Perpetual Chess Podcast

This week we are honored to be joined by the 14-year-old record-breaking prodigy, GM Abhimanyu Mishra. Abhimanyu made worldwide headlines when he became the youngest Grandmaster in history in 2021. Since breaking that record, GM Mishra has continued his rapid ascension and is now rated 2635. As the number #10 junior in the world, Abhimanyu is the only junior in the top 20 under the age of 16! In our conversation, we discuss Abhimanyu’s training regimen, both now, and as he quickly climbed up the ranks. His chess growth was well-chronicled in the enjoyable book, The Youngest Chess Grandmaster in the World, as well as his Chessable course, Youngest Grandmaster: Abhimanyu Mishra   Abhi also discusses how he balances chess and school work, his 2024 tournament plans, and the difficulties he has encountered in receiving invitations and sponsorship opportunities. Lastly, Abhimanyu reflects on unforgettable experiences, like training with Kasparov, and recently beating the legendary players such as GMs Vasyl Ivanchuk and Levon Aronian. I greatly enjoyed chatting with Abhi and can’t wait to see where the future takes him. Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and/or make a Chessable purchase, it will help support Perpetual Chess. https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro2:00- What motivates Abhimanyu Mishra to work so hard on chess? Why does he love it? 4:00- Abhimanyu discusses his current training regimen. Mentioned: GM Karsten Muller’s Endgame Magic, Abhi’s interview on C-Squared  13:00- How structured is Abhi’s chess-study schedule? 18:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Abhi think chess learning has changed over generations?’ 23:00- Abhimanyu discusses how he approached studying Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual 30:00- What are Abhi’s favorite games that he has played? Mentioned:-Mishra-Ivanchuk 2023, Mishra-Aronan 2023 Post mortem video of IVanchuk game via Chessbase India:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPQ3S9KgUY34:00- Is Abhi still interested in table tennis and other sports? (He wrote about this in his book.)38:00- Abhi discusses the financial challenges of being a young elite player. Mentioned: GM Praggnanandhaa gets big sponsor40:30- Abhi discusses his famed journey to the GM title. 43:00- How does Abhi select tournaments? Was he invited to Wijk an Zee? 46:00- What was it like to work with Kasparov? Who is the GOAT? 50:00- Would Abhi consider going to university? 54:00- What shows does Abhi watch? Mentioned: C-Squared podcast58:00- Thanks to GM Mishra, for joining me, you can follow him via these social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu.mishra2509/?hl=enX:https://twitter.com/chessmishra?lang=enIf 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

GM Patrick Wolff is quite accomplished on and off the chess board. In the 1990’s he was a  2 time US Chess Champion and a member of GM Viswanathan Anand's prep team.  Patrick is also the author of Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, a book that is always one of my first recommendations for newer players.  In more recent years, he has worked as a hedge fund analyst.  This varied background gives Patrick unique insights into the intersections of the chess and the business worlds. In our conversation, Patrick shared his opinions on all of the recent controversies which have plagued the chess world. As Patrick explains, the recent flare-ups involving dress codes, prearranged draws and a chaotic qualification process for the FIDE Candidates are all connected. Patrick thinks that the chess world needs a new governing body, and that the game is poised for more explosive growth if this can occur. In addition to all of the news, we caught up on lessons Patrick learned from playing in the US Senior Championship,  and his observations on the continued evolution of chess engines. There is always lots to learn from GM Wolff, and I appreciated hearing his perspective. 0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!Be sure to check out their new courses including IM Christof Sielecki’s new course, , and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess. https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro03:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on prearranged draws in light of the Dubov-Nepomniachtchi prearranged draw. Mentioned: Background info here, Video and discussing of it here 13:00- What did Patrick think of the controversy surrounding Anna Maja Kazarian’s footwear? Mentioned: NY Times article 20:00- We discuss the chaotic FIDE Candidates qualification cycle, which culminated in GM Alireza Firouzja scrambling to gain a few rating points.Mentioned: C Squared pod discussion of the issue 28:00- Patrick discusses the history of FIDE, as it has evolved during his career. Mentioned: Florencio Campomanes 51:00- Why didn’t Kasparov’s PCA work?55:00- Patrick shares his thoughts on the April 2024 FIDE Candidates. 57:00- Patrick reflects on his performance in the US Senior Championship. Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, You can view the games discussed here: https://www.chess.com/events/2023-us-senior-chess-championship/games1:12:00- What age-related effects does Patrick notice, aside from struggling to remember opening lines? 1:15:00- Patrick discusses the way computers are effecting opening theory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guest Jennifer Shahade discusses her new tactics book, chess vocabulary, advice for starting chess clubs, leaving US Chess, and her plans for the future. They also talk about checkmate threats, thinking sideways in chess, and Jennifer's personal journey of blowing the whistle on sexual assault allegations in the chess world.

IM John Donaldson and IM Cyrus Lakdawala share stories of their friend, IM Jeremy Silman. They talk about his journey in chess, his humorous personality, and his success as a writer. The podcast also highlights his work with aspiring chess players and his love for teaching, as well as his deep appreciation for chess books. The guests discuss the challenges faced by American chess players and the importance of chess analysis in books. They remember Jeremy Silman as a talented chess player, a cat dad, and a person with a kind heart.

Famous chess writer and instructor, Jeremy Silman, is remembered through a review of his classic book, The Amateur's Mind. The unique writing style and memorable quotes from the book are discussed, along with Silman's impressive body of work. The accessibility of the concepts and the book's structure are also examined. The chapter on developing mental toughness is highlighted as a fan favorite, and the entertaining critique of grandmasters and instructional games adds humor to the discussion. The hosts rank different chess books and express interest in reading Silman's novel, Biography of a Goat. Guest co-hosts for future book reviews are considered, and the upcoming review of 'Make It Stick' is mentioned.

This week we are joined by the economist, award-winning author, and top Australian player, GM David Smerdon. David is a professor at the University of Queensland. With a statistical background, David is a particular expert in the intersection of statistics and chess and is frequently able to combine his chess expertise with his academic research. Since chess cheating has been in the news again, we begin by getting David’s thoughts on the renewed allegations against GM Hans Niemann, as well as the recent concerns about rampant online cheating voiced by GM Vladimir Kramnik. David drew some interesting comparisons between these cheating scandals and a recent one in the academic world. David also had some recently published chess research to discuss, as he and a team of collaborators have recently launched the “Gender Equality in Chess Index. (GECI)” What is the goal of his index and how did they arrive at the numbers?  Lastly, we catch up on David’s chess career. As David details, he doesn’t have a ton of time to study, but is competing when he can with a specific goal in mind. There is always lots to learn from GM Smerdon, and it was a pleasure to catch up with him Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! Help support Perpetual Chess by signing up for Chessable pro using this link:https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro0:00- IntroMentioned: Tarjei’s Svensen’s article, Dojo Talks EP 101 with GM Vladmir Kramnik 0:02- David discusses cheating in the chess world, and draws parallels to some scandals in the academic world.Mentioned: Did an honesty researcher fabricate data?, GM Alex Fishbein 10:00- Has any good come of the recent chess cheating scandals? Mentioned: GM Mamedyarov withdraws from 2018 tournament after accusing opponent of cheating, Hans Niemann competes in London Chess Classic after stunning result in Zagreb 17:00- Chess.com statement regarding Kramnik allegations against Nakamura 23:00- Do continued allegations against Niemann cause concern about the viability of the future of OTB chess? Mentioned: Poker pro alleged to have used special contact lenses to see through a deck 26:30- Can statistics help detect “smart cheating”?29:00 What was the genesis of the idea for a “chess gender index”? Mentioned: Mongolia Tops Chess Gender Index by Leon Watson 34:00- Did Queen of Katwe likely contribute to the success of women’s chess in Uganda?What did he notice about other high ranking countries? 41:00- What are the components of the index? 51:00- David discusses his other chess-related research52:00- How is David’s chess game, and what is his current chess goal? Mentioned: Episode 30, The Complete Chess Swindler Thanks to David for joining me again, here are links to keep up with him:X: https://twitter.com/dsmerdonDavid’s Blog;https://www.davidsmerdon.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet Ben Hodgkiss, a 32-year-old chess enthusiast who quit his job to pursue chess full-time and document his journey on YouTube. In this podcast, Ben discusses his goals, collaborations with well-known presenters, and his first OTB chess tournament. Learn about his dedication, passion, and the challenges he faces as he embarks on this new adventure.

Guest Davaun Williams, aka Chess Knowledge with H1, discusses his rise to TikTok stardom with entertaining chess videos. Topics include the origins of his nickname, using a demo board, opening traps, and his new Chessable course. He also shares chess improvement advice and offers insight on TikTok content creation.

This week  a favorite guest returns to the pod, GM Robert Hungaski. Robert wears many hats in the chess world, as an accomplished player, Fide Senior trainer and International arbiter. His newest project involves organizing and presenting FIDE-sanctioned chess teaching seminars from some of the top trainers in the world, including Grandmasters Gregory Kaidanov, Alexey Shirov, Antoaneta Stefanova and many others. These seminars provide a unique opportunity to learn tricks of the trade from some chess legends. In addition to this project, Robert always has plenty of entertaining and insightful stories, and this interview is no exception. Robert reflects on his encounters with young Nakamura and Niemann, his trip to the 2022 Chess Olympiad, his friend GM Ulf Andersson, and, of course, he leaves with a bit of chess study advice and a book recommendation. It is always fun to talk chess with GM Hungaski! Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com:Check out their new courses here:https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/Check out my favorites here:https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/More information about the FIDE trainer seminar’s here:https://fideamerica.net/tca/registrations/?fbclid=IwAR1TQF5uATurqzF0Prwmr6QEg8LWJ165d0ttZrvOG2N0LlqLjqZkbEWdJ6wPrior Interview 2019- Episode 149 02:00- Robert describes his “chess upbringing” and why his contemporaries  (such as Nakamura, Vitugiov and Le Quang Liem) made him feel like he had no chess talent. Mentioned: GM Joel Benjamin, Jen Shahade 08:00- Robert reflects on the rise of chess in India and describes his trip to the 2022 Olympiad.11:00- Robert discusses the teachers’ seminars he is arranging featuring top GMs like Shirov, Kaidanov, Illescas and many others. It will take December 8-10. Also Mentioned: Stefanova, Cheparinov, Bologan, Yottachess.com 25:00- Robert tells stories about GM Alexei Shirov.Mentioned: GM Andy Rodriguez 31:00- Who are the most impressive players Robert has analyzed with?Mentioned: GM Grande Zuniga, Ulf Andersson 32:00- As a fellow Connecticut native, what have been Robert’s interactions with GM Hans Niemann? 39:00 Robert tells a few stories about spending time with GM Bill Lombardy, Boris Spassky and others 46:00- Ulf Andersson stories 50:00- Robert’s chess improvement advice 55:00- Patreon mailbag question- “How many openings does Robert suggest that his students learn?”Mentioned: Boom Boom- The World vs. Boris Becker 1:01:00- Who is the most impressive blitz player Robert has ever seen?1:02:00- Book talk!Mentioned: Domination by Kasparyan Thanks to GM Hungaski for joining me, you can contact him via his website:https://gmhungaski.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Denis Markov, a 39-year-old working dad with deep chess roots, shares his calm and consistent approach to elevating his chess game. He emphasizes frequent competitive play, game review, and hard work. Topics discussed include recognizing exceptional players, chess development in the former Soviet Union, the importance of puzzles and community, and studying methods.