Perpetual Chess Podcast

It is my great pleasure to announce a new monthly podcast project, called Perpetual Chess: Chess Books Recaptured. This series will be on the same podcast feed as “regular” Perpetual Chess, and on the show, we will reflect upon and synthesize classic chess books! We will try to place the book in historical context, give a few favorite quotes from the book and and offer some chess improvement takeaways. We will even drop a couple of chess blindfold puzzles at the end!    This series will feature a rotating cast of guest co-hosts, and this month I am happy that USCF Master Sam Copeland of Chess.com is hosting with me to discuss one of everyone’s favorite chess books, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal.  Please check it out and then let me know what you think, whether via email, The Perpetual Chess Facebook Group or Twitter. Show notes, timestamps and links below, as always. I hope you like it!  Note- if you are not seeing hyperlinks, you can find them at the podcast website: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/11/15/bonus-pod-bonus-pod-discussing-the-life-and-games-of-mikhail-tal-with-nm-sam-copeland-chess-books-recaptured-series     0:00- My somewhat rambling introduction of the vision for Perpetual Chess: Chess Books Recaptured.  Mentioned: The Overdue Podcast, Animal Spirits: Re-Kindled, The Ringer: Rewatchables, Affiliate links:  If you buy a Forward Chess book using this link, or an amazon product using this link, it helps support the podcast without costing you any additional money. The same is true if you sign up for a chess.com premium account (as you should) using this link.   4:15- This month’s guest co-host, Sam Copeland joins the conversation  Mentioned: GM Murray Chandler, IM Jeremy Silman’s Review of The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal   7:30- About the authors, Mikhail Tal, Iakov Damsky  Mentioned: Kramnik: My Life and Games, The Art of Defense in Chess,   Chess Brilliancy, Ken Neat (translator), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Fire on Board   13:30- We jump into the meat of The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, commencing with Sam's reading the opening quote of the book and recalling a few other favorite quotes and games.  Mentioned: Alexander Koblencs 28:00- We add in a bit more color of lessons drawn from GM Genna Sosonko’s The World Champions I Knew and Tal-Botvinnik 1960.  32:30- We select a few favorite games from the book. Mentioned: Botvinnik Tal 1960, Game 6 , Tal’s Most Famous Quote, Donner-Tal 1961, Capablanca, Alekhine, Smyslov-Tal 1964, John Nunn, Chess.com’s CAPS System, Dr. Kenneth Regan  41:30- Chess improvement takeaways: This book can increase your love of chess, which is ultimately indispensable if you want to improve. Chess is a game between humans- initiative in a game can be more important than objective truth  Play openings that suit your style and get you excited to play. Mentioned: The Benoni Defense  51:00- Quibbles. I mentioned the lack of quality e-book for this book-  I am happy to report that Everyman Chess has now informed that The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal is coming soon to Chessable and Forward Chess!  Mentioned: Sam’s excellent video recap of Tal vs. Flesch 1981, The Magic of Mikhail Tal, Checkmate: The Love Story of Mikhail Tal and Sally Landau  57:00- Thanks so much to Sam Copeland for all of his work on this project! Keep up with him via-Chess.com blog, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch.  Here is the home page for Perpetual Chess Chess Books Recaptured. To apply to be a co-host fill out this form. If you would like to help support this project, and Perpetual Chess generally, go here. Email Ben here.  1:01- Blindfold puzzles! To see the puzzles and answers click here (answers may be visible upon clicking): Puzzle #1: White K on f4, White R on c5, White pawn on b6. Black pawn on b2 Black K on a6. White to move and win. Puzzle 1 diagram (adapted from IM Kostya Kavutskiy's twitter feed) Puzzle #2: White to move and mate in two: White Q on b5, White N on f5, White K on c1. Black K on c3. Puzzle 2 diagram (adapted from Step Workbook 4 of the Steps Series)     Last chance to find out more and/or support the “Square Off Chess robot” Kickstarter project , check it out here.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan “JJ” Lang is a Chicago-based 28 year old Philosophy grad student, chess player and chess teacher. In July 2018, JJ returned to tournament chess after a 7 year hiatus. In the following 17 months, he has taken his rating from 1798 to a high of 2106!! How has he done it? Can it be easily replicated? Tune in to hear all of JJ’s reflections on the keys to his rapid improvement. Timestamps, links and more details can be found below (or if the links aren't showing up, check for them at PerpetualChessPod.com) Enjoy!  0:00-  We dive right into JJ’s chess background. What brought him back from a 10 year hiatus from tournament chess? To which factors does he attribute his impressive success?  Mentioned: Marshall Chess Club,  JJ’s coach, WGM Adriana Nikolova, Charlotte Chess Center, FM Peter Giannatos   14:00- A few of the secrets of JJ’s success include: 1) Play in tournaments as frequently as possible 2) Address your biggest weaknesses (openings in his case). In this segment JJ expounds on these lessons.  19:00- JJ reveals a good rule of thumb for when to calculate in faster time control games, and we discuss JJ’s approach to different time controls generally.  Mentioned: Nathan Kelly, Chicago Chess Blitzers, National Blitz League, Stephen Jennings, Tom Murphy  33:45- Back to openings! How did JJ fix his opening repertoire?  Mentioned: Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios, Listen to GM Flores' Perpetual Chess Interview here 40:00- How did JJ allocate his chess study time, and what would he recommend for others? JJ has a unique approach to studying openings that could be helpful for many.  Mentioned: GM Ding Liren, FM Kamil Plichta, Jay Bonin, Rubinstein-Janowski 1907 (30… Qb8!) 47:30- How does JJ recommend tweaking his approach to study for lower rated players? This includes some tactics books recommendations for the 1500-1800 level. Magnus Carlsen’s explanation for the move he missed vs. GM Matlakov can be found within this recap by Peter Doggers of Chess.com Mentioned: ChessTempo, Chess.com tactics trainer, Chess Tactics for Champions by Susan Polgar, Chess by Laszlo Polgar, LiChess, Chess Calculation Training by GM Romain Edouard, Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation by Jacob Aagard, Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand,  Carlsen-Matlakov 2019, Tactics Time by Tim Brennan, Winning Chess Exercise for Kids by Jeff Coakley, The Steps Series, Can You be a Positional Chess Genius by Angus Dunnington, Practical Chess Exercises by Ray Zheng  1:05- We talk a bit how JJ’s approach to playing has changed since he moved to Chicago, and what tournaments he is planning. Mentioned: Chicago Class Tournament, Amateur Team Midwest, Adia Onyango  1:10- We go back to discussing JJ’s opinion on how to allocate one’s study time.  Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know, NM William Aramil of Dynamic Chess, 100 Endgames You Must Know on Chessable, GM Jan Gustafsson, Christopher Chabris, Prior Adult Improver Interview with Jason Cigan, My Great Predecessors on Chessable  1:23- JJ gets philosophical (as is his wont) about why he quit chess and why he came back.  1:34- We wrap up with JJ’s contact info. Find him on Facebook, chess.com or contact him via email   If you would like to find out more and/or support the “Square Off Chess robot” Kickstarter project that I mentioned at the top of the show, check it out here.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Jonathan Rowson is a philosopher, a researcher, the 3-time British Chess Champion,  and an acclaimed chess author. Many chess fans will be familiar with his classic books, The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, and Chess for Zebras. Today GM Rowson joins me to discuss his eagerly anticipated new book, The Moves that Matter: A Chess Grandmaster on the Game of Life . In our conversation, GM Rowson shares some of the memories and life lessons that chess has provided him, and he helps us contextualize the contributions that chess can make to society at large. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- GM Rowson discusses the genesis of and themes of his new book, which has been 13 years in the making! As Jonathan tells us, his new book is primarily about what chess has taught him about life. 9:30- One of my favorite themes of Jonathan’s new book, is that chess is a pretext for concentration, which is a “precious experience.” In this segment Jonathan expounds on this idea.  15:30- Jonathan’s 10 year-old son has recently become interested in competitive chess. How does he approach chess parenting?  Mentioned: GM Viswanathan Anand  20:00- GM Rowson reflects on his experiences working on GM Anand’s team during the 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship match. Mentioned:  GM Peter Heine Nielsen, Bobby Knight  27:30- Now that he has stepped away from competitive chess, what is GM Rowson’s current relationship with the chess world? Mentioned: McShane-Caruana 2019, Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Alex Baburin, GM Lev Psakhis, GM Alexander Grischuk  34:00- Jonathan discusses his day to day work at the research institute that he co-founded, called Perspectiva. One of the primary issues that his institute tackles is the challenge posed by climate change. Mentioned:  Royal Society of the Arts, Tomas Björkman  43:00- What is GM Rowson’s view of the proper role of chess in schools and in education?  49:00- Good news, audio chess content fans! There will be an audiobook forthcoming for The Moves that Matter. GM Rowson talks about the experience of doing the voice work for his own book. The audiobook will be available on November 14. 55:00- A supporter of the podcast asks GM Rowson about whether or not there will ever be an update or electronic version of his classic opening book, Understanding the Grunfeld.  Mentioned: Han Schut 57:00- In closing, GM Rowson tells a story of a crucial realization that he had during a memorable game with GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov.  Mentioned: Kasimdzhanov-Rowson 2000, GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Vishy Anand, GM Luke McShane, GM Levon Aronian, GM Nigel Short, GM Matthew Sadler, GM Mickey Adams, GM Magnus Carlsen Thanks to GM Rowson for coming on the show, you can order his book here, and keep up with him on twitter here. To hear more from GM Rowson, check out his interview with "On Being with Krista Tippett" podcast here. If you would like to find out more and/or support the “Square Off Chess robot” Kickstarter project that I mentioned at the top of the show, check it out here.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Robert Hungaski is an Argentina-based, American chess player who has been making a name for himself as a trainer and presenter. In his work as a coach, he is a certified FIDE Senior trainer who often works with US Chess World Youth teams. Robert has been a resident GM at the Saint Louis Chess Club several times, and most importantly for our purposes, he is a down to earth and funny guy with lots of good chess advice and stories! Please read on for timestamps, details and relevant links.  0:00- Intro- We discuss what Robert’s day to day life is like. Robert also goes into some detail about he earned the FIDE Senior Trainer and FIDE arbiter titles. Mentioned: St. Louis Chess Club, FIDE Arbiter Title  9:00- What does Robert notice amongst the top World Youth players he works with? Mentioned: Aren Emrikian, GM Mesgen Amanov , Zurich 1953, My System, Small Steps to Giant Chess Improvement, The Woodpecker Method  18:00- We discuss the tendencies of the modern chess elite to violate what were once considered sturdy chess principles. This is illustrated in two recent Magnus Carlsen games. Mentioned: Carlsen-Caruana 2019, Carlsen-So 2019,  Botvinnik’s 100 Selected Games  22:30- With limited time to compete these days, how does Robert choose his chess tournaments? Does he play for both the US and Argentina?  Mentioned: American Continental Chess Championship, US Open Chess Tournament , FIDE World Cup 30:00- Why are a lot of primarily online American Chess Trainers relocating outside of the US?  Mentioned: GM Gata Kamsky, IM Bill Paschall 31:45- Mar del Plata, Argentina is a famous chess location due to a historic tournament and epononymous chess opening. What can Robert tell us from having played there?  Mentioned: King’s Indian Defense Mar del Plata Variation, Mar del Plata Chess Tournament  36:00 When and how did Robert meet legendary Danish GM Bent Larsen? Mentioned: GM Miguel Najdorf, GM Bent Larsen  37:30- Robert says he was a terrible scholastic player and many people urged him to quit. Is this true? What motivated him to work to become stronger?  41:30- When he lived in New York, Robert worked with legendary GM William Lombardy. What helpful advice did GM Lombardy give when Robert hit a lengthy rating plateau? In this segment Robert gives some great insight on how to take a big picture approach to analyzing one’s chess games.  Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Rafael Leitao, Chess Steps Method 51:30- Book recommendations!The Books of IM Jeremy Silman, Chess Middlegames by Laszlo Polgar, The Anthology of Chess Combinations, Chess Strategy for Club Players, Dvoretsky Books, Positional Play, Winning Pawn Structures, The Middlegame- Book 1,GM Jonathan Rowson’s Books 57:00- Was Robert a good student in High School? What did he learn from chess? Mentioned: The Moves that Matter by GM Jonathan Rowson  1:05- In the 2000’s Robert played some blitz matches with IM Greg Shahade, some of which can still be found on Youtube.. How did those go? Mentioned: Jenn Shahade , IM Lawrence Trent vs. IM Greg Shahade grudge match, GM Hikaru Nakamura  1:11- Robert tells some stories about meeting former World Champion, GM Anatoly Karpov and playing him in a simul. Here are a few of Robert’s favorite Karpov games:Karpov-Yusopov 1988,  Karpov-Lautier 1992, Korchnoi-Karpov 1981 Game 9  1:15- One more hilarious GM Lombardy story that has nothing to with chess. :)  1:18- Goodbye! Contact Robert via his website. Follow him on Twitter. You can also purchase some lessons of his on ChessLecture.com. Here a couple of my favorite of his YouTube lectures: The Resurgence of Romantic Chess, My Greatest Losses  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

