Perpetual Chess Podcast

GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming is the seven- time champion of Singapore, and is a renowned  opening theoretician who wrote Chess Developments, Sicilian 6. Bg5 Najdorf, and has published many articles for ChessPublishing.com.  This year, Kevin earned the GM title at the relatively late age of 36 while working full time as the CFO of an oncology company! As Kevin tells us, earning the title was the culmination of a 10 year quest, which  involved many setbacks, much travel and time off from work and an indispensable support network of friends, family and a few GM mentors. Kevin’s inspiring story is full of good chess improvement advice no matter what title or rating you may be chasing. You can find many more details of our conversation and the related links and timestamps below.  02:00- We begin by discussing the current state of Coronavirus and chess in Kevin’s native Singapore, and the Chess against Covid initiative that Kevin and some friends of his recently started.    Mentioned: Chess against Covid initiative, Junior Tay, Olimpiu Urcan (see his great Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/urcan ), GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov   8:30- Kevin walks us through his long journey to the GM title, which has been a nearly a decade-long quest as well as the highlight of his chess career.  Mentioned: IM John Bartholomew    14:00- Once Kevin decided to pursue chess full time, what study routine did he implement?  Mentioned: Perfect Your Chess, IM Erik Kislik, GM Gyula Sax, see Gyula-Sax-Kevin Goh 2011 here:  https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=N1Q2wYdh/tNWwlrJVxBDAkPiax9hdmoywl1jMwd0KJF0mYtLI6YQ7V3O/cExPR3z Secrets of Spectacular Chess by GM Jonathan Levitt and FM David Friedgood, GM Daniel Fernandez, Chessbase India feature on Kevin Goh by Junior Tay here: https://chessbase.in/news/Dressed_to_Impress_How_IM_Kevin_Goh_prepped_and_persevered_for_his_final_GM_norm, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen   36:00- When Kevin got his 3rd norm in 2018, he needed just 7 more ELO points for the title, little did he know that these last rating points were far from a formality!  Mentioned: GM Ashwin Jayaram, IM Elect Donny Ariel!, GM Avetik Grigoryan, GM Boris Avrukh, Chessmood.com    49:00- What did it feel like to finally earn the GM title in 2020 after all of these struggles?    51:00- Chessable.com has many excellent  “Lifetime Repertoire” courses including ones by GM Jan Gustafsson, IM Christof Sielecki and a brand new one on the Caro Kann, from GM Erwin L’ami. The place  to see the all of Chessable’s Lifetime Repertoire courses is here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-openings/s/lifetime     51:45- What is Kevin Goh’s chess improvement advice for fellow adult improvers?  GM Karsten Muller, GM David Smerdon, GM Tigran Petrosian, GM Anatoly Karpov, Positional Sacrifices by GM Neil McDonald, Karpov-Gelfand 1993: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1048256 GM Jonathan Rowson , IM Willy Hendriks On the Origin of Good Moves, NM Elijah Logozar,    1:08:00- What is Kevin’s opinion and experience with The Woodpecker Method and spaced repetition generally?  Mentioned: GM Hans Tikkanen and GM Alex Smith, Recapping the Woodpecker Method with Neal Bruce , The Road to Chess Improvement. Caruana-Carlsen Game 1 2018 1:14:00- Patreon supporter of the show, FM Andrey Terekhov, writes in to ask his friend Kevin what his next goal is now that he has gotten the GM title.  Mentioned: Aeroflot Open, FIDE Online Olympiad    1:20:00- What advice did GM Jacob Aagaard give Kevin when he was stuck at a plateau?    1:23:00- Thanks so much to Kevin for sharing his story and his wisdom. Here is his contact info:  Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/GMkevingwm?__tn__=%2CdlC-R-R&eid=ARAnkjbSRRYN_2CulGTyid0y7WpIDj2QMkJ-wDYtOOFN7ip64ExECRkK2BWZ-uqeSv4gU3bJXgZ7rSR5&hc_ref=ARQT0DEi2WlenxdbN_3NX6qg3_ffFhCYDVGMLIwg9I3xJoAFO0UpEuGwqcO5wrPM8Iw Twitter- https://twitter.com/kevingohwm Email- kgwm83 at hotmail.com   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

Rochelle Ballantyne is best-known in the chess world as one of the star scholastic chess players featured in the excellent 2012 documentary, Brooklyn Castle, which chronicles the lives of the students and teachers  at the scholastic chess powerhouse school, IS 318 in Brooklyn, New York. In the years since that movie, Rochelle has continued to pile up impressive achievements. She earned a BA from Stanford University, a Masters of Education degree from Columbia University, and has been accepted into the New York University Law School for the fall. Rochelle also had many scholastic chess successes, she attained a peak US Chess rating of 2127, and she actively promotes chess as an educational tool. Last, but most importantly, Rochelle has long been a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.   She shares her perspective on this movement, both as it pertains to the chess world, and to the world at large. Please enjoy our wide-ranging conversation. Timestamps and relevant links can be found below.    We catch up on what Rochelle has been doing since she was featured in Brooklyn Castle.  Mentioned:  Elizabeth Spiegel on Perpetual Chess December 10, 2019 ,  Brooklyn Castle’s Website Lists Where You Can Watch The Movie, here: https://brooklyncastle.com/#watch1l’  Read Melinda Mathews’ 2018 Interview with Rochelle here: https://new.uschess.org/news/qa-rochelle-ballantyne-representation-important   7:00- What is the update on Rochelle’s Chess Playing?  Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, US Chess School   12:00- From her viewpoint as a woman and an African American chess player, what were Rochelle’s interactions like in the chess world?  Mentioned: FM Justus Williams, NM James Black, FM Joshua Colas, Stanford University,    23:45- A Patreon supporter of the podcast writes in to ask Rochelle how tournament players can help be supportive African American chess players. Mentioned: Alexandra Botez shares a personal experience about sexual harassment in the chess world:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6W8EgX9Uc0      29:00- The latest and greatest from Chessable is an updated and expanded comprehensive checkmate pattern course by CraftyRaf- check it out here:  https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/   30:00- What is Rochelle’s opinion of how race relations have been handled by the US Chess Federation and other entities?  Mentioned: Read the US CHess statement on Black Lives Matter here:  https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/ Chess GIrls DC,  Chess.com’s Peter Doggers interview series, On Racism, can be read here:  https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-nm-daniel-jones https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-gm-pontus-carlsson https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-racism-watu-kobese Bill Goichberg    38:00- Rochelle answers a few more listener-questions relating to education policy, both inside and outside of the chess world.  Mentioned: IS 318 Vice Principal John Galvin, GM Maurice Ashley, Queen City Classic Chess Tournament     47:00- Has Rochelle been attending any of the Black Lives Matter protests?  Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s Twitter and Facebook,     54:00- Does the fact that White moves first in chess have racist undertones in Rochelle’s opinion?  Mentioned: Jen Shahade, Alexandra Botez    1:00- Thanks to Rochelle, for sharing her perspective with us. Here is a list from Rochelle of Black Lives Matter causes and organizations that could use some support: https://linktr.ee/cdr3?fbclid=IwAR1URl1PP7wBQNIF2Tt1DvYdSz_XodqZBXqJR0Vle0TGLTzdCO8jY-0n-WQ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to another monthly edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured! This month, I am joined by electrical engineer, Chessable author, and chess blogger, Vjekoslav “Vjeko” Nemec. Like me, Vjekoslav is a big fan of GM Genna Sosonko’s writing, so we were eager to discuss one of his books. Vjeko and I agree that The World Champion’s I Knew may not be Sosonko’s best book, but due to its prominent subjects,  it might be the most accessible. Like his other books, The World Champions I Knew is marked by vivid first hand accounts and beautiful prose, and its high points make the book well worth reading. In his book, GM Sosonko writes about 7 different world chess champions, so Vjeko and I spent time sharing quotes and reflections about each essay, and ranked our favorite chapters. Please read on for more details and timestamps.  If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed,  you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/6/23/bonus-pod-recapping-the-world-champions-i-knew-by-gm-genna-sosonko   1:00- We begin by discussing why Vjeko Nemec wanted to discuss a book by Grandmaster Genna Sosonko, why we settled on The World Champions I Knew , and we share a few details from GM Sosonko’s fascinating life story.  Mentioned: Perpetual Chess interview with GM Genna Sosonko (June 2018), Smart Chip from St. Petersburg, Russian Silhoettes, The Reliable Past,  Evil-Doer: Half a Century with Viktor Korchnoi, GM Garry Kasparov    13:45- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. Two of the many courses that you can check out right now are Vjekoslav Nemec’s The Modern Against Everything, and GM Sam Shankland’s new course, Lifetime Repertoires: Black Against the English, The Reti, and sidelines   14:30- We read a bit of the introduction to the book and give an overview of the book before discussing the book chapter by chapter.  Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein, John Hartmann,    19:00- The first chapter we discuss is the one about Jose Raoul Capablaca, which focuses on GM Sosonko’s interactions with Capablanca’s then wife, Olga Clark Capablanca.  The Genius and The Princess by Edward Winter   26:30- Next up is legendary world champion Alexander Alekhine Mentioned: Chess Historian Edward Winter on Sourcing 32:45- Smyslov  Mentioned: Smyslov on the Couch, The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn   45:00- Legendary Dutch Champion Max Euwe  Mentioned: Todd Bryant, Mike Zaloznyy   54:00- We discuss the chapter about Sixth World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik Mentioned: Soviet Outcast: The Life and Games of Grigory Levenfish, GM Viktor Korchnoi   1:02- GM Tigran Petrosian  Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Efim Geller    1:13- Tal time! We discuss the best part of the book, the chapter GM Mikhail Tal. Tal-Lautier 1992, Timman’s Titans, The Longest Game, Chess Duels by Yasser Seirawan, Tal Keller Zurich 1959, Steve Doyle, GM Alexei Suetin, Lev Tolstoy, Bacchus, Mythos by Stephen Fry   1:35:00- Thanks to Vjeko for helping out and sharing his knowledge! In lieu of payment for his efforts, Vjeko is donating to Tunde Onakoya’sChess in Slums Program. You can donate to support them here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-chess-in-the-slums-in-nigeria   1:39:00- Blindfold puzzles of the month courtesy of SayChess1   Puzzle #1- White to move  White Pawn h4 King b1 Queen c2   Black Pawns g7 and h5 King h7 Queen g6    https://lichess.org/study/2Jj2xWA5 Puzzle #2- White to move   White  Rook a1 King d2   Black Pawns on b2 and c2 King b4   https://lichess.org/study/z7M9gUy5!    Follow Vjeko on twitter here: https://twitter.com/chessentials_ Read his Chessentials blog here: https://chessentials.com/ Buy his Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/the-modern-defense-against-everything/course/27749/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IM Willy Hendriks is a Netherlands based chess trainer, and an award winning author of two books:  Move First Think Later (2012) and his excellent new book, On the Origin of Good Moves. IM Hendriks is quite an impressive chess player and adult improver. He has two GM norms, and he attained his peak rating at the age of 43.  Eleven years later his 2438 FIDE rating is still not far from his personal  best. IM Hendriks and I had a fascinating conversation about both of his books ,and about the subject of chess improvement generally. Please read on for more details and time stamps.    2:30- After a brief intro we dig into how IM Hendriks came up with the original presentation style that distinguishes both of his books, as well as the unifying vision of chess that ties his books together.  Mentioned: Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker    12:00- Willy’s first book, Move First Think Later was critical of some well-known chess authors. Did the controversy that this book caused in the chess world surprise him?  Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman, FM Carsten Hansen, Logical Chess Move by Move, Lasker’s Manual of Chess    18:15- We transition to discussing IM Hendriks new book, On the Origin of Good Moves, Mentioned:  Emanuel Lasker, Wilhelm Steinitz, William Purdy, Adolf Anderssen, and Paul Morphy   31:30- What sort of feedback has he gotten for his new book so far?  Mentioned: Richard James’ Review of Move First Think Later from British Chess News   34:30- Why does IM Hendriks think that one should, in fact, study openings frequently?  Mentioned: IM Kare Kristensen    40:00- Check out Alan B’s Free Chessable series focusing on attacking with each piece type here:  https://www.chessable.com/knights-on-the-attack/course/16475/   45:45- As a strong player near his peak rating in his 50’s, what are Willy’s own chess study methods? What are his general opinions about best adult improvement practices?  Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, NM Christopher Chabris, Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations    58:30- OK but really, how is Willy staying so strong at chess? :)    65:30- Thanks to IM Willy Hendriks for joining the show. You can reach him and keep up with him via his website:    https://movefirstthinklater.com/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tennessee-based teenage improver (19 years old)  and prolific Chessable author and superuser NM Elijah Logozar has taken his rating from the 1700s to the USCF Master title (2200) in about 3 years!  He has probably improved even more in online blitz and puzzle rush, which he utilizes as serious training tools. As Elijah tells us, his “secret” is that he often spends 10 hours per day on chess, an approach that admittedly is not replicable for most of us. But Elijah also takes the science of chess improvement very seriously, and despite his young age, he is well-versed on the topic of chess improvement and aging. Elijah is also a big advocate of and exemplar of using spaced repetition and The Woodpecker Method, and he answers questions and shares insight on how he thinks to best use these training tools.  So all in all, there is a lot to learn about chess improvement in this densely packed conversation. Please sit back and enjoy.   As always you can find more information, timestamps and hyperlinks below.  04:00- After a brief intro Elijah dives into his experiences with spaced repetition in his training, and he talks about The Woodpecker Method in particular.  Mentioned: Recapping The Woodpecker Method and Rapid Chess Improvement wiith Neal Bruce, David Milliern, The Mozart Effect    19:30- Elijah Logozar’s Chessable courses are on sale at Chessable.com! Check them out here: https://www.chessable.com/author/logozar/ 20:00- Elijah fields a question related to frustrations with using the Woodpecker Method. For what level chess player is it really appropriate? Is solving for accuracy or speed more important? Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy, Flamingo Chess’s Woodpecker-Related Blog Post , Pokerram’s Chess Diary on ChessTempo, Randy Julian, ChessIMO app  29:00- Elijah answers a question from a Patreon Supporter regarding other recommended methods of tactics training.  Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual  40:00- Openings talk! A Patreon supporter asks, “What should you do if you consult two different authors on chess openings and they each recommend a different move?”  GameChanger by GM Mathew Sadler and Natasha Regan, Questions of Modern Chess Theory by Isaac Lipnitsky, Crush the Taimanov by Elijah Logozar  52:00- A Patreon mailbag question relates to how Elijah uses Chessable in his study regimen, and another relates to how to incorporate analyzing one’s games.  Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual  57:00- This episode is brought to you in part by Decode Chess- a company whose software explains the suggestions of chess engines in plain language that you can understand. Go here to try it out for free:  https://decodechess.com/ 58:00- One last Patreon mailbag question asks whether Elijah plays with training partners, and then we segue into the topic of Elijah’s favorite chess books.  Mentioned: ChessDojo Discord Channel, Aagaard’s Thinking Inside the Box, Secret’s of Modern Chess Strategy by IM John Watson, Move First Think Later, Quality Chess Books, Small Steps to Giant Improvement,  Dynamic Chess Strategy, The Road to Chess Improvement  1:13:00- Elijah volunteered to do an impromptu blindfold chess puzzle, so I read him a miniature that ends in a tactic. The game is here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250708 1:17:00- Thanks to Elijah for coming on and sharing his chess improvement experiences. You can reach him on these platforms: Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/author/logozar/ Chess.com- https://www.chess.com/member/logoczar Twitter- https://twitter.com/ElijahLogozar 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

IM Levy Rozman is a 24 year-old, New York-based chess streamer, Chess.com announcer and instructor. Levy has quickly found an audience online due to his ability to explain chess in a humorous and accessible way. In our conversation, we talk about the origins of Levy’s announcing career, his chess ambitions, and about the fast-changing world of Twitch chess streaming in 2020.  Please read on for lots more details, and timestamps. Embedded hyperlinks can be found on the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/6/2/episode-180-im-levy-rozman 0:00- We dive right into a discussion of the ways that chess coverage on Twitch has been making news recently. This includes the continued ascension of GM Hikaru Nakamura’s popular Twitch channel Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Chessbae94, Alexandra Botez, GM Daniel Naroditsky    6:45- Levy traces the origins of his popular Twitch channel, Gotham Chess.  Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Alex Ostrovskiy, Alexis Parades, Brooklyn Castle, Baruch College,    15:00- Friend and Patreon supporter of the podcast, Chris Wainscott, asks Levy about whether he plans to pursue the Grandmaster title.  Mentioned: Chess.com’s  I am not a GM tournament    23:00- What are  Levy’s goals for his Twitch channel? What recommendations would he give to others thinking of getting into Twitch streaming?    28:00- The Magnus Touch by Magnus Carlsen is still on sale at Chessable.com. Get it here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-chess-strategy/course/39478/   29:00- Levy tells the story of how he got his start as an announcer for Chess.com. Mentioned: GM Robert Hess, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Danny Rensch, Levy’s Recap of one of Magnus’ Recent Blitz Games,  Mr. Dodgy’s compilation of GM Magnus Carlsen’s recent Twitch stream, GM Peter Leko, GM Alexander Grischuk, GM Anish Giri, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Jan Gustafsson     35:00- Chris Wainscott asks Levy about the status of his amusing chess show, Post Mortem.   39:00- We also dive into a recent controversy involving Chess.com and Chess24.com, and the way that the sites broadcast events that are sponsored by their competitors.    44:30- Levy answers another question from the Patreon mailbag, and gives some advice to a newer player who is having trouble avoiding blunders.  Mentioned: You can buy Levy’s opening repertoire course here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-75djkXcEvJns9wvhony5bItA8Bv_f63lLUyXmvMPlCfIRg/viewform   51:00- A related question has to do with how a newer player should be using Chessbase.  Mentioned: The London System, The King’s Indian Attack    59:00- Levy fields a few fun questions from Twitter, and tells the story of why he got kicked out of legendary GM Arthur Yusupov’s chess camp as a kid.  Mentioned: International Chess Academy, Sam Copeland’s interview with Levy Rozman, Greg Shahade, IM Teddy Coleman, Jen Shahade, IM John Bartholomew, IM Alex Ostrovskiy   Thanks to Levy for coming on the show. Here is how you can keep up with him: Twitch:https://www.twitch.tv/gothamchess Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q Twitter: https://twitter.com/GothamChess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor   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

US Chess’s John Hartmann is always a popular guest on Perpetual Chess due to his relatability and his encyclopedic knowledge of chess books. As of June 2020, John will no longer be writing the book reviewer for Chess Life, because he has been promoted to editor of the magazine!  Nonetheless, John’s passion for chess books remains strong, and in this visit he gives us a comprehensive rundown on some of the best recent books. John also gives an update on his chess improvement ambitions,  and we spend a lot of time talking about how coronavirus is affecting the finances and plans of US Chess, and how it might change tournament chess generally.  (If you aren't seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed you can find them on the podcast webpage: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/5/26/episode-179-john-hartmann-returns-again ) 0:00- We begin by discussing how coronavirus is affecting tournament chess and especially the US Chess Federation. They are launching many exciting initiatives, but  are also facing some financial headwinds, as the US Chess President Allen Priest recently discussed in  a video. .  Mentioned: John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #1, John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #2, Chris Bird’s The TD Show, Jen Shahade, IM Carissa Yip, WGM Sabina Foisor, US Chess’ YouTube Channel, Chess.com, IM Eric Rosen, Sunway Sitges Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Steve Doyle, US Chess President Allen Priest, Melinda Mathews, Chess Life and Review Online Archives, Bob Sostack, Chess Life for Kids, Chessable.com, GM Jacob Aagaard on the US Candidates, Brian Karen, Ding Liren-Caruana 2020  You can renew Your US Chess Membership here: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php   35:40- Chessable’s newest release is from GM Simon Williams AKA the Ginger GM. Simon has recorded 30+ hours of video to accompany the classic chess book, The Art of Attack. It’s on sale now. Check it out here: https://t.co/R93A3rez9K?amp=1   36:00- We talk about changes with the book review column for Chess Life Magazine, and about John’s favorite recent chess books.  Mentioned: IM John Watson, Beyond Material, Keep it Simple, 1. d4 , GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s The Benoni is Back in Business, Hein Donner: The Biography, GM Max Euwe  The Best I Saw in Chess by Stuart Rachels, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendricks The Nemesis: Geller’s Greatest Games, Douglas Griffin,  Coaching Kasparov, The Anand Files, Training Program for Chess Players, 1st Category , Bob Long, The Search for Chess Perfection, Dale Brandreth, Bobby Dudley, Fundamental Chess Strategies in 100 Games,     55:00- John talks a bit about what it is like to be a member of 365ChessAcademy, and to learn from GMs Aagaard, Ramesh and others.  Mentioned: GM Reinier Castellanos, IM Christopher Yoo, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, GM Karsten Muller, GM Alex Fishbein, Megan Chen’s Perpetual Chess Interview, Harold Stenzel    1:06:00- John answers some Patreon mailbag questions regarding the conditions under which OTB tournaments might eventually return.   Mentioned: IM Steffan Löffler’s Chessbase Article on Long-Distance Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Jack Spence, Nassau Chess Club, IM Jay Bonin    1:18:00- Thanks again to John for joining the show once again. You can follow all of US Chess’ Podcasts here: https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/ Follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Sign up for the US Chess Fundraiser, “Blitzing Covid,” here: https://new.uschess.org/news/top-stars-register-blitzing-covid-event-may-30th/   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

This month for Chess Books Recaptured, my good friend Jennifer Shahade joins me to  talk about a book that we both absolutely love,  How I Beat Fischer’s Record by legendary GM Judit Polgar.     Of course, Jennifer is a great person to discuss this book, as she herself is quite an ambassador for female chess players, and among other distinctions, Jen is the two-time US Women’s Champion, and the host of 2 award winning podcasts, Ladies Knight, and The Poker Grid.  In this podcast, Jen and I share our favorite quotes, stories and games from this 2012 Quality Chess publication, and we also contextualize the life and legacy of GM Judit Polgar. Please read on for lots more details, hyperlinks and timestamps.  For embedded hyperlinks, go to the podcast website here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/5/22/bonus-pod-recapping-judit-polgars-how-i-beat-fischers-record-with-jen-shahade   0:00- We kick off by discussing how we decided to discuss Judit’s book, and to talk generally a bit about how Jen personally,  and the chess world generally, are being affected by the coronavirus.  Mentioned: Ladies Knight Podcast, The Grid Poker Podcast, Jen Shahade’s Twitch Channel The Polgar Sisters, Training or Genius? by Cathy Forbes, IM Not a GM Speed Chess Championship, IM Greg Shahade, St. Louis Chess Club’s Clutch Chess  10:00- We drill down more specifically into Judit’s book and her story. What is the background of the Polgars? Do Judit’s books get the credit they deserve? For what level is the book most helpful?  Mentioned: From GM to Top 10, A Game of Queens, David Llada, IM Eric Rosen, Lennart Ootes, GM Susan Polgar  Forward Chess- Use Promo Code “Judit” if you buy one of her e-books from them!  20:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. To check out the exciting new course from World Champion Magnus Carlsen, go here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-strategy-lesson/course/40115/ Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, IM John Bartholomew  23:00- We talk about how Judit changed women’s chess by eschewing Women’s Events in favor of mixed events. Will another woman follow in her footsteps?  Mentioned: GM Hou Yifan, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Humpy Koneru on The Ladies Knight Podcast, Free Excerpt of Judit’s Book from Quality Chess here:  https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIBeatFischersRecordExcerpt.pdf 31:00- We discuss some of our favorite quotes and stories from the book. Mentioned: GM Boris Gelfand, GM Susan Polgar, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, My 60 Most Memorable Games, GM Pal Benko, GM Mikhail Marin, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Vasil Ivanchuk Gelfand-Polgar 1989, GM Jonathan Rowson, Magnus Kingdom app 48:00- It was tough to pick only a few favorite games each from the book, but we did! Here they are: Polgar-Chilingrova 1988 Polgar-Lars Bo Hansen 1989 Tisdall-Polgar 1988 Zifroni-Polgar 1990  Polgar-Flear 1989 Tolnai-Polgar 1991 Xie Jun- Polgar 1988 1:05:00- What are the chess improvement takeaways from this book?  Mentioned: GM Judit Polgar’s interview on Perpetual Chess, GM Alejandro Ramirez, Polgar at London Chess Conference, Irving Chernev’s Chessboard Magic, GM Garry Kasparov  01:27:00- Thanks so much to Jen for helping out this month. You can follow her on Twitter here. This month’s donation went to the US Chess Women Initiative.  01:28:00-  Next month we will be recappingThe World Champion’s I Knew  by Gennadi Sosonko, and Vjekoslav Nemec, from Chessentials.com, will be helping me out!  Here are the Blindfold puzzles: Puzzle #1 1500 level White to move and win - White- pawns f4 and g5, king on d4, Black- pawn on a4, king on b4  NOTE ON PUZZLE #2 I READ THE PUZZLE WRONG, IN ADDITION TO THE PIECES I NAMED, WHITE ALSO HAS A QUEEN ON A2 Puzzle 2 2100 level?- White to move, mate in 2 White: King on a1, queen on a2,  pawns on e3 and e5, Rook on h1, knight on c7 Black- king on g7, pawn on g6, knights on g8 and e7, rook on f8   Puzzle #1 1500, (no answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=p/sxHjHhQ80fM5Wyr61XVDyFOXYjK/iYLp/yrSAVD4QDSejK9esxUSalDqwfPRMa Puzzle #1 (with answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=C5uNj27llXNFWn+fpTM5aJ5KAh6KUuvEy4NUwoMGsQu1GzQDUuWenT4JDbZIYkOT Puzzle 2 (no answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=J7FWNzeNYfxbPbbZ0zvfhLMidbk2WTeOzHsDINW2lzM+ASdC3LiG6ffAHEHt+fYR Puzzle 2 (with answer) https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=52M6/pp9vjMEa4VHOSY8zwERFKd4U2rcHcmxDigzJUCyIZqEBGQD9CCR0+SjpAe2   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the likelihood that a fully employed dad in his mid 40s could bring his rating from 2200 FIDE up to  2400 and earn the title of International Master at the age of 54? I didn’t know the answer to this question, but this week’s guest, IM Kåre Kristensen actually did it!  Kåre was at such a low point in his chess in 2008 that he considered quitting.   But instead he stuck with it and became one of the relatively rare folks to earn the IM title past the age of 50!  How did he do it? What did he study? How hard did he work on chess? What does he do away from the chessboard? You can hear Kåre’s inspiring story in  this week’s Perpetual Chess. Please read on for more details and timestamps.    0:00- We discuss the impact of the coronavirus in Denmark, as well as a bit about Kåre’s professional and family background.    8:00- Chess talk time! IM Kristensen shares his “chess origin story,” and traces some of the ups and downs of his career, culminating in his earning the IM title at the age of 54!    24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. They have just released what may be their most exciting course to date, The Magnus Touch! Check it out here: https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-chess-strategy/course/39478/?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=   25:00- Kåre answers a few questions from The Perpetual Chess Patreon Mailbag relating to his experiences with the effects of aging on one’s chess game, and whether he has made any age-related changes to his game. .  Mentioned: GM Jens Kristensen, FIDE Title Application Webpage   43:00- Kåre shares the chess improvement methods that have been most effective for him, and gives a few universal tips.  Mentioned: Tactics Trainer Endgame App. GM Mikhail Botvinnik    57:00- Now that we know what Kåre studied, it’s time to find out how much he studied to keep improving! Mentioned: The Anand Files by FM Michiel Abeln, The Slav Defense, Grandmaster Chess Move by Move by GM John Nunn    1:05:00- Jaydeep Chakrabarty writes in to ask Kåre for advice about building an opening repertoire. Read more about Jaydeep’s new Digital Chess Board, named Rolling Pawn, here: https://chessbase.in/news/The-Rolling-Pawn-Making-Digital-Chess-board-affordable Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games    1:14:00- Another question from the Patreon mailbag: if Kåre could restart his chess career from scratch, how would he approach his studies?  Mentioned: Bent Larsen’s Best Games , IM Christof Sielecki,  1:23:00- Kåre tells a story from a long-ago tournament where he sat near a young Vishy Anand and took notice of his play.  Mentioned: Anand-DeFirmian 1986   1:30:00- Thanks so much to IM Kristensen for joining the show and sharing his experiences and advice. You can keep up with him as follows:  Email him here:  kaarek@me.com Reach on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/karehove.kristensen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Perpetual Chess, we break from format a bit, as 5 time Danish Champion and world-class chess trainer, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, takes us behind the scenes of the night before a decisive game in a World Championship Match. The Match in question, was the 2010 World Championship between GM Viswanathan Anand and GM Veselin Topalov in Sofia, Bulgaria. The game was game 12, the final game of the “classical portion” of the match, with Peter Heine Nielsen and his fellow “ Team Anand” members, preparing Vishy to take the Black pieces against GM Topalov in a tied match with the World Championship and a $1.2 million Euro prize for the winner. How is it decided which opening will be played? How is work delegated among the team members? Why did 2 former World Champions and other chess heavyweights also pitch in to help with preparation this night? How did it feel when GM Anand won the game? GM Peter Heine Nielsen answers all of these questions and many more in a very fun and detailed conversation about a landmark game in modern chess history. You might want to play through the game in question before you listen, then sit back and enjoy the interview. More notes, timestamps and details can be found below.  0:00- We begin by discussing a bit of background about the match, with discussion of other relevant background information, and of how GM Anand and his team felt as they were going into the deciding game of the match.    Mentioned:  Team Anand Members: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Radoslav Wojtazek, and GM Surya Ganguly, Mind Master by GM Viswanathan Anand, 2008 FIDE Anand-Kramnik World Chess Championship in Bonn, Germany  For more background on this match, you can listen to the following  Perpetual Chess Interviews with: FM Michiel Abeln, GM Vishy Anand, GM Ivan Cheparinov, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov 10:00- What factored into GM Anand’s decision to surprise Topalov with the Queen’s Gambit Declined in Game 12?     21:30- Friend and supporter of the podcast, IM Kåre Kristensen, writes in to ask about the role that the “supercomputer” played in the match. It was rumored, though not confirmed, that Team Topalov was accessing a turbo charged chess engine to help with preparation. Mentioned:  Rybka Chess Engine   24:30-  None other than World Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen has a free lesson available on Chessable.com, called “The Magnus Touch.” To check it out, go here:  https://www.chessable.com/the-magnus-touch-free-strategy-lesson/course/40115/   25:00- Once the opening for the Game 12 was chosen how was work delegated among the Team Anand members? How did former World Champion Kramnik end up voluntarily helping Team Anand, what about GM Kasparov?  Mentioned: Lasker Variation of Queen’s Gambit Declined, The Catalan, 2006 Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match, aka Toilet Gate , GM Gata Kamsky, GM Magnus Carlsen, Topalov’s Manager Silvio Danailov, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Boris Gelfand, “Elista Ending” of the Slav, as seen in Game 3 of the 2012 Match   40:45- Peter delves into the nature of the help given to Team Anand by then 19 year old GM Magnus Carlsen, and the unsung hero for prepping that night, British GM Luke McShane.    Mentioned: GM Elizbar Ubilava, The “problem” line that Peter mentions and that Luke McShane solved, can be seen in Peter Heine Nielsen’s  tweet here.    58:30- After all of this stressful prep, what did Peter and the other seconds do once Game 12 actually started?    Mentioned: GM Anish Giri’s annotations can be seen here: https://share.chessbase.com/SharedGames/share/?p=ZwNTGxiK5g4jm8Ba5hiyjQg4B+imvQdy6OM469Al0wHO6syTLjEAW3HQ0haiyTYd   1:15:30- Thanks so much to GM Peter Heine Nielsen for regaling us with his experiences. You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/PHChess    If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices