Perpetual Chess Podcast

GM Awonder Liang, former youth champion, discusses transitioning from chess to university life, balancing studies with tournaments, and the impact of his career choices. He reflects on his chess success, challenges, and future plans, sharing insights on gameplay strategies, memory skills, and admiration for fellow players like Magnus Carlsen.

GM Alex Fishbein discusses the updated version of 'My System' for a modern audience. Topics include comparisons with 'Chess Praxis,' challenges in translating the book, and handling variations. The podcast highlights the impact of classic chess literature on players' journeys and the importance of revisiting historical texts for continuous learning.

This week’s pod is a special edition featuring 10 different short interviews from the 2024 National Open in Las Vegas. We feature stories and perspectives from GM Ben Finegold, adult improver return guests, other chess podcasters, and even two different Grandmasters named Daniel Fernandez! Big tournaments like the National Open are great opportunities to bond over a shared love of chess, and I hope this episode helps encapsulate the many ways that chess can touch our lives,  teach us lessons, and bring us together. Timestamps and a brief description of each interview and guest can be found below.  GM Ben Finegold- 6:45  (recorded Wednesday, June 5) -Ben discusses his personal history at the National Open, the Nimzo-Indian defense, and dispenses some chess advice  Glenn Panner- 17:30-   (recorded Friday, June 7) The tournament co-organizer discusses the tournament history , the recent cheating story from the Chicago Open, and the cheat detection methods being used at the National Open.   GM Daniel Fernandez (US) 31:00-  (recorded Friday, June 7) The first of our GM Danil Fernandez guests, a Houston based player and trainer discusses how the stresses of playing compare to the stresses of coaching, and the advice he gives to his students who are competing in the tournament.  Kamryn Hellman 40:15  -  (recorded Saturday June 8) The popular streamer and YouTuber reflects on her first big tournament and the recent chess lessons that she has learned. You can hear more from Kamryn in Episode 314.  And check our her YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@kamrynheidi Kevin Scull-  -49:50  (recorded Saturday June 8) - The host of the Chess Journeys podcast reflects on the highs and lows of an ongoing tournament and discusses why he is trying to read fewer chess books!  Be sure to sub to the Chess Journeys podcast! Lennart Ootes- 59:30- (recorded Saturday June 8) - The renowned chess photographer and multimedia maestro compares photographing amateurs to photographing his usual subjects, the top pros of chess. Check out Lennart’s beautiful photos here: Lennart Ootes And his National Open photos here: https://www.chessphotoshop.com/National-Open-2024-Las-Vegas Kyle Boddy-  1:10:00 (recorded Saturday June 8) -I am rejoined by the founder of Driveline Baseball to discuss why he makes time for the National Open in the middle of the baseball season,and to share the lessons he has learned from IM Calvin Blocker, IM Marc Esserman and others. You can hear more of Kyle’s chess story in Episode 303.  GM Daniel Fernandez (UK)- 1:21:00 -(recorded Sunday, June 9) The U.K. based player, author and trainer discusses what he is doing in an effort to push through mental barriers and the importance of physical training at the GM level.  GM Kayden Troff- 1:31:15 (recorded Tuesday June 11)- Kayden’s primary role at the National Open was to provide free post-mortem analysis of amateur games. What type of mistakes did he see recur after reviewing dozens of games over a long weekend?  Check out Kayden’s epic game here: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1753125 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETcq8kmlMic You can find the Chesssharkz Twitch stream with Tony Padron here: https://www.twitch.tv/chesssharkz ElaynahTV - 1:46:30-  (recorded Friday,  June 14) The popular chess streamer and newly minted podcaster discusses how the women’s tournament compared to the Open event, and the challenges of streaming a tournament.  Check out Elaynah’s Twitch stream here: https://www.twitch.tv/elaynah And her new podcast with Dylan Quercia here: https://chesslounge.podbean.com/  Photo in thumbnail of ElaynahTV by Lennart Ootes- https://www.chessphotoshop.com/National-Open-2024-Las-VegasAnd thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com. If you sign up for Chessable pro, please use this link to help support the pod:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Arturs Neiksans shares his coaching journey with Levy Rozman and reflects on his own GM title quest. He discusses chess cheating in the community and the unfortunate story of GM Igors Rausis. Arturs provides valuable advice for improvement and insights into the Latvian chess scene.

This week I got the chance to catch up with author, trainer and Chessable author, GM Eugene Perelshteyn. We begin by discussing a recent online cheating controversy. An anonymous account was banned from Chess.com after beating GM Daniel Naroditsky in an online bullet match using only the “Meadow Hay” Gambit. Is this gambit so bad that it makes cheating likely? This controversy served as a springboard to discuss both online cheating and dodgy gambits. Eugene has recently released a course “Every Gambit Refuted” so he also shared general advice on how to react when you face an unknown gambit. These days, gambits can be particularly dangerous, as creators like IM Eric Rosen and GothamChess teach their audiences tricky openings. Finally, Eugene and I discuss some issues from the world of professional chess, including a lack of affordable opportunities to compete for the non-elite, the FIDE Candidates (which Eugene attended) and “the great eval bar debate.” Eugene is always insightful and it was great to catch up with him! ERROR CORRECTION- In the podcast, I said that the online match that led to the Viih_Sou account getting banned was a bullet match, but it was 3 0 time control. My apologies for the mistake- BenThanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro0:01- Eugene Perelshteyn joins me! We begin by discussing recent cheating controversies. This includes a recent controversy involving an account being banned after winning a bullet match against GM Daniel Naroditsky. GM Brandon Jacobson was playing the Meadow Hay Gambit. Is this gambit any good? More info on Chess Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1claxsm/its_me_viih_sou/https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1ctu6qc/question_what_happened_in_full_with_brandon/Mentioned: Jospem on Chess.com, Episode 368 with Erik Allebest 18:00- How have creators like IM Eric Rosen changed the paradigm when it comes to gambits?Mentioned: Fight Like Magnus, Lifetime Repertoires: Hyper Accelerated Dragon 22:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Eugene’s advice for how to approach playing against gambits you don’t know? Mentioned: Eugene’s Chess.com Lesson plan on Gambits is here:https://www.chess.com/lessons/every-gambit-refuted32:00- What is different about how a player like Pragganandhaa uses surprise openings compared to club players?37:00- Eugene shares his own perspective on attending the FIDE Candidates in Toronto. 42:00- Does Eugene think evaluation bars should be used during chess broadcasts?48:00- Has Eugene been pleased with the reception of his collaboration with FM Nate Solon Evaluate like a Grandmaster? 51:00- What else is Eugene working on?Mentioned: Chess Openings for Black explained,GM Lev Alburt, GM Roman Dzindzichashvilli 55:00- What does Eugene think of recent discussion about a lack of financial opportunities for “middle-class” Grandmasters? Mentioned: GM Jorden van Forreest tweet here:https://x.com/jordenvforeest/status/1790333612874666440 1:08:00- Thanks to Eugene for joining me! Check out his Chessable courses here:https://www.chessable.com/author/EugenePerel/Contact him via Twitterhttps://x.com/EugenePerel?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorOr Chess.comhttps://www.chess.com/member/eugeneperelshteyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Renowned chess journalist Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam joins to discuss GM Jan Hein Donner's book 'The King: Chess Pieces'. They explore Donner's controversial views on women in chess, his unique writing style, and insights into the 20th-century chess history. They also touch upon Dirk Jan's current projects and New in Chess' new podcast.

Chess content creator IM Levy Rozman discusses his renewed pursuit of the GM title, lessons learned from his first attempt, and preparations for upcoming tournaments. Also, he talks about the swift rating rise of popular gamer Tyler 1, successes and lessons from his book, and meeting celebrities. Levy reflects on what will be different in his second quest for GM and mental health challenges.

Software engineer and dad Dan Bock shares his inspiring journey of chess improvement in his 40s, focusing on strategic study methods and social connections in the chess world. He emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity in study hours, leading to a remarkable USCF rating increase. Dan's story serves as motivation for adult improvers seeking progress in their chess journey.

This week I am excited to be joined by the popular chess streamer, YouTuber, commentator, and champion player, WIM Anna-Maja Kazarian. Anna-Maja joined me from her home in the Netherlands after concluding a busy few months of competitive chess. Although she had her share of setbacks, these tournaments were largely successful, as Anna-Maja recently earned her first WGM Norm! Our conversation gave Anna-Maja the chance to reflect on the recent lessons she has learned as well as her goals both as a chess player and content creator. As she told me, Anna graduated from university somewhat recently and feels that this gives her an opportunity to devote all of her energy to chess improvement. She reflected on what aspects of the game she needs to work on, and also shared recommendations and advice for listeners. Last, and possibly least, we reflected on “Shoegate” the bizarre scandal where Anna-Maja somewhat unexpectedly made global headlines for her choice of footwear during the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz tournament. I am excited to see Anna-Maja’s continued norm pursuit and really enjoyed chatting with her. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below. Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro02:00- What is the status of Anna-Maja’s quest to earn the WGM title? Mentioned: Anna-Maja’s The Chess Experience Podcast Interview Anna-Maja’s game recap of earning her norm:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVm2KeXwzds09:00- Is it challenging for Anna-Maja to focus on her tournament games when she is streaming them? Mentioned: Episode 326 with Dina Belenkaya 18:00- What is Anna-Maja’s approach to openings? 20:00- Does Anna-Maja have a study plan? What books is she studying? Mentioned: Zurich 1953, 100 Endgames You Must Know, Van Perlov’s Endgame Tactics, GM Jacob Aagaard’s Attacking Manual, The Steps Method 25:00- What are Anna-Maja’s upcoming tournaments? Mentioned: Sharjah Masters 26:00-Anna discusses her professional plans after finishing university last year. 27:00- How is it received when Anna-Maja studies chess on stream? Mentioned: StudyTime Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/studytme33:00- What are Anna-Maja’s reflections on “shoegate”? Mentioned: NY Times-“Chess Federation Fines Player over her Sports Shoes” 40:00- What other tournaments does Anna-Maja have coming up? 44:00- Anna-Maja describes her work with the Chessqueens Foundation 49:00- What are Anna-Maja’s favorite open tournaments? Does she do a lot of socialzing during rounds? 52:00- Is Anna-Maja working with a coach? 55:00 Anna-Maja’s closing thoughts. Mentioned: Alliance E-Sports Thanks to Anna-Maja for joining me! Here is how to keep up with her:Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/amkazarian/Twitchhttps://www.twitch.tv/annamajaYouTube-https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIKOoBA2bTAVj_MaPHzMSdgX/Twitter-https://twitter.com/AMKazarian?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet Azel Chua, a self-taught Candidate Master with a unique calculation framework. He challenges the traditional chess tactic advice of 'checks, captures, and threats.' Learn about his Burger Technique, tips to improve chess intuition, and insights on utilizing resources like YouTube and Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual. Dive into his background and the chess scene in Singapore.