FM Kamil Plichta is a popular Chessable author, a chess trainer, and something of a rapid and blitz specialist. His strength at fast time controls is borne out by the the fact that he recently finished 3rd at the Polish Rapid Championship, and that he has won online blitz games against the likes of Nakamura and Artemiev. In our wide ranging chess talk, we hit topics ranging from how to tailor your game for a specific opponent, to blitz and time trouble tips, to how much time one should spend studying openings. As always, please read on for more details, hyperlinks and timestamps.  0:00- Intro. We begin by discussing Kamil’s recent success at the Polish Rapid Championship, where he finished 3rd overall, ahead of notable Grandmasters like GM Michail Krasenkow and GM Kacper Piorun.  Mentioned: GM Bassem Amin 13:10- We transition to discussing how Kamil chooses his opening repertoire and designs his Chessable courses. Kamil also dispenses advice about how much time chess players should devote to studying openings at different ratings levels.  Mentioned: GM Simon Williams,  Break the Rules, Play the Trompowsky, Erwin’s Opening Lab, the Dubov Tarrasch, GM Danil Dubov 19:00- What makes Kamil so strong at blitz, and what blitz advice can he give to listeners? Mentioned: Hikaru Nakamura  27:00- We discuss some of Kamil’s other chess related work, including a business he is starting in Poland, and some other business plans of his.  32:00- Kamil delves into the background of how he was able to successfully pitch a course to Chessable  Mentioned: Video intro’s by Kamil for his courses on the King’s Indian Attack, and The Trompowsky 43:00- I ask Kamil some follow up questions based on his excellent interview with Vjekoslav Nemec of Chessentials. I was particularly interested in hearing Kamil’s thoughts about his psychological approach to each chess game.  Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Cyrus Lakdawala  59:00- How does Kamil approach coaching individual students? What mistakes does he often see?  Mentioned: Kamil’s LiChess Coaching Page 1:05- Is it better to work on improving your strengths or your weaknesses? How should you play against a time trouble addict?  1:12- We get another fresh book recommendation! Why does Kamil love the book, Your Opponent is Overrated by FM James Schuyler?   1:14- A question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Kamil why chess players are often drawn to poker and vice versa? Kamil answers the question, and also delves into his years as a poker pro.  1:21- Switching back to chess, Kamil dispenses some important advice for those looking to improve at chess.  1:26- Uh oh, more poker talk.😉  What variant of poker did Kamil play?  Mentioned: Sit and Go Poker Tournaments, IM Greg Shahade  1:30- Kamil turns the tables and asks me about the origins of Perpetual Chess and who my dream guests would be.  Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Jan Timman, GM Genna Sosonko, Lessons of a Grandmaster with GM Boris Gulko  1:35- Goodbye and contact info! You can contact Kamil via LiChess or follow him on twitter here.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Rafael Leitão is the highest rated Brazilian chess player and its 7 time National Champion. As a Scholastic Player, he won World Junior titles at two different ages, and he is also a Correspondence Chess GM! In addition, GM Leitão runs a successful online chess academy. As you may gather, we had much to talk about.😀 Our topics of conversation ranged across continents and generations of chess, with many great stories and recommendations for chess improvement. Please read on for more details, hyperlinks and timestamps. Enjoy!  0:00- We begin by discussing Rafael’s background a bit, how he got into chess and what the chess culture in Brazil is like. Mentioned: Fischer-Spassky 1972 , GM Peter Leko 10:30- We dive in to the first question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast. John Hartmann writes in to ask GM  Rafael Leitão to share some memories of his interactions with the legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky. Mentioned: The Legacy of Mark Dvoretsky,  GM Gilberto Milos, GM Jaime Sunye Neto, GM Peter Heine Neilsen  23:00- GM Leitão discusses the impact that legendary Brazilian GM Henrique Mecking has had in Brazil. Mentioned: GM Lev Polugaevsky, GM Viktor Korchnoi  28:30- Several supporters of the podcast write to ask GM Leitão about his popular article in which he discusses his choices for the Top 10 Chess Players of all time, and particularly about his choice of Bobby Fischer as the best ever. Mentioned: Magnus Carlsen’s comment on Kasparov vs. Fischer as the best ever, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Anish Giri, Paul Morphy, Russians vs. Fischer, GM Kasparov, GM Petrosian, GM Karpov, GM Mikail Tal, GM Vladimir Kramnik  44:30- We talk a bit of openings! A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks GM Leitão to compare the relative merits of the Sicilian Najdorf and the Sicilian Taimanov defenses. Mentioned: Ziska- Leitão 2018, Kulaots-Leitão 2018GM Evgeny Bareev on Perpetual Chess, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Samuel Reshevsky  52:00- What have been some of Rafael’s most memorable encounters with chess greats? Mentioned: Karpov, Anand, Kasparov, GM Gionvanni Vescovi 57:30- GM Leitão answers another listener question about his experiences with playing Correspondence Chess, and what he thinks about the future prospects for this version of the game. Mentioned: World Champion at the Third Attempt  1:02- GM Leitão discusses his chess academy, at https://rafaelleitao.com/ ,and shares some chess improvement advice. Mentioned: The Best Chess Books Ever Written, The 20 Chess Books That Helped Me Become a Grandmaster, Think Like a Grandmaster,Secrets of Grandmaster Chess, Lessons from a Grandmaster by Boris Gulko and Joel Sneed, Positional Decision Making in Chess , Capablaca-Yates, Capablanca-Janowski 1:15- Thanks to Rafael for joining the show! You can keep up with him and reach him via https://rafaelleitao.com/  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Bassem Amin is a 31 year old Super GM, who was the first Egyptian, Arab and African chess player to reach the rating of the 2700. Among many other titles, he has been the champion of Africa 5 times. As if that weren’t enough, GM Amin is also a medical doctor, but as the #38 ranked player in the world he his professional focus has been on playing chess in recent years. In our interview we discuss topics ranging from the FIDE World Cup, to the chess scene in Egypt and Africa to his chess study habits and advice. Please read on for timestamps, details and relevant links.    Intro: A world cup trip report from GM Bassem Amin. He details the events that led to his unfortunate early exit, and discusses his opinions of the format and the nerves one may feel at such an important tournament.  Mentioned: GM Amin Tabatabaei, GM Mikhailo Oleksienko,  GM Nikita Vituigov Chess.com Isle of Man International, Chess24 Interview with GM Vituigov, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Vishy Anand, GM Ivanchuk,  21:00- Why did GM Amin choose to focus on chess as a profession? How popular is chess in Egypt? GM Vidit Gujrathi,  23:30- GM Amin discusses what it was like to experience and compete in the Grand Chess Tour in Africa at the 2019 Cote D’Ivoire Rapid and Blitz  Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen , GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Ding Liren, GM Wei Yi, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, GM Vesilin Topalov  30:00- What is GM Amin’s study routine like? What were his study methods like as a top scholastic player in Egypt? Mentioned: Karpov Cup in France , GM Edvins Kengis, GM Ahmed Adly, GM Sergey Grigoriants, GM Mikhailo Oleksienko 38:00- What does Bassem consider to be his biggest career milestone? 41:30- What advice does Bassem have for adult improvers?  44:30- Goodbye! You can follow GM Bassem Amin’s progress via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WIM Beatriz Marinello is a Chilean-American chess player, educator and organizer. Beatriz was recently named the Director of the Chess Program at the Dalton School in New York City, and in the past few decades, she has also worked and volunteered in countless other capacities in the chess world. Beatriz was the first woman to be elected as President of the US Chess Federation and was also the first woman to be elected Vice President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). She is also one of the founders of and the President of Checkmating Dementia. Beatriz was very forthright about the good and bad that she has seen during her years in the chess world. Her experiences highlight the growth that the chess world has seen in recent years, but also show that there is still much more that can be done to promote and grow chess. Please read on for timestamps, links and a few more details.  0:00- We begin by discussing Beatriz’s roles on the FIDE Social Action Committee and as the Director of the Chess Program at The Dalton School  Mentioned: David MacEnulty retires from his role as Director of the Dalton School, IM Josh Waitzkin,IM Kassa Korley, Charu Robinson,  GM Maxim Dlugy, USCF Master Gus Huston    6:45- What was it like to grow up playing chess during the Pinochet regime in Chile?  11:00- Beatriz transitions to discussing her chess work in the US, including living in Miami, Las Vegas, and ultimately New York.  Mentioned: Svetozar Jovanovic, PS 9, The Anderson School, Carmen Farina, Dr. Robert Ferguson, Castle Chess Camp,  US Chess Federation  25:00- As Beatriz retells, she became the first female president of the US Chess Federation, only to discover that the organization faced serious financial difficulties. How were she and others able to help US Chess recover?  Mentioned: Stan Booz, Sam Sloan  35:00- How did WIM Marinello end up becoming affiliated with FIDE? What was that experience like?  Mentioned: FIDE Social Action Commission, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Former Fide President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov 47:00-A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks about Beatriz’ efforts to promote chess as a vehicle to fight dementia.  Mentioned: Checkmating Dementia, Michael Glassman  1:04- Beatriz tells a funny Bobby Fischer story that she heard from a reliable friend of hers.  Mentioned: Beatriz Marinello Interview with Chessbase, Dr. Leroy Dubeck,    GM Tigran Petrosian   1:12- We talk a bit of chess improvement and chess books, and some of Beatriz’ favorite chess players and chess games.   Mentioned: My Great Predecessors, GM Hou Yifan, Polgar-Berkes,Hou Yifan-David Navara 2016, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Antoaneta Stefanova, Jennifer Shahade, Kimberly Doo McVay  1:21- Goodbye! You can keep up with all of Beatriz’s initiatives via her Facebook page. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh is the author of the highly regarded book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making,   and was the 2002 British Chess Champion, but these days he is best known as one of the top chess trainers in the world! He has served as the coach of the Indian National Team many times, and in recent years has been the trainer of the teenage super-talent, GM Praggnanandhaa, among many others. In our conversation we talk about topics ranging from  how Ramesh finds and keeps track of material for his students, to how to fight chess slumps, to a list of his many favorite chess books,plus lots more! Please tune in and read on for timestamps and relevant links.    0:00- We begin by discussing R.B. Ramesh’s current whereabouts. He is conducting a training camp for talented young Indian chess players with GM Vishal Sareen and IM Dejan Bojkov. Ramesh shares the sorts of material and themes he often emphasizes in these types of camps, including the advice he gives to students who get upset by losing games.  In this segment Ramesh answer a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast about how trainers organize their teaching materials.  Mentioned: Chessbase 15 21:30- Are there any traits GM Ramesh has noticed in his most accomplished students, such as GM Praggnanandhaa?  31:00- When GM Jacob Aagard was a guest on Perpetual Chess, he discussed an upcoming chess camp he would be teaching with GM Ramesh. GM Ramesh provides us with some details about the camp.  Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland, GM Ivan Salgado Lopez,  34:00- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh for advice about how to think about and persevere during periods of stagnation in one’s chess development.  46:30- GM Ramesh talks about his own chess playing career, was he discouraged in the period when it took him 8 years to go from IM to GM? Mentioned: GM Anand, GM Sasrikan  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of GM Ramesh’s insightful  3 part 2017 interview with Niklesh Jain on Chessbase India 50:30- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh whether he thinks the competition amongst players in India is particularly fierce. From here we transition to a more general conversation about support for chess in India.  Mentioned: IM Sagar Shah, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Harikrishna, IM Tania Sachdev , GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Aravind Chithambaram, GM Nihal Sarin gets an endorsement with a milk company, GM Koneru Humpy  1:01- Chess books! Get ready! No surprise that a renowned trainer like GM Ramesh has a long list of recommended books. :)  Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games, Zurich International, The Art of Attack, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Judgement and Planning in Chess, Fire on Board, The Works of Mark Dvoretsky, The Works of GM Jacob Aagard, Secrets of Practical of Chess, Winning Pawn Structures (out of print), Think like  a Grandmaster, Endgame Strategy, The Works of Boris Gelfand, Dynamic Chess Strategy, Theory and Practice of Chess Endings, Imagination in Chess, Perfect Your Chess, Its Only Me by Tony Miles, The Yusopov Series, Fundamental Chess Endings, Timman On the Attack,Creative Chess by Amatzia Avni, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall,  1:11- At his ChessGurukul Academy GM Ramesh sometimes teaches yoga and meditation to his students. How have they responded to it?  Mentioned: The Grandmaster Diet: How to lose Weight While Barely Moving , GM Praggnanandhaa 1:15- We conclude with a brief discussion of GM Ramesh’s excellent book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making,  and an exciting tease for another book project that GM Ramesh is planning. You can keep up with GM R.B. Ramesh via Facebook and Twitter.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than 2.5 years after our first interview it is once again an honor to talk chess with renowned chess author and historian IM John Donaldson. As we discuss, John has remained extremely busy despite recently retiring as Director of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in San Francisco. In addition to co-authoring acclaimed books about Bobby Fischer and Akiva Rubinstein, John is a member of the Samford Fellowship Committee and has served as the Captain of many U.S. Olympiad Teams. So as always, we had much to discuss! Please read on for many relevant links and timestamps.  0:00- Intro- We begin by discussing what is new with John's ongoing research related to his series of books about GM Bobby Fischer, written with IM Eric Tangborn. Mentioned: Bobby Fischer’s Final Years: A Memoir, GM William Lombardy, IM Anthony Saidy  11:30- When he retired from the Mechanics' Institute one of John’s goals was to play chess competitively more often. Has he been able to achieve this goal? Which older players inspire him?  NM Han Schut, IM Anthony Saidy, USCF Master Viktors Pupols 20:00- John has been the captain of the U.S. Olympiad team many times, He explains the selection process for determining the next team for the U.S. Olympiad.  Mentioned: Khanty-Mansiysk, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Sam Shankland, Jeffrey Xiong, Hikaru Nakamura  24:30- What is Samford Fellowship, and how do its recipients get selected? Mentioned: Allen Kaufman, Sam Sevian, Hikaru Nakamura, Awonder Liang, Joel Benjamin Wesley So, IM Christopher Yoo,  32:00- More Olympiad talk! Who will be the strongest teams in the next Open Chess Olympiad? What are John’s favorite Olympiad memories?  Mentioned: 38th Chess Olympiad (2008), GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Pentala Harikrishna, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Gata Kamsy, GM Vassily Ivanchuk  44:00- Is drug testing necessary in chess? How thorough is the monitoring for computer assistance at the Olympiads?  Mentioned: IM Kenneth Regan  49:00- We discuss John’s 2 volume work on legendary GM Akiva Rubinstein (co-written with IM Niklay Minev) , which is available on Forward Chess and Amazon. A Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess wonders if there is hope for a 3rd edition of the book and also asks John’s opinion on whether Peak Rubinstein could have beaten GM Emanuel Lasker for the World Championship. John did not dodge the question!  Mentioned: Michael Negele, Positional Decision-Making in Chess, Dynamic Decision-Making in Chess  1:00:00- John shares some memories about notable recent passings in the chess world. This includes Fischer-era chess commentator Shelby Lyman, Chess Historian Dale Brandreth, and GM Pal Benko  Mentioned: Steve Brandwein , Henry Kissinger, Karl Burger, IM Jack Peters, GM Michael Wilder, Albrecht Buschke, John Rather, Oscar Shapiro, USCF Master Fred Wilson  1:19:00- Has John read any standout chess books lately? Mentioned: Quality Chess, Chess Evolution, Thinkers Publisher, McFarland, Mongoose Press, New in Chess, Russell Enterprises, Everyman Press, Andy Soltis, 300 Most Important Chess Positions, The Survival Guide to Rook Endings, The Woodpecker Method , The King’s Indian According to Tigran Petrosian , Opening Simulator - King's Indian Defence, Perfect Your Chess , Learn From the Legends  1:36:00- John reviews the performance of the U.S. Teams at the 2019 World Team Championship. Mentioned: GM Darius Swiercz, GM Sam Sevian, GM Alex Onischuk, GM Alex Lenderman, GM Elshan Moriadiabadi, GM Melik Khachiyan, GM Alejandro Ramirez, Carissa Yip, Rochelle Wu, GM Zviad Izoria 1:41:00- Thanks to John for coming on! You can email him here.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices