jacob think of GM Firouzja’s game?1:24:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- “Does Jacob think it is important for trainers to occasionally play?” Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center, IM Kassa Korley 1:30:00- Jacob discusses his pending emigration back to his native country, Denmark 1:33:00- What is the structure of Jacob’s training academy, Killer Chess Training? Mentioned: GM RB Ramesh1:41:00- Thanks to GM Aagaard for joining us! Links below:Book- A Matter of Endgame TechniqueQuality Chess- http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/Killer Chess Training Facebook- 365 Chess Academy / Killer Chess Training | FacebookGM Jacob Aagaard’s Twitter- https://twitter.com/GMJacobAagaard?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The chess world has been rocked this week by the sudden withdrawal of GM Magnus Carlsen in the early rounds of the Sinquefield Cup. Although only explained by a cryptic tweet, this unprecedented action has been widely interpreted as an allegation of foul play by GM Hans Niemann, who had defeated Magnus in the prior round.. This has been a complex story with tentacles reaching all over the chess world and making headlines beyond it. In this podcast I briefly attempt to catch listeners up on the key events, and then welcome IM Greg Shahade to try to provide a bit of clarity about what we know right now. Greg is the founder of the Pro Chess League and the US Chess School and in the latter role has observed Hans' chess talent as he has risen up the ranks. Greg shares his perspective of Hans' personality, and of the overall story. Links to the important topics referenced can be found below0:00- I go through the timeline of events and share a few thoughts. 18:00- IM Greg Shahade joins to discuss the newsA few quick notes and linksPerpetual Chess Link Fest Sign Up-https://benjohnson.substack.com/Chess Reddit Megathreadhttps://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/x7igg5/megathread_hans_niemann_allegations/Hans Niemann Round 5 interview- https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=CJZuT-_kij0GM Jacob Aagaard Blog post about his experience working with GM Hans Niemann https://forum.killerchesstraining.com/t/paranoia-and-insanity-by-jacob-aagaard/856Chess.com statement https://twitter.com/chesscom/status/1568010971616100352?s=20&t=lM603tHenLUdoXSKjm4aBQMy March 2022 Interview with GM Hans Niemannhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6SNm7UTFwTtzEnabV1p2in?si=6d79b33cdeaf4a5dThanks to our sponsors Chessable.com and Aimchess! Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/Aimchess- https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week our guest is a renowned trainer, and one of the most accomplished players on the American Chess circuit, GM Gregory Kaidanov. GM Kaidanov was ranked as high as top 20 in the world, and has accumulated a wealth of chess wisdom and memorable stories from his decades in the game. In our interview, Gregory takes us through his famously difficult journey from the former Soviet Union to Kentucky, and shares great chess advice based on his observations while coaching many scholastic champions and future GMs as well as adult chess enthusiasts. Speaking of adult chess enthusiasts, Gregory himself remains active as a chess player and recently qualified for one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, the FIDE World Cup. Gregory discusses how he stays motivated and how he has adjusted his tournament planning over the years. This is a long, but fun conversation. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Show notes and timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. 0:00- GM Gregory Kaidanov qualified for the FIDE World Cup at 62 years of age! What motivated him to play the qualifier in El Salvador?Mentioned: Episode 149 with GM Robert Hungaski, Episode 280 With GM Ben Finegold, Mike Klein’s 2009 profile of GM Gregory Kaidanov:http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/2009/2009_All.pdf9:00- As a full time trainer and occasional player, how does GM Kaidanov choose which tournaments to compete in? Mentioned: Sitges Spain 202211:00- How does GM Kaidanov work on his own game? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, IM John Donaldson 16:00- GM Kaidanov discusses the underrated utility of “solitaire chess” as a training method, and he shares advice on how to approach it. Mentioned: GM Bent Larsen, Episode 291 with GM Alex Fishbein23:00- Who is GM Kaidanov’s favorite player to study via solitaire chess? 25:00- What was it like to play his chess hero, Anatoly Karpov? Mentioned: GM Dmitry Gurevich, GM Alexander Shabalov 28:00- 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/30:00- Gregory tells the incredible story of his difficult emigration to the USA. Mentioned: Ken Troutman, GM Alex Fishbein 40:00- How does Gregory describe his journey to GM?49:00- 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=benjohnson1250:00- Gregory discusses working with some of his students, including GM Maurice Ashley, GM Ray Robson, and IM Josh Waitzkin 1:01:00- What was it like to work with GM Vasyl Ivanchuk?1:08:00- Does GM Kaidanov follow top tournaments? What has he learned from the games of GM Gukesh and Abdussatorov?1:14:00- Who is Gregory’s favorite modern player to study?1:15:00- What was it like to play a young Anand? What was it like to play against 3 of the Zurich 1953 participants from Zurich 1953 in the same tournament?Mentioned: Kaidanov-Anand 1987, Taimanov-Kaidanov 1988, Grischuk-Kaidanov 20181:30:00- What does Gregory think of the current crop of Under 21 players rated over 2700?1:32:00- Gregory’s take on the Magnus announcement1:34:00- Gregory tells an educational story involving GM Valery Chekhov and the legendary former World Champion Mikhail Tal.1:41:00- What can chess teach us that can help us in life?1:45:00- Thanks so much to Gregory for a fantastic conversation!! You can reach him via his website here:https://kaidanov.org/index1.htmlIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Season 2 of The How to Chess Podcast concluding, we are sharing one more "bonus pod" on this feed. This How to Chess episode features the renowned trainer and author, GM Johan Hellsten. In the interview, Johan shares tips for reviewing your chess games, and shares a few mistakes he commonly encounters from his students. To make sure you don't miss an episode of How to Chess, be sure to subscribe to it separately:You can Subscribe to How to Chess on all of the major podcast Platforms:How To Chess on Apple PodcastsSpotify And here is the Perpetual Chess interview with GM Hellsten which I referenced:Perpetual Chess Podcast: EP 273- GM Johan Hellsten on Chess Improvement, the Inspirations for his "Mastering Chess" Book Series, and his favorite OTB Memories on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are joined by the third highest rated chess player of all time, GM Fabiano Caruana. Fabiano joined me from the St. Louis Chess Club just days before he was set to begin a string of elite competitions there. This presented the opportunity for Fabiano to reflect on what has been an action packed and noteworthy 2022. Topics include:the 2022 Candidates, the World Championship Cycle, and Magnus’ decision to step down, what it feels like to be in a slump, the continued evolution of chess engines, the rise of teen talents and the evolution of chess, and lots more. It was quite an honor to speak with Fabiano, timestamps for topics discussed can be found below.  0:00- To subscribe to receive the Perpetual Chess Linkfest for free in your inbox, you can submit your email address at the bottom of the most recent post here:https://benjohnson.substack.com/p/perpetual-chess-link-fest-2-augustSinquefield Cup info: https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-chess-tour-watch/liveWorld Chess Hall of Fame infohttps://worldchesshof.org/exhibitions4:30- Fabiano joins! When did Fabiano find out that Magnus won’t be defending his title? Does that change his perspective about the 2022 Candidates? 11:30- Fabiano discusses his and Team USA’s performance at the Chess Olympiad15:00- Fabiano has mentioned he didn’t review his World Championship games much. Does he usually review his games? Mentioned: Peter Doggers interview with GM Fabiano Caruana:https://www.chess.com/news/view/fabiano-caruana-interview-carlsen-nepomniachtchi20:00- Was it hard to discuss chess openings with his USA teammates since they are often rivals? 22:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out all of their latest offerings here: 24:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did the results of young stars at the Olympiad presage a new chess world order? Mentioned: GM Arjun Erigaisi 26:00- Fabiano discusses the evolution of engines and the impact on young players. 34:00- 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=benjohnson1236:00- Does Fabiano have the same drive and energy as he did as a teenager?38:00- What advice would Fabiano to a player like GM Hans Niemann? Has he seen GM Hans Niemann’s interviews?41:00- What is Fabiano’s chess media consumption like? 43:00- Patreon mailbag question: Did Fabiano enjoy announcing with GM Robert Hess and IM Danny Rensch?Mentioned: Episode 282 FIDE Candidates Preview with GM Robert Hess 46:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Fabiano think Nepomniatchtchi or Ding is more likely to win their match? 51:00- Would Fabiano be open to making the World Championship a mix of Classical and Rapid? 56:00- Does Fabiano think Magnus should have been more explicit about his World Championship plans prior to the Candidates? 1:00:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Fabiano think he would have had the same chess success if he was raised somewhere other than New York City? Thanks so much to Fabiano for joining me! Here is the link to watch him in the Sinquefield Cup starting on September 1. https://grandchesstour.org/2022-grand-chess-tour-watch/liveIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s double episode features one more look back at the historic 2022 Chess Olympiad. We are joined by two different guests who  just returned to their homes from Chennai. Our first guest is Lula Roberts, a 24 year-old popular Twitch streamer who got the chance to represent her country (Jersey) at the Women’s Olympiad. Lula retells her chess results and her many memorable moments at what she hopes will be her first Olympiad of many.  Speaking of many Olympiads, our second guest is return guest and award winning author and historian, IM John Donaldson. John served as captain of the United States’ team for the 14th time, so he was able to draw on his vast knowledge of prior Olympiads to contextualize this one. In addition to discussing the Olympiad, John is a leading scholar of Bobby Fischer, so we discuss John’s latest Fischer research and his upcoming projects later in the interview. It was a lot of fun to get two vastly different perspectives on the Olympiad, and I am already looking forward to the next one in 2024! 0:00- Intro, brief discussion of the results of the Olympiad4:00- Thanks to our presenting sponsors, Chessable.com, be sure to check out Grind like a Grandmaster, and Levon Aronian’s new course, along with the rest of their huge catalog of chess courses. https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/4:45- Lula Roberts joins the show! 5:00- How did the opportunity for Jersey and Lula to compete in the Olympiad present itself? Mentioned: Jen Shahade’s book Chess Queens 8:00- Lula discusses the tournament itself, as well as how she spent time in between rounds 24:00- Did she like the team dynamic as opposed to individual tournaments?26:00- What has Lula’s approach to chess improvement been? 30:00- How did the Reykjavik Open compare to the Olympiad for Lula?  37:00- Thanks to Lula Robert for joining the show! Here is how you can keep up with her:Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lularobsLinktree:https://linktr.ee/lularobs38:00- 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=benjohnson1240:00- IM John Donaldson joins the show just after returning home to the U.S. John gives an overview of the tournament from his perspective. Mentioned: Chessbase Interview with GM Ivan Sokolov, coach of the Uzbek team, Giri vs. Vidit Death Match 1:06:00- What is a typical day like for the captain of the team at the Olympiad? 1:21:00- How will John look back on this tournament? 1:31:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does John have any plans to publish additional Fischer physical books? 1:33:00- Is it true that Fischer liked to yell “Bobby Kill!” during his blitz games as a teen? 1:34:00- More info on the Spassky-Fischer exhibition in St. Louis is here:https://explorestlouis.com/event/1972-fischer-spassky-the-match-its-origin-and-influence/2022-09-27/1:3700- Has John heard anything about the health of GM Boris Spassky recently? Mentioned: Episode 64 with GM Melih Khachiyan 1:47:00- Thanks, as always to IM John Donaldson for joining the show! If you haven’t already be sure to read Bobby Fischer and his World. Bobby Fischer and His World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices