Perpetual Chess Podcast

This week Dr. Jana Krivec joins me. She is the seven-time Woman’s National Champion of Slovenia.  Jana is also a Professor of Psychology at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica, Slovenia. She has recently released a book that synthesizes her interests in chess and brain science. Her book,  Improve Your Life by Playing a Game, gives a rundown of the many psychological issues that chess players often confront, and offers actionable advice on how we all can improve our study habits and our approaches to playing chess. I had a good time speaking with Dr. Krivec, and I think that you will enjoy the interview. Please read on for more details and timestamps.    0:00- We begin by discussing the cognitive biases that are most prevalent amongst chess players.  Mentioned: Adult Improver interview with Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar, (The book recap I mentioned with Dr. Christopher Chabris will be out later this month) , The Dunning Kruger Effect, Emanuel Lasker, Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman    15:00- How can we combat these biases?   20:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Their latest offerings include, Lifetime Repertoires: The Queen’s Gambit Declined by GM Alex Colovic and The Psychology of Chess Tactics    21:00- Dr. Krivec answers a question from the Patreon mailbag about how to deal with the common issue of online “chess tilt.”  Mentioned: The Power of Habit    39:00- Jana answers a Patreon question about how to deal with stress in online chess and she’s asked whether she thinks chess is helpful or harmful with anxiety issues.  Mentioned: Autogenic Training, Progressive Muscle Relaxation    55:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com!  Check out Chessmood’s blog is here:  https://chessmood.com/blog  and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 56:00- What factors were most instrumental in Jana’s chess successes?    1:04:00- Does Dr. Krivec have an opinion about whether it is better to learn from books or from online tools like Chessable?    1:12:00- Thanks so much to Dr. Krivec for joining the show. You can contact her via Facebook.    You can purchase or see a free teaser of her book via Thinkers Publishing Here: Improve Your Life by Playing a Game – Learn how to turn your life activities into lifelong skills - Thinkers Publishing If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back with  another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. My guest, Vishnu Sreekumar, is a 35 year-old cognitive scientist and dad, who has been dedicating many hours to studying and playing chess since he rediscovered his love for the game in 2018. There have been plenty of obstacles along the way, but Vishnu has had great success, as his USCF rating has  risen from 1675 to 1954 in the 1.5 years preceding the onset of Covid’s changes to all of our lives.  During this period  he has continued to work on his chess, although unfortunately work responsibilities and a pending move back to his native India may soon slow down his chess schedule. Vishnu is also a classically-trained pianist. This background gives him even more perspective on the field of adult learning. So between the chess talk and the neuroscience talk, there is a lot to learn from Vishnu. Please read on for many more details and timestamps.    0:00- Vishnu shares a bit about his background and his beginnings in chess, as well as his initial tentative return to tournament play in 2018. .  Mentioned: GM Nihail Sarin,  Meet the Dojo with GM Jesse Kraai- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kAGwWsRsKU&t=1381s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance  How to Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman, Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis    12:30- Perpetual Chess is proud to be brought to you in part by Chessable.com. To check out their latest offerings, you can go here:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/for-beginners/ 13:00- At the peak of his chess obsession, Vishnu was spending 3+ hours a day on chess while maintaining work and family responsibilities as well. In this segment, Vishnu shares some of the resources he studied, but he also reflects on that period of obsession, and the adjustments he has since made to make sure that chess doesn’t supplant his family and work responsibilities.  Mentioned: Domination in 2,545 Endgame Studies, Grandmaster Chess- Positional Play,   Test Your Chess IQ. Understanding Chess Move by Move, Tal Botvinnik 1960 , GM Jesse Kraai, Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, Episode 175 with GM Jesse Kraai    21:00- Vishnu answers a question from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag. “Is it better to study tactics from a book or from an online tactics trainer?”  Mentioned: The Test of Time, Winning with the King’s Indian by Eduard Gufeld    26:00- Patreon question: “What are Vishnu’s biggest regrets in how he has studied chess?”  Mentioned: GM R.B. Ramesh    33:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount.   35:00- Vishnu answers a few questions from Patreon supporters  relating to the cognitive science of chess.  Mentioned: Practical Chess Exercises, Lev Alburt Pocket Chess Training Books, Woodpecker Method, Sherlock’s Method, Universal Chess Training,  IM Elizabeth Paehtz, Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics    41:00- Patreon question: “As a cognitive scientist, why does Vishnu think it’s so hard for adults to improve at chess?”  Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Peter Svidler, GM Jan Gustafsson, IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, GM Jesse Kraai, GM Avetik Grigoryan    57:30- Another Patreon question- “Is there a correlation between chess and long term brain health?”    1:00:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com!  Check out their blog here:  https://chessmood.com/blog  and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood   1:01:00- Does Vishnu have advice for how to balance a desire to improve at chess with work and family responsibilities?  1:08:00- We discuss Vishnu’s background in music, as well as his daughter’s burgeoning interest in music. He also answers a Patreon mailbag question relating to whether he thinks that chess talent and music talent are transferable?    Mentioned: The Steps Method    1:16:00- With Vishnu moving to India and opening a lab, what role will chess take in his life?    Thanks to Vishnu for sharing his chess story! You can keep up with him via Twitter https://twitter.com/VishChess or Facebook Vishnu Sreekumar | Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Czech grandmaster Vlastimil Hort  was among the world's best players in the 1960s, '70s, and into the mid-'80s. Born in Czechoslovka, the five-time national Czech champion emigrated to West Germany in 1985  and was subsequently the 3 time West German national champ.  GM Hort has played against most World Champions of the modern era, and has memorable stories about Bobby Fischer,  Boris Spassky, Paul Keres, and countless others.  GM Hort is also the co-author of the classic instructional book, The Best Move, and his latest book,  My Chess Stories, 64 Stories From His Life Near the Top in Chesshas recently been translated to English. GM Hort reflects on a few of the standout stories in our interview, including how a bribe at a chess tournament in Tunis helped him escape Czechoslovakia in 1985.  He also gives us the details of his less-than-pleasant interactions with GM Mikhail Botvinnik. So many fun stories below, and such an honor to speak with GM Hort. Please read on for timestamps and more details.  In addition to listening via audio, a transcript is available of this podcast thanks to the efforts of Dr. Stephen Sparks. You can read the interview transcript here.  0:00- We launch in by GM Hort sharing his memories of attending Hastings 1967, a tournament for which he had no money to attend, so he ended up sleeping in a park en route to the facilities. Chess has come a long way!  Mentioned: Hastings 1967-1968   7:30- Why did GM Hort decide to emigrate from the Czechoslovakia to Germany? He tells the amazing story of bribing passport control after theTunis Interzonal in 1985.  Mentioned: Wilfried Hilgert, Tunis Interzonal 1985, GM Mikhai Suba, GM Evgenij Ermenkov    14:00- Hort tells a story involving his fellow Czech native who recently passed away, GM Lubomir Kavalek.  Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, Leonid Brezhnev    16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 17:30- GM Hort did not have the best relationship with former World Champion, GM Mikail Botvinnik. What events led to this bit of discontent?  Mentioned: GM Bent Larsen, GM Paul Keres    24:00- GM Hort had a famously tough loss against GM Boris Spassky in 1977 during the Candidates cycle. How does he look back on that match? And how is GM Boris Spassky doing today?  Mentioned: GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM William Lombardy. GM Lajos Portisch, GM Pal Benko, GM Bent Larsen, GM Viktor Korchnoi    30:00- GM Hort answers a Patreon mailbag question: how did it feel to compete against Soviet players when one had to worry about the possibility of collusion?  Mentioned: GM Karpov, GM Lajos Portisch, GM Bent Larsen, Wolfram Hartmann,    34:00- It has been alleged that GM Milan Matulovic accepted a bribe to throw the Candidates match against Taimanov  in the FIDE Candidates in 1970? Does GM Hort find this story credible?    36:30-  Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com!  Check out their blog here:  https://chessmood.com/blog  and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 37:30- Was there a test given to Czech youth to assess chess talent? What constitutes chess talent?  Mentioned: Lubomir Ljubovic, GM Tony Miles, GM Lajos Portisch    42:00- How did GM Hort study middlegames?  Mentioned: GM Hans Kmoch, Rubinstein Chess Masterpieces    44:00- Another Patreon question: How did the idea for the classic book, The Best Move, come about?  Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jacob Aagaard    46:30- Patreon question: Who was the most intimidating player to play against? This leads to GM Hort sharing some recollections of the famed Match of the Century in 1970.  Mentioned: GM Lev Polugaevsky    50:00- How was GM Hort’s relationship with Bobby Fischer? Mentioned: GM Svetozar Gligoric, GM Eugenio Torre    55:00- What does GM Hort think of modern chess and the increased importance of computers? He also mentions the name of the player who, in his opinion,  is the best player that ever was.  Mentioned: GM Firouzja, GM Jorden van Forrest, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Anish Giri, Bobby Fischer    58:00- Patreon question: What keeps GM Hort loving chess after all of those years?    1:02:00- How does GM Hort keep up with modern chess?    1:03:00- What are GM Hort’s favorite activities outside of modern chess?    1:06:00- Thanks so much to GM Hort for joining us and sharing some amazing stories! His book is available here: https://chess.co.uk/products/vlastimil-hort-my-chess-stories   Thanks to Michael Busse of the Schachgeflüster Podcast. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an annual tradition, IM Greg Shahade returns to the show. Greg is the founder of the Pro Chess League as well as the US Chess School, and is a former scholastic champion turned adult-improving, dangerous speed chess specialist. His Chess.com blitz rating hovers in the 2600-2700 range, and he has beaten the likes of GM Alexey Shirov and GM Praggnanandhaa in recent Chess.com TItled Tuesday tournaments. Greg breaks down the secrets to his success- it turns out it has involved a lot of hard work on his openings! He also impart lessons from his success in order to help improving players lower on the rating ladder. Additional topics include:  the growth and evolution of chess, why Greg isn’t as vocal about his chess promotion ideas anymore, plus he answers a few fun Patreon mailbag questions. Whether you agree with Greg’s views of chess or not, its always fun to hear his perspective. Please read on for lots more details and timestamps.    Prior Interviews with IM Greg Shahade  Episode 1 Episode 55 Episode 107 Episode 159 0:00-  Greg’s blitz rating has been consistently improving even as he hits his early 40s. What are his study tricks? What approach should he take to study openings?   Mentioned: Chessable.com, GM Alexei Shirov, GM Kiril Alekseenko, GM Jan Gustafsson’s Lifetime Repertoires Course, GM Elshan Moriadibadi, The London System, IM Andras Toth, GM Magnus Carlsen  10:00- A question from the Patreon mailbag. What is the best way for a beginner to study an opening repertoire?  Mentioned: Fight like Magnus: The Sveshnikov Sicilian, Lifetime Repertories: Nimzo-Ragozin Defense, Sam Shankland’s 1. D4 Chessable course  18:00- What is the status of Greg’s blitz game?  Mentioned: GM Kirill Alekseenko, GM Conrad Holt    22:00- What is the status of Greg’s Twitch streaming career?  23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/   23:45- Patreon question: “Dude, when is Greg going to start blogging again?” We also discuss the ongoing Chess.com I am Not a GM Tournament Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew, I am not a GM Tournament, IM Levy Rozman, IM Tania Sachdev, IM Kostya Kavutskiiy, Alexandra Botez, IM Lawrence Trent    30:00- Another Patreon question relates to the status and format of the 2021 Pro Chess League, which of course also leads to a discussion of the explosion of popularity in online chess.  Mentioned: Klay Thompson, Lennox Lewis, Gordon Hayward, Leveon Bell   37:00- Another Patreon question: are there improvements to the Pro Chess League website in the works?    39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount.   39:00- Patreon question- has Greg read any good books lately? This segues into a general discussion of how to study chess.   Mentioned: Playing 1. E4 by GM John Shaw, GM Peter Svidler, 100 Endgames You Must Know  Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Sherevsky, Vancura Defense, Frontal Defense, Jeremy Silman’s Endgame Course, GM Jacob Aagaard    49:00- In his chess development, did Greg do any targeted blindfold chess training?  Mentioned: Chessboard Magic by Irving Chernev, GM Jeffrey Xiong, GM Ray Robson, IM Christopher Yoo   56:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com!  Check out their blog here:  https://chessmood.com/blog  and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood   57:00- Greg answers a Patreon question pushing back against the importance of the idea that Classical Chess wouldn’t exist if chess were invented in modern times. (As Greg has previously said)  Mentioned: GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Alexander Grishchuk, IM Andras Toth    1:03:00- Greg makes his brief, shining singing debut on The Perpetual Chess! And then gives some shout outs.  Mentioned: Episode 204 with FM Nathan Resika, Episode 12 with Christopher Yoo   Agadmator, Chessbrahs, IM Levy Rozman, Jennifer Shahade, The Botez Sisters, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM David Howell, GM Jovanka Houska, Kaja Snare, Mark Crowther, ChessDoJo YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsFJol3ToXA&list=PLH4lD9b6ZgbeAzMlaYoWSHL_lEF5BWZA0 Thanks as always to Greg for joining the show! You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gregshahade?lang=en   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In addition to being a strong player, and often the Captain of the US Olimpiad team, IM John Donaldson is a renowned chess historian and author. He has been researching the life of Bobby Fischer for over a decade, and he has been on the podcast in the past to discuss his prior publications on Fischer. Late in 2020, IM John Donaldson published his most comprehensive, and acclaimed Fischer work yet, Bobby Fischer and his World. This book was already named Chess.com’s 2020 book of the year, despite some stiff competition in a stellar year for chess books. I greatly enjoyed John’s work, which is a combination of biography and game analysis. In our conversation, of course we discuss details of Fischer’s life in some detail, with a particular emphasis on the new details John has uncovered. We also take time to remember the life and legacy of John’s friend, legendary GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek, and to discuss the state of John’s own chess game. As always, you can get lots more details and related hyperlinks in the description or on the Perpetual Chess webpage. Enjoy! 0:00- We begin by discussing the legacy of John’s friend, legendary player and trainer,  GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek who recently passed away.  Mentioned:  Episode 54 with IM John Donaldson Episode 143 with IM John Donaldson  Also Mentioned: GM Bobby Fischer, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Wesley So, GM Lubosh Kavalek, Fred Wilson’s interview with GM Lubomir Kavalek, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Lev Alburt, Jerry and Fran Weikel of the Western States Open, GM Kavalek’s Huffington Post archive,  Peter Doggers chess.com obituary of GM Lubosh Kavalek, Chess Life and Review of Archive, Milos Forman, Ivan Passer, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Portisch-Kavalek 1975, GM Andrew Soltis   18:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by AImchess.com which collates data from your online games and gives you actionable advice and lessons. Check out the site, and if you subscribe use the Promo code “Chess30” to get a 30% discount.    18:45- Are there any fact that John and his friend and fellow eminent Fischer biographer Frank Brady disagree on?  Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand’s Technical Decision Making in Chess, FM Andrey Terekhov’s The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov, IM Stuart Rachels’ The Best I Saw in Chess, GM William Lombardy, Dragoljub Minec, Jackie Beers    27:00- John’s book is published by the publishing company of IM Jeremy Silman and his wife, Gwen Feldman- Did John work directly with Silman on this book?  Mentioned: Silman-James press    29:00- A question from the Patreon Mailbag: Which modern player most resembles Fischer in playing style?  Mentioned: GM Peter Leko, Leko discussing studying with Fischer. GM Miguel Najdor   33:00- How would Bobby have enjoyed modern chess with faster time controls?  Mentioned: GM Walter Shipman    35:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Get Chessable’s IOS app if you haven’t already, and you can check out their latest offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/   37:00- How close was Bobby Fischer to playing a comeback match against GM Yasser Seirawan? Is John glad that Fischer did make a comeback?  Mentioned: Lou Hays, GM Alex Sherzer, GM Larry Christiansen, GM Boris Spassky, GM Duncan Suttles    43:00- Patreon question: Did Bobby have any students or proteges?  Mentioned: GM Michael Bezold, Carmine Nigro, GM Reuben Fine, Episode 202 with Dr. Frank Brady, No Regrets, Fischer-Spassky 1992    48:30- How is this book different from John’s prior publications about Fischer?  Mentioned: A Legend on the Road   53:00- Will there be more Fischer projects forthcoming from John? What mysteries still remain from the details of Bobby’s life?  Mentioned: World Chess Hall of Fame, GM Jesse Kraai’s interview with John Donaldson, David Delucia, GM Svetozar Gligoric, James Gore, IM Anthony Saidy, John Collins    1:05:00- As an expert on American chess history, can John think of any historically accomplished adult improvers?  Mentioned: GM Akiba Rubinstein, Jerry Hanken, GM Mihai Suba, Abe Turner, Carmine Nigro,    1:09:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com!  Check out their blog here:  https://chessmood.com/blog  and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood   1:10:00- John discusses the underappreciated  chess legacy of IM Bernard Zuckerman    1:13:00- From 1988-2000, John and GM Yasser Seirawan published a legendary chess magazine called Inside Chess, how does John recall those years?  Mentioned: Hanon Russell, IM Nikolay Minev, GM Alexander Baburin, TheChessLibrary.com, FM Michael Shahade    1:21:00- Now that this book has been published, will John be resuming OTB chess? If he were to resume chess training, what would he do to sharpen up?  Mentioned: Mark Pinto, Your Jungle Guide to Chess Tactics by GM Peter Prohaszka, IM Yuriy Krykun, Quality Chess, Thinker’s Publishing, New in Chess Books, Russell Enterprises, GM Boris Gelfand  1:29:00- What will John work on next? Mentioned: IM Eric Tangborn, GM Hein Donner, GM Pal Benko   1:33:00- Book giveaway instructions! Write a review of Perpetual Chess on ANY PODCAST REVIEW PLATFORM Take a screenshot before hitting submit Email the screenshot to Ben at perpetualchesspod.com  Winner will be announced on February 14, 2020   1:34:00- Thanks to John for joining the show!  Order the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fischer-World-John-Donaldson/dp/1890085197/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=john+donaldson+chess&qid=1612108311&s=books&sr=1-2 Email John at imwjd at aol.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Perpetual Chess is back with another monthly bonus edition of Chess Books Recaptured. This month  Chicago-based law professor, dad, and speed chess specialist, David Franklin joins me. Like me, David is a long-time fan of the writing of GM Jonathan Rowson, and of his 2000 book, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, in particular.  Due to its  uniquely philosophical, digressive tone and its advanced chess subject matter, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins is not universally loved. Nonetheless, both podcast hosts and many other chess fans consider it to be a classic. In our conversation, we define and discuss each of GM Rowson’s 7 "chess sins", as well as sharing a bit of information about the author, the guest-co-host, and of course, a few of our favorite quotes. Please read on for many more details, links, and timestamps!   0:00- Why does David love this book? Why is this book somewhat polarizing despite many rave reviews?  Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 193 with Tom Murphy, Adult Improver Episode 151 with JJ Lang    08:30- We discuss GM Rowson’s background and his other chess books briefly.  Mentioned: Understanding the Grunfeld,Chess For Zebras, The Moves that Matter, Perpetual Chess Episode 150 with GM Jonathan Rowson, IM Andras Toth, IM John Watson’s review of Seven Deadly Chess Sins: Some Products and Two First-Rate Books   12:00- What other books might have been the intellectual inspirations of this unique book?  Mentioned: Facebook Chess Collectors Group, The Chess Mind by Gerald Abraham,  Secrets of Practical Chess, Improve Your Chess Now, Genius in Chess, Improve Your Chess Now Book Recap Podcast with FM Alex Chua, Alex King, Godol, Escher and Bach, Emotional Intelligence, Richard James, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,  Dynamics of Chess Strategy, GM David Navara    15:00- For what rating level is this book best suited?    20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com!  Check out their blog here:  https://chessmood.com/blog  and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood 20:45- We discuss Sin #1- “Thinking”- lack of faith in intuition, and “bureaucracy” Mentioned: “Talking to Your Pieces”, Tom Murphy    27:00- Sin #2- “Blinking” Identifying, missing critical moments  Mentioned: Bobby Fischer, Russians vs. Fischer , GM Alex Yermolinksy’s The Road to Chess Improvement, The Road to Chess Improvement Recap Podcast, Episode 7 with GM Jon Ludvig Hammer    31:00-  Sin #3- “Wanting” Attachment to results, carelessness, ‘chalking it up’ expectation  Mentioned: “The Theory of Infinite Resistance,” FM Bill Jordan, GM Ian Rogers, GM David Smerdon, Jerry Wheeler    42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! Be sure to download the much-anticipated Chessable app for IOS, and Seven Deadly Chess Sins will be available on Chessable later this year!    43:00- Sin #4- “Materialism” Lack of dynamism, oversights Mentioned: Plato’s Symposium,    49:30- Sin #5- “Egoism” ‘forgetting the opponent’- fear - how many results am I playing for?   54:00- Sin #6- “Perfectionism”  time trouble, jam-lust (asking too much of your position), moralizing (punishing the opponent), copy-cat crime (trying to emulate another player) Mentioned: GM Alexander Grischuk, Chess Explained’s YouTube Channel , GM Michael Adams    1:03:30- Sin #7- Looseness-  losing the plot, drifting (playing without a plan), “neural hijackings” (emotions overwhelm the thinking brain, whether consciously or not), “tension transference” (relieve tension at all costs, uncomfortable with discomfort)  Mentioned- Anand-Carlsen 2013, Kasparov-Sokolov 1999    1:07:00- We share a few favorite quotes from the book.  Mentioned: Endgame Strategy, GM Tiger Hillarp Person, GM Jonathan Levitt, GM Jan Gustafsson, GM Luke McShane    1:11:30- A question from Patreon supporter and friend of the pod- is it a fair characterization  that Rowson characterizes this book in hindsight as “a good first draft?”   1:14:00- What were David’s personal interactions with GM Rowson like?    1:18:30- Does David get more nervous before a tournament chess game or before arguing before the Supreme Court?    1:19:30- Thanks to David for contributing his time and knowledge! You can keep up with David on twitter or Facebook. Next month will likely feature a recap of Attacking the Strongpoint by GM Igor Zaitsev Twitter- https://twitter.com/DFranklinChi Facebook- David Franklin | Facebook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IM Andras Toth is a Canberra, Australia-based chess trainer who has built a loyal online following due to his no-nonsense YouTube chess videos and popular Chessable courses. Andras originally hails from Hungary, where he trained under the same trainer as the Polgar sisters and  was the two-time Hungarian Junior Champ. Andras’ background as a school teacher is evident in his engaging and energetic teaching style. As is clear from our conversation, Andras is not shy about expressing his hard-earned chess opinions. Andrey answers questions such as, should you play the London System?--do you need to hire a coach?--can one improve by focusing only on chess calculation?-- plus many more pertinent queries. This was a fun conversation that revealed many insights about chess improvement. Please read on for more details and relevant hyperlinks.     0:00- Andras begins by discussing his chess and chess-training background a bit.  Mentioned: IM Laszlo Hazai, The Polgar Sisters 0:8:15- Does Andras agree that club players should not learn much opening theory?  Mentioned: The Road to Chess Improvement    16:30- Andras answers the first of many questions from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag: Neal Bruce asks, “ How important is it to have a chess coach?”  23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought in part by Chessable.com! Be sure to download the much-anticipated Chessable app for IOS, and  you can check out Andras Toth’s courses here: https://www.chessable.com/profile/ChesscoachAndras/   24:00- Another Patreon listener question: “What is the proper way to analyze one’s own games and to study strategic concepts?”  Mentioned: Alexander Alekhine: My Best Games of Chess, Paul Keres: The Road to the Top  The book and game to which Andras refers can be found here:  Mark Dvoretsky’s School of Chess Excellence, Tactical Play, Borkowski-Nunn 1974   34:00- Why is Andras so blunt in his communication as a teacher and presenter?   Mentioned: IM Jop Delemarre    41:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com!  Check out their blog here:  https://chessmood.com/blog  and check out their YouTube, featuring Lessons with a Grandmaster here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessMood   42:00- How much can a 1500 player improve by working on calculation alone? How should we divide our study time?   Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard    55:30- Another Patreon question:   “How can one transition from slower games, like Correspondence chess, to rapid games?”  Mentioned: Episode 191 with GM Daniel Naroditsky    1:05:00- What are the pros and cons of correspondence or “daily” games?  IM John Bartholomew. Tata Steel Masters    1:14:00- What Chessable courses would we recommend for a player rated below 1000? Mentioned: Jan Gustafsson’s Lifetime Repertoires 1. E4 e5, Endgame Bootcamp with IM John Bartholomew, Learn Chess the Right Way Series, with GM Susan Polgar, 100 Endgames You Must Know, The Checkmate Patterns Manual, Mastering Mates, 1001 Deadly Checkmates , Andras’s book recommendations, via YouTube videos, are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCwQyNLblm0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg-u_HlZKco&t=1334s   1:18:00- What books have informed Andras’ teaching style? What is his background? How did he end up in Canberra, Australia?  Best Lessons of a Chess Coach.    1:30:00- Why has making Chess YouTube videos been frustrating for Andras?  Check out his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYZTGsTO5TbCaA1O0wcBzw Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 180 with IM Levy Rozman    1:34:00- Another listener question: “ What is the chess culture like in Australia and New Zealand?”  Mentioned: GM Murray Chandler, FM Nicholas Croad   1:43:00- One last Patreon question… “Why did Andras stop playing OTB chess?”   Thanks to IM Toth for joining the show! Here are all the links you need in order  to keep up with him: Twitter- https://twitter.com/chesscoachandra?lang=en YouTube-https://t.co/RgSPMwU9Is?amp=1 Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/profile/ChesscoachAndras/ Twitch- https://www.twitch.tv/im_andras See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As chess fans may have heard, legendary GM Lubomir “Lubosh” Kavalek passed away this week at the age of 77. GM Kavalek was a fierce, attacking player, who at his rating peak, was a top 10 player in the world. He was two-time winner of the Czechoslovak National Championship, and after emigrating from Czechoslovakia, he went on to become US National Champion three times as well. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to interview GM Kavalek, but Fred Wilson has given me permission to share with you all a long audio interview that he did with GM Kavalek. The interview took place on September 10, 2003. In this conversation, they cover many of the highlights of GM Kavalek’s illustrious career as a player, trainer, and author. They discuss Kavalek’s beginnings in chess, and his work helping with the World Championship matches of Bobby Fischer (against Spassky in 1972), and assisting GM Nigel Short against Kasparov in 1993. In listening to this interview, I was struck by the wit and personality of GM Kavalek.  You can read on for brief timestamps, but of course you should listen to the entire interview with this chess legend!    02:45- GM Lubomir Kavalek discusses his beginnings in the chess world,, and his experiences with some of the other great Czech and US players of his generation.    17:00- What chess books influenced Lubosh?   23:30- He talks about working as the second of Nigel Short in the 1990s.    53:00-  Question from Alex Baburin. Did chess help him adapt when he immigrated to Virginia?    58:00- What was his most pleasant and worst tournament?    1:02:15- What are his thoughts on quick draws?   1:10:00- How to optimize one’s time in preparation for a tournament?    1:11:00- Are there any plans for a book about his best games?   1:22:00- What was it like to play against Bobby Fischer?    1:24:00- What was GM Kavalek’s role in working with Fischer in the 1972 World Championship Match against GM Boris Spassky?    If you enjoy this interview, you could consider becoming a Perpetual Chess Patreon subscriber in order to access the entire audio archive of Fred Wilson’s great interviews. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, bestselling author Tom Vanderbilt joins me to talk about his 5th book, the recently released, Beginners:The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. In this book Tom writes about his experience  learning a handful of new activities from scratch while in his late 40’s. These new adventures include learning chess, surfing, singing, juggling and drawing. Tom, like many adult chess enthusiasts, discovered chess through his school-aged daughter’s interest in the game. In our conversation, Tom reflects on what was like to be thrown headfirst into the chess world, and shares many of the resources that he found most helpful in accelerating his learning. Tom also shares broader conclusions from his learning experiences across disciplines. It was a fascinating conversation about an enjoyable book. As always, read on for more details, timestamps and relevant hyperlinks.  0:00- Why is the pandemic a good time to release a book about starting new things?  Mentioned: NY Times review of Beginners    06:00- How was Tom’s interest in chess piqued? What were his first steps to learn more about the game?  Mentioned: The Queen’s Gambit , Szymon Rudowski, GM Daniel Naroditsky’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/c/DanielNaroditskyGM/playlists Daniel King’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBATpFb--uLNAODOVWvCTA  The Amateur’s Mindby Jeremy Silman  IM Levy Rozman’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q IM John Bartholomew’s Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hOVYvNn79Sl1Fc1vx2mYA   19:00- Perpetual Chess is proud to  be brought to you in part by Chessable.com . To check out the many choices of beginner-oriented material they offer, go here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/for-beginners/   20:00- Tom mentions a few more resources that were helpful in his dive into chess.  Mentioned: Chessable’s 100 Endgames You Must Know, The Brooklyn Strategist, The Marshall Chess Club    25:00- How is his daughter progressing in chess during the pandemic?  Mentioned: Her Move Next, US Chess’ Women in Chess Initiative     34:30- Was it more challenging to learn a mental game like chess or a physical endeavor like surfing? What other broader lessons did Tom draw from his learning adventures?  Mentioned: William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days, The Passion Paradox, Mindset, Anders Ericsson,  Tim Krabbe’s The Rider, Perpetual Chess Episode 44 with GM Jesse Kraai, GM Robert Hess, Tim Krabbe’s Chess Curiosities Website: https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/chess/chess.html   54:00- Now that his book is finished, will Tom continue to play chess?   Mentioned: Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition   57:00- Thanks so much  to Tom for the fascinating interview.  You can find him on Lichess here: https://lichess.org/@/wernerherzog You can purchase his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Transformative-Power-Lifelong-Learning/dp/1524732168/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=beginners&qid=1610383429&s=books&sr=1-2 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. My guest is Martin Justesen, who is a 34 year, Denmark-based father of 3. He works as an archivist in the Library of the Danish Parliament, but devotes a lot of his free time to chess improvement and chess-related projects. His efforts have paid off, as Martin has gained a few hundred points in the past years. Prior to the pandemic, Martin had ended a long plateau, as his Danish rating went from 1600 to 1820. During the covid shutdown, he has seen continued improvement, his Lichess classical rating is now up to 2200! In our interview, Martin reveals what he thinks to be the key contributors to his improvement success. Martin is also a blogger,  and has recently released a great new book called, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Positions. We also discuss how Martin decided to take on this project and why we think that it’s an important study tool. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and relevant hyperlinks. 0:00- We begin by discussing Martin’s background and his entree into the chess world.  Mentioned: GM Yasser Seirawan, Playchess.com , Winning Chess Series by GM Yasser Seirawan, Logical Chess Move by Move    12:00- Check out our new sponsorAimchess.com, which gathers your games from the major chess sites and generates reports to let you know which aspects of your game need work. If you decide to subscribe, be sure to use the promo code Chess30 to save 30%.   13:00- How has Martin’s approach to chess improvement evolved in recent years?  Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 117 with Stjepan Tomic   17:30- A Patreon supporter writes in to ask Martin how his approach to openings has changed as he has improved.  Mentioned: Chessable Short and Sweet Free Courses are Here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/s/short%20and%20sweet Opening Tree.com   27:00- Another Patreon question: How does Martin find games and construct his opening repertoire? Did he adjust his repertoire choices due to time constraints?   Mentioned: Chessgames.com, Bobby Fischer: The Career and Complete Games of the American Chess World Champion, Chess DoJo Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ChessDojo, IM Kostya Kavuitskiy, GM Jesse Kraai, GM David Pruess  Greg Shahade video: Chess Opening Study for Serious and Advanced Players: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93kO7OXn9Lc   37:00- - Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their holiday sale here. It ends in a few days:  https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ 38:00- As a busy working father, has Martin experienced periods of burnout? Mentioned: Neal Bruce    43:00- Does he have trouble taking online games seriously?  Mentioned: ChessDojo Discord,    50:00- What was the idea behind Martin’s great new book, Blindfold Endgame Visualization: 50 Chess Positions?  Mentioned: Alexey Troitsky    59:00- What are the main lessons Martin has learned through his improvement efforts? Mentioned: Mastering Pawn Endgames on Chessable, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Ruiz, Pump Up Your Rating by Axel Smith, Atomic Habits by James Clear    1:08:00- Thanks so much to Martin for joining the show, here are all of the links you need to keep up with him: Twitter- https://twitter.com/saychess1?lang=en YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/c/say_chess Blog- https://saychessblog.com/ Book- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QRB3H7M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_zzk3Fb7A3ZTE9 Twitch- https://t.co/hZvPmFCBdL?amp=1 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices