Perpetual Chess Podcast

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.

We are back for one more 2024 FIDE Candidates reflection as we start to take stock of a historic tournament. Joining me (again) to discuss it is renowned trainer, opening theoretician, Chessable author, and 2022 Dutch National Champion, GM Erwin Lami. Erwin has frequently collaborated with GM Anish Giri, and he was on the World Championship preparation team for GM Veselin Toplov. Erwin shares his thoughts on GM Gukesh’s impressive ascendance, Fabiano and Nepo’s disappointment, and what this result does and does not mean for the trajectory of professional chess. We also discuss the performance of the other players, the Women’s Candidates, and Erwin’s plans for 2024. I always love to hear Erwin’s perspective, and discussing this tournament was not an exception. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Thanks to our sponsors Chessable.com! Check out what they have to offer, and if you sign up for Chessable Pro (as you should), use this link to help support Perpeutal Chess:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro0;00- Upcoming events and info:Chess in the Schools Poker Fundraiser;https://secure.givelively.org/event/chess-in-the-schools-inc/chess-in-the-schools-poker-night-fundraiserNational Open/Las Vegas Chess Festival Info:https://www.vegaschessfestival.com/national-open/4:30- GM Erwin L’Ami joins me! What does he think made this tournament was so compelling? 10:00- How surprised was Erwin by Gukesh’s performance? What should we expect from him from here? 18;30- Patreon mailbag quesiton: “How can Caruana recover from his devastaiting loss to Nepo? “ .27:00- What did Erwin think of Nepo's performance?29:30- Where does Nakamura go from here? Will this be his last Candidates? 38:00- What went wrong for GM Alireza Firouzja? 43:00 What are Erwin’s thoughts on Pragganandhaa’s performance? 46:00- What were Erwin’s thoughts on the Women’s Candidates? 49:00- Where might the World Championship be held? Would it help or hurt Gukesh if it were in India? 53:00- Who does Erwin think would be the favorite in Gukesh vs. Ding?Mentioned: Gotham City Podcast with GM Gukesh 57:00 Does the format for the Candidates or Candidates qualification need to be changed? Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s blog post 1:08:00- What are Erwin’s remaining 2024 plans? Thanks as always to GM Erwin L’ami for providing his perspective! If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IM Renier Castellanos, convinced by friends Jacob Aagaard and Kallia Kleisarchaki, earned the GM title at age 41. He reflects on lessons learned, gives chess improvement advice, recommends books, and shares observations facing Super GMs like Vladimir Fedoseev. Also discusses his Candidates prediction. This inspiring journey highlights the importance of perseverance, support, and continuous improvement in achieving grandmaster status.

For the final FIDE Candidates bonus pod, award-winning Chess.com journalist, FM Mike Klein joins me from Toronto. We cover topics including the atmosphere in the playing hall, the presence of seconds and family members of the players, what to expect in rounds 13 and 14, and Mike provides his perspective on the controversy surrounding GM Alireza Firouzja's father. Thanks, as always, to Mike for providing so many behind-the-scenes details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices