Perpetual Chess Podcast

“Coming back to classical chess was the best decision of my life,” Selim said.  IM-elect Selim Citak came out of semi-retirement on a whim a few years ago, needing one more norm and some more FIDE rating points, in order to earn the IM title. Selim quickly discovered that adjustments were necessary, as his rating plummeted from over 2300 to 2150 while he grappled with the stronger new generation of chess players. Through hard work, sacrifice, and psychological adjustments, Selim turned things around and gained the 250 FIDE points and final norm necessary to earn the IM title at age 39! In our conversation, Selim shares his remarkable story, along with plenty of chess improvement advice. Selim is very active in the Turkish chess scene as an author, Chessable author and commentator.  He joined me just after attending the Olympiad as a second to young star GM Yagiz Erdogmus. Selim also shared what makes GM Ediz Gurel and him such special talents, and why Turkey is a potential rising chess power. This was an inspiring conversation of personal chess revival, so be sure to tune in.  1:30- IM-elect Selim Citak joins me: He discusses his chess origins and why did he returned to tournament chess in 2022. Mentioned: GM Suat Atalik, GM Mikhail GurevichSelim’s FIDE graph:https://ratings.fide.com/profile/6301819/chart22:00- Selim describes his study routineMentioned: GM Evgeny Romanov 28:00- Selim’s approach to openings 35:00- Selim’s study routine, and how he pays for the expenses Mentioned: Sorcerer’s Apprentice by GM David Bronstein 43:00- Does Selim play a lot online chess? 49:00- Selim’s next goals53:00- Selim’s helped GM Erdogmus at the Olympiad. He reflects on the experience and Turkey’s status as a potential future chess powerhouse. Mentioned: GM Ediz Gurel, GM Yağız Erdoğmuş1:10:00- Selim’s advice for getting unstuck. If you would like the help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s returning guest is the renowned author, Chessable author and trainer, GM Axel Smith. Axel, of course is best known for the groundbreaking tactics manual, The Woodpecker Method, and is finally releasing its much-anticipated sequel, The Woodpecker Method 2: Positional Play.  While the first Woodpecker volume focused on tactics, this one helps readers learn critical positional patterns. In our conversation, we discuss the challenges of and logistics behind selecting over 1000 positional puzzles. We also have a wide-ranging discussion about Axel’s latest thoughts about chess improvement, a topic he has covered in excellent books like Pump Up Your Rating and Street Smart Chess. We touch on how Axel’s chess goals have evolved now that he has a family, his advice regarding offering draws, and even the parallels between trying to improve at distance running and at chess. As always links of topics referenced are below.  Book available from Quality Chess and Forward Chess, coming soon to Chessable https://forwardchess.com/product/the-woodpecker-method2PDF Sample of the book:https://forwardchess.com/sample/the-woodpecker-method2Forward Chess:https://forwardchess.com/product/the-woodpecker-method202:00-  GM Axel Smith joins the show. Was it challenging to make a compilation of “positional puzzles”? Mentioned: GMs Christopher Yoo, Renier Castellanos, Sam Shankland, Nordirbek Abdusattorov Simple Chess, Winning Chess Strategies, The Power of Pawns 14:00-  Patreon mailbag question: When will Woodpecker 2 be available on Chessable? Mentioned: FM Nate Solon’s post, Woodpecker Revisitedhttps://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/the-woodpecker-method-revisited?utm_source=publication-search21:00- Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store. https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh22:00- We revisit some of the most memorable chess improvement advice from Axel’s classic book Pump Up Your Rating. What advice would he change? Mentioned: My Chessable course, Identifying Critical Moments in Chesshttps://www.chessable.com/identifying-critical-moments-in-chess/course/248353/31:00- Axel quit his job to focus on distance running training, and runs 20 Kilometers a day. We discuss his training regimen38:00- Returning to chess, we discuss Axel’s philosophy regarding draw offers. 40:00- Has the success of The Woodpecker Method changed Axel’s life?43:00- Why does Axel think adults often struggle to improve? 47:00- Has Axel’s overall improvement philosophy changed since Pump Up Your Rating?48:00- Thanks to Axel for rejoining us, you can keep up with his work via Chessable and Quality Chess. https://www.chessable.com/author/axelsmith/https://qualitychess.co.uk/products/improvement/446/_the_woodpecker_method_2_by_axel_smith/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sam Kahn is a writer and film producer by day with a passion for chess, and particularly, the lessons we can learn from chess history. Sam is especially fascinated by the distinct chess styles that one can see by playing through the games of prior greats like Lasker, Pillsbury and Capablanca. He writes about the lessons we can learn from these players in his excellent new collaboration with IM Cyrus Lakdawala, A Century of Chess Book 1: 1900-1909. Of course, before Sam became consumed by chess history, he obsessively focused on his own game. Sam has his share of stories from all-nighters at NYC chess dens, and reflects on how he achieved the 2100 USCF level, and why he thinks it will be challenging to reach a highe level.  Based on his own experiences, Sam also shares tips for navigating the narrow path from “degenerate” chess obsessive to healthy chess hobbyist. As an avid reader of Sam’s blogs (both chess and non-chess), I was excited to hear him reflect on his own chess story. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store. https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh0:02- What makes some chess players better than ourselves?Mentioned: Sam’s post My Insane, Degenerate, Overpowering Chess Hobbyhttps://samkahn.substack.com/p/my-insane-degenerate-overpowering0:07- Has AI changed the romanticism of players representing competing schools of thought? 11:30- As a 2100 level player, why is Sam dismissive of his own chess abilities? Mentioned: Edward Winter’s post about the famous quote “Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.”https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/proverbs.html16:00- Why does Sam call legendary NYC IM Jay Bonin his “White Whale”?18:00- What does Sam think are the best ways to improve at chess? 24:00- Thanks to our sponsors:Check out new Chessable courses by me, GM Nils Grandelius, and GM Sam Shankland- if you sign up for Chessable Pro, be sure to use this link:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro25:00- What is the story behind Sam’s chess history blog being turned into a book? Mentioned: Colin StapcynzckiA Century of Chess Book 1: 1900-1909, IM Cyrus Lakdawala 33:00- Who is Sam’s favorite chess player covered in the book?Mentioned: Lasker, Maroczy, Pillsbury 38:00- How does Sam ascertain the stylistic tendencies of historical chess players? Mentioned: Nimzowitsch, Janowski, New in Chess Podcast with GM Tiger Hillarp Perssonhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/1hmw6yMC1u2mwYo5HUjNPG?si=43cd8d56debb431948:00- Is there much overlap between Sam’s non-chess blog and his chess blog? https://samkahn.substack.com/p/my-insane-degenerate-overpowering55:00- Sam’s advice for finding a balanced approach to chess. 57:00- In his late 30s, is Sam too old to make the  master level? Mentioned: Episode 400 with NM Matt Gross1:03:00- Sam’s favorite chess history writers:Mentioned: Richard Reti’s Masters of the Chessboard, Irving Chernev, GM Andy Soltis, My Great Predecessor’s, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendriks, Ink Wars by IM Willy Hendriks 1:09:00- Thanks to Sam for joining.   Here is how you can check out his work.  Book- A Century of Chess Book 1: 1900-1909,Chess.com History Blog-https://www.chess.com/member/kahnsNon-Chess Blog-https://samkahn.substack.com/If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the FIDE Chess Olympiad enters the homestretch, it has been as entertaining as ever. It is hard to keep up with all of the emerging storylines, but Chessable's Mr. Dodgy joined me from Budapest to discuss a few, as well as to describe the atmosphere in Budapest and at the playing hall. Topics covered include: the cell phone camera controversy, GM Ding Liren's disappointing performance, India's dominance, and the inspiring story of Eman Sawan. You can find links to all of the stories referenced below. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the tournament! 0:00- Welcome 3:00- How Budapest compares to the 2022 Chennai Olympiad 5:55- The Women in Chess Foundation08:56- The Kramnik camera phone controversy 12:00- GM Ding Liren’s uninspiring performance at the tournament 15:00- Final thoughts: Is India inevitable? Find out more about the phone in the playing hall controversy here:https://x.com/chess24com/status/1837226230082588923Chessbase India shorts:https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessBaseIndiachannel/shortsCheck out FM Mike Klein’s interview with Palestinian star performer Eman Sawan here:https://x.com/chess24com/status/1836815099614400866Magnus arrival by bicycle to an early round:https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1ffxngn/twitter_photochess_magnus_carlsen_arrives_late/GM Peter Svidler’s Ding Liren comment:https://x.com/FIDE_chess/status/1836397064143438001Thanks to Mr. Dodgy for joining, Check out the Women in Chess Foundation here:https://www.womeninchess.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Gross, a 48-year-old National Master and chief data scientist at Blue Ocean AI, shares his inspiring journey back to chess after a 17-year break. He discusses the evolution of the game and the challenges he faced in modern competition. Focusing on intuition and studying model games transformed his approach. Matt emphasizes the balance of calculation and intuition in improving chess skills and offers valuable resources for other adult improvers. His dedication showcases that it’s never too late to achieve your goals in chess.

This week I am honored to be joined by author, trainer, and 2 time Swedish National Champion, GM Tiger Hillarp Persson. Tiger has a unique background for a GM, as at the age of 26, when  he was not yet an IM, he decided to pursue chess professionally nonetheless. From there he made rapid progress and has been an active player ever since. But Tiger is equally passionate about another complex game, Go, which he started playing at the age of 40. He has become a master-level player, and has represented his native Sweden in international Go tournaments as well. In our conversation, Tiger discusses the challenges and rewards of improving at both games, and why he thinks substantial improvement is possible at both if one is honest with oneself and works hard. We also discuss Tiger’s fantastic new book, Tiger’s Chaos Theory. The book deconstructs and gives vocabulary to some uncommon and important patterns and situations in chess, and is a pleasure to read. I found this conversation very insightful, and I trust that you will as well. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Thanks to our sponsors:Check out new Chessable courses by me, GM Nils Grandelius, and GM Sam Shankland- if you sign up for Chessable Pro, be sure to use this link:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=proCheck out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store. https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh0:02- GM Tiger Hillarp Persson joins the pod. We begin by discussing why Tiger decided to devote himself fully to chess at age 26, when he was not even an IM at that point.Mentioned: Karpov-Miles 1980, The Soviet Chess Conveyor by Shereshevsky 18:00- What has pursuing excellence at Go taught Tiger about chess improvement? Mentioned:Check out Tiger’s blog here:https://tiger.bagofcats.net/Ivanchuk-Van Foreest 2022:https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=241636837:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Tiger play unorthodox openings in Go as well? “42:00- Tiger discusses the study method of trying to imitate the play of a player whose style you admire, as he did for Karpov. 48:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Have computers been a blessing or a curse for chess?”52:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Tiger’s advice for lower rated players for assessing sacrifices?” Mentioned: The Art of Sacrifice by Rudolph Spielman 56:00- Tiger’s other favorite chess booksMentioned: Under the Surface by GM Jan Markos 59:00- What is a hecatomb?1:00:00- Tiger’s favorite tournament memories Mentioned: GM Jonathan Rowson, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Lembit Oll 1:05:00- Tiger is playing on the Swedish team at the Olympiad. How does he prepare? 1:10:00- Tiger discusses his most famous win, an amazing game against GM Peter Hiene Nielsen https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=14347781:12:00- Thanks to Tiger for joining me! Here are links to check out his book:https://qualitychess.co.uk/products/improvement/23034/tigers_chaos_theory_by_tiger_hillarp_persson/Free preview from Quality Chess:https://qualitychess.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tigers-Chaos-Theory-060-excerpt-1.pdfForward Chess:https://forwardchess.com/product/tigers-chaos-theory   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad begins September 11, 2024 in Budapest, and will feature many of the world’s top players. It is always a fun tournament for players and fans alike with its unique format and the opportunity for players to represent their countries. Joining me to help preview this year’s edition is 14- time British Chess Olympian, author, and 3 time British champion, GM Jonathan Speelman. Before Jon joins me, I discuss storylines I am excited for, including Magnus’ return to classical chess, a star-studded Indian team, and the Olympiad debut of a young British star. At the 14 minute mark, GM Speelman joins me to share some of his own Olympiad memories, as well as to share his thoughts on this year’s edition. The Olympiad is always one of my favorite tournaments to follow, and you can be sure that Perpetual Chess will be following and covering this year’s edition in detail. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store. https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh0:12:00- 10 storylines I am excited for the in the OlympiadMentioned: You can see the Olympiad rosters:Thanks to our longtime sponsors, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro14:00- GM Jonathan Speelman joins me and reflects on his Olympiad experiences as a player and trainer. Mentioned: Kasparov-Speelman 1980 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=106988136:00- Jon shares his thoughts on this year’s Olympiad. Mentioned: 2700chess.com 55:00- Jon reminsices about the 1988 Olympiad, the young Polgar sisters and “Grandmaster Clash”Check out Grandmaster Clash here:Grandmaster Clash - 28th Chess Olympiad 1988 with Stephen Fry1:00- Predictions? 1:00- Thanks, as always to GM Speelman for joining me, you can subscribe to this Twitch channel here: https://www.twitch.tv/jonspeelman1:02- If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 6, almost two years to the day after their fateful game at the Sinquefield Cup, Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann will meet at Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship. They will play in front of an audience in Paris, France.  Joining me to discuss the history of this feud, and the details of this match is popular commentator, YouTuber and Twitch streamer GM Ben Finegold. Does Hans have a chance given his impressive play lately? Since Magnus has been refusing to play Niemann, is there a chance that Magnus won’t show up to the match? What openings might we expect?  We dive into these questions and many more in our conversation. All the information you need about the match is here:https://www.chess.com/events/info/2024-speed-chess-championshipThanks to our sponsors Chessable.com! Check out my new course here, Identifying Critical Moments in Chess, here:https://www.chessable.com/identifying-critical-moments-in-chess/course/248353/1:30- Hans has been on a massive heater and has cracked the top 20 in Classical for the first time.  Can he actually win? 5:00- Does Ben agree with Hikaru that Magnus has a particular edge in bullet?Mentioned: Hikaru on Hans-Magnus in Parishttps://youtube.com/shorts/y3MkTIlEILY?si=oLR4rc7a3EZrqrku7:30- Should we expect Hans’ ascent to continue?11:00- Ben’s thoughts on Hans’ recent interview with GM Daniel Naroditskyhttps://youtu.be/ZFBAuihQYgw?si=QGCenzk5sKeZlEGv25:00- Where is the prize money for Hans’ tour coming from? Mentioned: Hans tweethttps://x.com/HansMokeNiemann/status/182775067487395881926:00- We discuss IM Daniel Rensch’s response to Hans’ recent interviewhttps://x.com/DanielRensch/status/182153647792443852832:00- PredictionsThanks as always to GM Ben Finegold for joining. You know where to find him!If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JulesGambit is a popular Twitch streamer and YouTuber who rediscovered chess while at university and has seen rapid growth in her rating and her online following. Jules joined me shortly after competing in the BotezChessCamp, a unique tournament where she lived in a house with other female chess stars like the Botezes and Anna Cramling and competed in a tournament. Jules was the lowest-rated entrant, but gained rating and drew 2-time US Women’s Champ Jennifer Yu in a classical game. This incredible result comes on the heels of a 2 year period where she has taken her rating from 1000 USCF to around 1800. In our conversation, we discuss the keys to Jules’ progress, the story behind the BotezChessCamp and what Jules plans to study next as she turns her attention to chess full-time. Jules is quick to credit many well-known chess players for helping fuel her growth as chess player, student and presenter, and it was inspiring to hear someone so motivated to continue her chess growth. Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com. My new course, Identifying Critical Moments in Chess is one of the many new offerings worth checking out. If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use the following link to help support Perpetual Chess:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro2:00- Jules joins the show. We being by discussing her recent experience at the BotezChessCamp Mentioned: Alexandra Botez, WGM Dina Belenkaya, Jules video “I went on a date with Andrea Botez” https://youtu.be/jM6ezgnO7c0?si=K05Fs6RZPmiTAWptCheck out Jules’ game with Jennifer Yu here:https://www.chess.com/events/2024-botez-chess-camp-classical/07/Schulman_Julia-Yu_Jennifer18:00- How did Jules get back into chess during college? What has led to Jules’ rapid rating progress in the past two years?Mentioned: How I went from 900 to 1700 in one year:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PFIyAtOihoCoffee Chess YouTube 28:00- What did Jules’ college friends think of her chess streaming?31:00- Why is Jules switching from emphasizing Twitch streaming to YouTube?37:00- Why did Jules quit chess as a kid?44:00- How do people respond to Jules’ interest in chess on dating apps? 46:30- What are Jules’ next chess goals?What is she currently studying?Mentioned: Positional Decision Making in Chess. Endgame Studies 101, Forcing Chess Moves 55:00- What was the highlight of going to a camp at Charlotte Chess Center with GMs R.B. Ramesh, Judit Polgar, and Veselin Topalov?58:00- How did Jules manage to write her thesis about chess? What was the conclusion of her research regarding geographic distribution of 2600+ players?Mentioned: GM David Brodsky 1:00:00- Thanks to Jules for joining! Here is how to keep up with her!Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/julesgambit/?hl=enTwitchhttps://www.twitch.tv/julesgambitYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@JulesgambitX https://x.com/julesgambit?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Pontus Carlsson is a Grandmaster, trainer, entrepreneur, and the founder of the non-profit Business Meets Chess & Kids. Pontus is always forthright and entertaining, and in his third visit to the podcast, we  caught up on chess topics including:  The unique stress of being World Chess Champion, and Pontus’ thoughts on the upcoming match  Pontus’ advice for helping to remember openings Will Pontus be following the Hans-Magnus speed chess championship match? What happened the first time Pontus encountered an 8 year old Magnus Carlsen (no relation) at a Scandinavian championship event?  The positives and negatives of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz occurring in New York this year We also discussed online chess cheating, the upcoming Olympiad, and an online chess charity event which Pontus will be organizing this weekend, called Chess 2 Change. This is a fun event for amateurs to play in, meet successful chess and business personalities, and is potentially life-changing for the young chess talents who participate in the event. GM Maurice Ashley will be broadcasting this year’s edition on August 25. As is often the case, we covered a wide range of chess stories, so you can check the show notes for timestamps of topics of interest. Information for the Chess 2 Change event on August 25 is here:https://businessmeetschessandkids.com/chess-to-change/Pontus prior interviews: Episode 29Episode 10102:00- We chat about rating deflation as Pontus reflects on a recent tournament in Bratislava 7:00- What is Pontus’ current day job?10:00- Online chess cheating14:00- The first time Pontus encountered an 8 year old Magnus Carlsen18:00- The stress of being World Chess Champion 20:30- Pontus’ thoughts on the Ding-Gukesh match24:00- The OlympiadMentioned: GM Nils Grandelius, GM Erik Blomqvist, GM Tiger Hillarp Persson, IM Martin Lokander 29:00- Pontus’ advice for remembering openings 34- Chess improvement advice for adults 38:00- Famous “touch-move” controversies involving Hikaru Nakamura and Garry Kasparov 42:00- The challenges of professional chess for those below the top 1048:00- More on the upcoming Hans-Magnus matchWatch GM Hans NIemann’s recent interview here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFBAuihQYgw51:00- World Rapid and Blitz will be in New YorkMentioned: FIDE Press Release here:https://www.fide.com/news/30701:04:00- Pontus discusses his upcoming charity event, Chess 2 ChangeMentioned: The Gift of Chess, Chess in Slums 1:30:00- Thanks again to Pontus for rejoining the podcast! You can find all of the information you need about chess to change below: Business Meets Chess & Kidshttps://businessmeetschessandkids.com/Chess 2 Changehttps://businessmeetschessandkids.com/chess-to-change/The Twitch Channel where the Charity Tournament will be Broadcastedhttps://www.twitch.tv/chess2change Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices