Perpetual Chess Podcast

GM Jan Gustafsson is a popular and entertaining commentator for Chess24.com, a noted opening theoretician, a Chessable author, and 3 time member of GM Magnus Carlsen’s World Championship preparation team. Jan returned to Perpetual Chess for the fifth time to discuss chess news and the World Championship cycle, catch us up on the state of his chess game and to discuss what else he has been up to. Jan’s new projects include the launch of his own chess podcast, Chicken Chess Club,, where he and his friends, GM Laurent Fressinet and Peter Heine Nielsen give a light hearted rundown of the latest chess news. You can find timestamps below, for more detailed show notes, please go to the podcast webpage here:Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast0:00- We briefly discuss the origins of Jan’s new podcast, The Chicken Chess Club.5:30- Jan’s thoughts on the 2022 FIDE Candidates tournament, and whether Magnus will defend his title Mentioned:  Inside Team Magnus (behind Chess24 Paywall use promo code #Janistan)12:30- When did Jan find out he would be on Magnus Carlsen’s 2022 World Championship Preparation Team? 17:00- Patreon mailbag question: What does Jan think of IM Lawrence Trent’s new courses on 1… b6 and 1. Nc3. ? 19:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the stupidest opening idea that works? 20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com21:00- Jan plays in the elite German chess league called the Bundesliga. He discusses how his recent games have gone and the state of his chess game. 32:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Jan’s advice for creating an opening repertoire? 37:00- What is Jan trying to improve at?42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 44:00- Any plans for more weekly features on The Chicken Chess Club podcast? 49:00- How is Jan’s daughter’s chess game? 51:00- More Team Magnus and World Championship talk! What was the celebration like when Magnus defended his crown? 59:00- Will Jan do another Chessable course? 1:01:00- Jan reveals his plans for the 2022 Chess Olympiad? 1:03:00- What TV/series/moves has Jan been watching?1:08:00- Thanks to Jan for joining us! Be sure to subscribe/rate/review the Chicken Chess ClubIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by a Ukrainian and then a Russian guest to discuss the impact that the Russian-Ukrainian war has had on their lives and on the chess world. My first guest is GM Kirill Shevchenko. Kirill is a 19 year old rising star in the chess world, currently ranked #92 in the world, and #6 among juniors. He joined me from Germany, where he is in between tournaments, after leaving Ukraine to pursue his chess career. Kirill spoke very movingly about the devastation Russia’s attacks have wrought on his loved ones and his country, and about how he balances that with his chess career. Kirill continues to compete, and will soon play in his first Grand Chess Tour event. Following Kirill, I am joined by chess journalist and Twitch streamer, WFM Maria Emelianova. Maria is Russian, but like Kirill, felt compelled to leave her country when news of the attack broke. Maria has been an outspoken critic of the war, and has been working hard to raise funds to support Ukrainians. As Maria explains, this war has divided and scattered her family, an unfortunate situation which is not uncommon in Russia. I found both interviews to be quite enlightening, and I am inspired by the spirit of the chess community in trying circumstances. Please read on for interview timestamps and relevant links.I apologize for the background noise at points in these interviews, if you would like to read an edited transcript while you listen, you can do so here:EP.276-KirillShevchenkoandM... | Public Trint | TrintYou can also view a ‘read only’ lightly edited transcript here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQG2m9fXCK23o0UBTkWzBhhS_dss2ogQneNnTU2Za0GpkSTInIRY-59QzWIl0vEVhm_nVODtvrcuJTr/pubYou can donate to Kirill’s charity, Care with Team Hikaru, here:https://events.softgiving.com/donate/Team-Hikaru-CARE-For-UkraineOr donate directly to Ukrainians in need via WIM Nastya Rakhmangulova here:https://linktr.ee/nastiachess0:04- Kirill joins the show 42:00- Maria Emelianova joins the show!Follow Kirill on Twitter here:https://twitter.com/chesser_22?lang=enMaria’s Twitch- : https://www.twitch.tv/photochess Maria’s Instagram-  https://www.instagram.com/photochess/?hl=enPerpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com and Chessable.com For full show notes, please go here:Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Michael “Mickey” Adams is a legend of British chess who has been an elite chess player for the last 30 years. He is a former World Champion finalist, the 7 time champion of Great Britain and has been ranked as highly as #4 in the world. Michael is also an author, most recently of the very original and instructive new book, Think Like a Super GM, with co-author Philip Hurtado. Michael is normally one of the most active players on the tournament circuit, and as Covid subsides he is preparing to resume a busy schedule, beginning with the Tepe Siegman invitational in May. In our fascinating and entertaining conversation, Mickey shares some memorable stories, and discusses whether he has made adjustments to his game as he turns 50. We also discuss Michael’s new book in detail and shared some of its chess improvement takeaways. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and links to topics that were referenced.  Brief timestamps are below, for full show notes please go to the podcast website EP 276- GM Michael Adams- Stories and Lessons from Mickey's decades Among the Chess Elite — The Perpetual Chess PodcastYou can read my reviews of Think Like a Super GM on my Lichess blog or Chess.com blog. 0:00- Mickey has a tournament coming soon, how does he prepare especially after the pandemic? 10:00- How has Mickey maintained his chess strength up to age 50? 18:00- What is Mickey’s approach to using engines? 21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on that data. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 22:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who is the most naturally talented player that Mickey has ever played against? 27:00- What was it like to play chess with legends like Spassky and Tal? 30:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Mickey’s favorite victory over a fellow Super GM?33:00- Mickey tells a few entertaining stories from his younger years involving Kasparov . Kramnik and GM Joel Lautier. 43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses  Best of British Chessable Course with GM Simon Williams  44:00- Chess improvement takeaways from Mickey’s new book57:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will Mickey ever write a games collections book? 1:02:00- Patreon mailbag question: What self-study methods did Mickey use, and which does he recommend? Mentioned: GM Mark Hebden, GM Keith Arkell1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Mickey’s advice for how to approach big open Swiss tournaments? 1:11:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who does Mickey think will win the Candidates tournament?1:20:00- Patreon mailbag question: What does Mickey think of the possibility that Magnus won’t play the next World Championship match? He also shares some ideas of alternative World Championship formats. 1:30:00- Is it true that Mickey has never had a “real job?1:34:00- Does Mickey still have a condo in Florida?1:36:00- What is Mickey’s favorite chess venu1:39:00- Thanks so much to Mickey for joining the pod! Here are the best ways to keep up with him. Mickey's Website Think Like a Super GM (free excerpt here) (Forward Chess version) Best of British Chessable Course with GM Simon Williams If 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

IM Ali Mortazavi, a former top British junior player and CEO of a biotech company, discusses British chess culture, encounters with chess legends like Kasparov and Carlsen, and how chess has helped his career. He shares stories from his early chess travels and his work with chess computer software in the 1990s. The podcast also covers his encounters with GM Michael Adams and GM Viswanathan Anand, and his reflections on the differences between chess players and others.

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series is back, but this time with a twist. We feature a senior guest who is “more interested in sustainment than improvement”, and we have a guest co-host joining the conversation! Our guest, Paul Hedrick is a 56 year old literature and history teacher based in New Mexico. Paul enjoys listening to Perpetual Chess, but felt that older, less improvement focused chess lovers like himself were underrepresented on the podcast. To help guide the conversation, I enlisted the help of Han Schut. Han is a Chess Steps trainer, a Chessable Author and a frequent contributor to New in Chess magazine. The three of us try to sort out questions such as: Why does Paul study chess daily if his goal is not to improve? How can one know if they should shift their goals from “Adult Improver” to “Senior Sustainer?” How should one supplement the curriculum of the Chess Steps method? Both Paul and Han offered great perspectives on the different roles chess study can play in one's life, so I hope you all enjoy the conversation as I did. More details below.0:00- Interested in appearing or suggesting an adult Improver guest for Perpetual Chess? Please use this form so that I can potentially refer back to it later : Potential Adult Improver Guest Han Schut’s Prior Appearance- (Episode 142, 2019)Book Review #25- Review and Discussion of the Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games 06:00- Why did Paul volunteer to come on the show? Mentioned: Episode 272- Positional Puzzle Book Championship with Neal Bruce 11:00- What is Paul’s “why” for playing chess? 19:00- Paul discusses his chess routineMentioned: Second Piatgorsky Cup 1966, Ken Smith, 30:00- Patreon mailbag question- Was there a moment where Paul decided to switch from “improver” to “sustainer” mode? 33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 35:00-  Patreon mailbag question How can one decide whether to focus on improvement or sustainment? 40:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Paul prioritize studying things he sounds fun? 42:30- Patreon mailbag question: Does Paul think his study is helping him avoid blunders?43:30- Han’s advice for mitigating blunders. 46:30- Han describes the Chess Steps method, which you can order here.47:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com, check out what is new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com48:00- Patreon mailbag question: In the current chess climate, does one need to get better just to keep the same rating?  51:30-  The Chess dot bomb sponsored segment is brought to you by Chess.com! Paul and I discuss the Chess.com Explorer feature, which allows you to learn openings, study master games, your own archive, and to add them to a personal library. 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).54:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Han think there will be greater adoption of the Steps Method in the US?Mentioned: Episode 167 with IM Jop Delemarre, IM Cor van Wijgerden1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: Question for Han: What makes a good compliment to the Chess Steps series? Mentioned: Lichess Database, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios, Lichess 4545 League1:14:00- Thanks so much to Paul for joining us! And thanks to Han Schut for guest co-hosting and sharing his expertise!Here is the link for Han’s scheduled live Chess Steps presentation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/D7gfDpEiDks Saturday April 16 at 2 pm EST Link to Dubov’s Explosive Italian: https://www.chessable.com/dubovs-explosive-italian/course/80152/If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community you can do so here:  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am joined this week by renowned trainer, author, and 2006 Swedish National Champion, GM Johan Hellsten. Johan is best known for his excellent book/Chessable course Mastering Chess Strategy, and its successors Mastering Opening Strategy, and Mastering Endgame Strategy. These courses are highly regarded by chess trainers and students alike, and are packed with educational puzzles. In our conversation, we got into the origins of these voluminous projects, plus Johan answered a ton of chess improvement related questions from listeners to the podcast. Lastly, Johan told some fun stories from his time playing on the Swedish Olympiad Team, and shared the names of some authors that were formative in his own chess development. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links.  0:00- How was Johan influenced by the work of legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky? Mentioned:Sergey Dolmatov, GM Artur Yusupov, 64 Chess Magazine08:25- What was the vision behind Mastering Chess Strategy and Johan’s Mastering series? 15:00- What are some books one could do that aren’t as challenging as Johan’s fantastic books? Mentioned: Simple Chess by Michael Stean, Winning Chess Strategies by Yasser Seirawan (also on Chessable) , Silman’s Reassess Your Chess WorkbookEpisode 272- “Positional Puzzle Book Championship” with Neal Bruce Shane Taulbut, chess books, GM Arthur Yusupov, IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Yasser Seirawan, John Nunn’s Understanding Chess Move by Move 18:45- How does Johan find so many instructive positions? Mentioned: Follow Chess App, Chessbomb, Chess24.com, Mark Crowther’s The Week in Chess29:00- Patreon mailbag question from Neal Bruce! Should players at different rating levels approach Johan’s books differently? 39:00- Patreon mailbag question: In what order should one read Johan’s courses/books?Mentioned: Chess for Educators by Karel van Delft 45:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. In addition to GM Johan Hellsten’s series, one can find tons of courses on all phases of the chess game, check out what is new here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com46:00- If you don’t have a coach what is the best way to identify your weaknesses that are holding you back? Mentioned: GM Stellan Brynell 1:00:00- Johan discusses how club players can choose openings based on their styles. 1:06:00- What are Johan’s favorite game collection books? Do we need to study their books or just play through a great players games on a computer?Mentioned: GM Mickey Adams, GM Viswanthan Anand, GM Mark Taimanov, GM Svetozar Gligoric, GM Bent Larsen, GM Mikhail Botvinnik, GM Bobby Fischer 1:14:00- Patreon mailbag question: What are the chess cultures like in Sweden and Ecaudor? (Where Johan lives) Mentioned: GM Stellan Brynell, GM Johnny Hector, GM Jan Timman, GM Julio Granda Zuniga, IM Greg Shahade, GM Johan Hellsten’s YouTube Lectures, GM Wesley So1:22:00- Patreon mailbag question: How was Johan influenced by legendary Swedish player Ulf Andersson? Mentioned: GM Viktor Korchnoi, GM David Anton, Hellsten-GM Viktor Kupreichik (1996), GM Andrey Kovalev, Hellsten-Kovalev 19961:35:00- Thanks so much to GM Hellsten for sharing his wisdom and stories!You can reach him and check out his Chess.com Series herehttps://www.chess.com/member/jhellstenAnd be sure to get his Chessable courses here:https://www.chessable.com/author/jhellsten2/You can find the same material in book form, here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Popular guest and dedicated improver Neal Bruce is back on Perpetual Chess to break down the most useful “Positional Chess Puzzle” Books for club players. For those who have not heard Neal’s prior appearances, he is a dad and an executive at a software startup who devotes a lot of his free time to improving his chess game, often via flash cards made from chess books. Neal is amidst a 10 year study plan and has recently completed a phase during which he went through 8 positional puzzle books. In our interview, Neal discusses why he thinks this was an important step for his chess development and assesses the books he read. He ranks them in order, assesses their pros and cons, and their usefulness for different rating levels. At the end of Neal’s book breakdown we catch up with Neal a bit and discuss what is next in his 10 year chess study plan. Links for all of the books referenced, as well as timestamps are below.  Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition by IM Arthur van de OudeweeteringHow to Reassess Your Chess 4th Edition by IM Jeremy Silman Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten (also available on Chessable) Mastering Positional Sacrifices by IM Merijn van Delft The Positional Chess Handbook by FM Israel Gelfer Practical Chess Exercises by Ray Cheng IM Jeremy Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook Techniques of Positional Play by Valeri Bronznik and IM Anatoli Terekhin .Prior appearances by Neal: “Pawn Book Championship” Episode 241Book Recap #11- Taking Winning Chess Strategies with Neal Bruce Book Recap #6- Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce 0:00- We begin by catching listeners up on Neal’s background and discussing why Neal decided to study 8 “positional puzzle” books. 5:00- How has this intense study of positional chess impacted Neal’s chess game? 14:00- What books might be good precursors to the books that Neal discusses? Mentioned: Simple Chess by GM Michael Stean, The Power of Pawns 16:00- Neal discusses two books that didn’t make the list: Winning Chess Strategy for Kids by Jeff Coakley, Beyond Material by GM Davorin Kuljasevic 20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com.. To check out their latest offerings, please go here:New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com21:30- Neal ranks the 8 books he reviewed! The first 4 books are:IM Jeremy Silman’s Reassess Your Chess Workbook  (Read Dr. Patzer’s review here)The Positional Chess Handbook by FM Israel Gelfer How to Reassess Your Chess 4th Edition by IM Jeremy Silman (Discussed in Book Recap #2) Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition by IM Arthur van de Oudeweetering 37:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 38:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess39:30- The final 4! Techniques of Positional Play by Valeri Bronznik and IM Anatoli Terekhin . Read Sam Copeland’s Review of Techniques of Positional PlayMastering Positional Sacrifices by IM Merijn van Delft Check out IM Andras Toth’s review of Neal Mona List here Practical Chess Exercises by Ray Cheng Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten (also available on Chessable) 1:04:00- What are Neal’s OTB tournament plans? What books will he read next?1:08:00- Thanks as always to Neal for dedicating so much time to sharing his chess knowledge!The best way to reach and keep up with him is via Twitter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss an excellent game compilation book, The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games by GM John Nunn, GM John Emms, GM Michael Adams, and GM Wesley So. Joining me to discuss the book are cognitive scientist and USCF Master, Dr. Christopher Chabris, and a co-author and editor of the book, FM Graham Burgess. We discuss questions such as “What defines a great chess game?” “How are the best games chosen in this book?” “Why aren't any wins by Nakamura or Aronian in the book?” “What other books attempt to cover the best chess games in history?” It is a fascinating project, and the book is excellent, with an amazing compilation of historic games with instructive, succinct prose and high-level analysis. You can find lots more details, timestamps, links below..Prior appearances by Dr. Christopher Chabris:Episode 95 with Christopher Chabris Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris Book Recap #4: Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov Book Recap #15: Secrets of Practical Chess and Attack the Strongpoint Gambit apps on which you can purchase Mammoth for Apple and Google0:00- Why did Christopher Chabris choose this book to discuss? What is the structure of the book? 13:00- What other game compilations are comparable?Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Logical Chess Move by Move, The Most Instructive Games of All Time, The Golden Dozen, Understanding Chess Move by Move,100 Best Games of the 20th Century 20:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 21:15- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess22:00- We are joined by the co-author and overseer of The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games, FM Graham Burgess35:00- How did GM Wesley So and GM Michael Adams get involved in the project? 43:00- Graham shares some details on the game selection process. Mentioned: Kramnik-Kasparov 200048:00- Did the authors think of using engines to judge the “quality” of the games? Mentioned: Krogius-Stein, Kasparov-Karpov Game 24, 198558:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their new and upcoming courses include GM Simon Williams updating The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, and GM Hans Niemann course on Jobava London. 59:00- We return to discuss some highlights of the book. Mentioned: Gufeld’s Mona Lisa, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Boguljubow-Alekhine 19221:13:00- Which legendary player is featured the most in the book?Mentioned: Alekhine’s Gun , Aronian Anand, Rotlewi-Rubinstein, Anand-Adams1:23:00- Should they have more engine games?1:26:00- Patreon mailbag question- “What are Dr. Chabris’ recommendations for aging chess players aka “senior sustainers”?Mentioned: GM Larry Kaufman, Cognitive Chess 1:31:00-  Patreon mailbag question- “Is there a Mozart effect in chess?”If 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

18 year old GM Hans Niemann is a rising star in the chess world. He has rapidly risen from U.S. scholastic champion to one of the top 100 players in the world! His ascent has been particularly steep since January 2021, as he has gained over 150 rating points in 15 months! Hans joined me shortly after a tournament in St. Louis to assess his recent progress and to talk about his upcoming plans. Hans has a loyal Twitch following, and is at an age when many start university, but he has chosen to devote all of his energy to chess, and is spending 10-12 hours per day studying, with a goal of playing 150 tournament games per year. Hans has also recently completed a Chessable course on the Jobava London, and as this podcast is being released, he is competing in a Champions Chess Tour event. We covered a lot of ground in our interview, and it was fascinating to hear about the training regimen and lifestyle of one of America’s top young chess players. Please read on for more details and relevant links. . 0:00- Who has Hans run into while staying in St. Louis? Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Leinier Dominguez, GM Levon Aronian 04:30-How on earth did Hans go from 2480 FIDE to 2640 FIDE in 14 months? Mentioned: Cover Stories with Chess Life Episode 35 09:00- What is a typical day like for Hans? Mentioned : 2022 Airthings Masters, 2022 Spring Chess Classic 15:30- Patreon mailbag question : “What might Hans need to do differently to get to 2700 FIDE?”21:00- Hans set aside a successful Twitch stream and the possibility of attending a good university to pursue chess. Does he ever think about the risks involved with this choice? 24:00-What Hans learned from his coaches. Mentioned: IM John Grefe, GM Walter Browne, GM Maxim Dlugy29:00- Does Hans consciously work on his blitz game?Mentioned: Episode 191 with GM Daniel Naroditsky 30:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Hans think one should hire a coach?”32:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their new and upcoming courses include GM Simon Williams updating The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, and GM Hans Niemann course on Jobava London. 33:00- Hans discusses his busy upcoming tournament schedule36:00- Does Hans do any traveling or socializing in between tournaments? 39:00- Hans on Bobby Fischer45:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 46:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess47:00- Dubai World Championship Trip Report Mentioned: Antipov-Niemann 202258:00- Has Hans considered a less intense approach to chess study?Mentioned: Jeen-yuhs on Netflix1:02:00- Hans discusses his upcoming Chessable course on The Jobava London and how he thinks about the tradeoffs involved in devoting time to making a course. 1:04:00- What books or chess resources does Hans recommend? What are his other chess improvement recommendations? Mentioned: Capablanca’s Hundred Best Games of Chess, Grandmaster Preparation- Positional Play 1:06:00- Hans discusses his interactions with some top players. Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Richard Rapport, GM Anish Giri1:10:00- Hans shares his thoughts on young phenom, GM Alireza Firouzja. Info on the Firouzja/Tata Steel Controversy Hans references is here. 1:16:00- Did being a top youth cyclist help Hans’ chess?  1:18:00- Hans shares some more details on his Chessable course on The Jobava London. 1:20:00- Thanks to Hans for joining the show! Here are the best ways to keep up with him:Twitter- https://twitter.com/hansmokeniemann?lang=enTwitch- https://www.twitch.tv/gmhansnIf you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cody Smith is a 31 year old Alabama- Twitch streamer, and chess instructor. Cody started serious chess at age 24 and has seen a slow and steady climb over the years to a Lichess blitz rating of about 2050 and about 2150 Rapid. Cody is self-taught, using free online resources and has barely ever cracked a chess book!  He recently has tried out OTB tournaments, and offers lots of useful reflections and advice for anyone interested in making a similar transition. Cody also offers lots of tips about how to get the most out of game review, and shares his approach to studying openings, tactics, and many other phases of the game. Please read on for many more details, timestamps, and any relevant links. Check out the rest of the Adult Improver series hereOr on this Spotify Playlist 0:00- Are you interested in appearing on Perpetual Chess as an adult Improver? Please fill out this form so that I can keep it for future reference: Potential Adult Improver Guest 02:00- Cody’s chess beginnings Mentioned: GM Simon Williams YouTube, IM John Bartholomew’s Climbing the Rating Ladder, NM ChessNetwork’s Beginner to Chess Master, GM Ben Finegold, IM Levy Rozman, GM Daniel Naroditsky’s Speed Run 09:00- Why didn’t Cody play much speed chess in his early chess days? 12:00- Cody discusses his approach to engine game review. 21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 24:30- Has Cody hit any major rating plateaus?  26:00- How many hours a day does Cody spend on his chess?28:00- Cody has recently begun playing an OTB live league in Alabama. What can he share about that experience? Was he nervous?40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here. New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com41:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Cody’s approach to learning from videos?”45:00- What is Cody’s approach to learning about openings? Mentioned: My blog can be read on Chess.com or LiChess 50:00- Chesskid offers a safe environment for kids to learn chess, and provides opportunities to play against other kids and bots, watch instructive videos and lessons, do puzzles, and join clubs where coaches can run tournaments. You can receive a discount when you sign up or upgrade your child or students to a gold membership by using this link: https://www.chesskid.com/membership/promo/perpetualCHESSKID CONTEST INSTRUCTIONS- Play the Anand bot here, he’s the avatar on the bottom right  If you win, draw, or last at least 40 moves, email the game or your Chesskid screenname to support@chesskid.com (with subject line Perpetual Chess) The first 3 winners receive a free 1 yr gold membership both for themselves and 1 kid  54:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Cody think about the issue of Twitch streamers and their followers potentially forming ‘parasocial relationships.’ ”Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold 1:01:00- What is Cody’s advice for getting into Twitch streaming? 1:05:00- Cody has also gotten into scrabble, shogi, and go, how does learning these games compare to chess? Mentioned: Episode 263 with Oliver Roeder, GM Mathew Sadler, GM Peter Heine Nielsen1:11:00- Thanks so much to Cody for sharing his tips and his story. Follow CLSmith15 on his Twitch channel here. Follow him on Twitter here. If you would like to help to support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices