EP 291- GM Alex Fishbein on Maintaining a Passion for Chess into One's 50s, (Plus great Korchnoi and Tal stories.)

GM Ben Finegold is back to share his thoughts on all of the recent crazy chess news. The popular commentator, YouTuber, and Chessable author and I discuss the controversies and highlights of the US Championships, as well as the most recent cheating accusations leveled by GM Vladimir Kramnik. Do these accusations have more merit than other recent ones? We also discuss OTB cheating, as Ben draws some comparisions to cheating episodes in the game of Bridge. Lastly, we discuss why the Nimzo-Indian is a favorite opening of Ben’s and Ben shares a few of his favorite stories related to chess and gambling. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.  Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com.  Check out Ben’s course, Starting Out: Nimzo-Indian.  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=pro Mentioned:  GMs Daniel Naroditsky and Vladimir Kramnik on the Levitov channel  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFwfC6Y1SAQ Danya on C-Squared  https://youtu.be/RGiDosCed48?si=94GZd6Dx2TiD3wal 19:00- The Shevchenko story and OTB cheating.  23:00- How does cheating in bridge compare to chess? Is it easier to improve at bridge than chess?  27:00- Patreon mailbag question- What is worse, OTB cheating or the fear of OTB cheating? 30:45- We discuss the GM Christopher Yoo story and the stress of OTB chess.  39:00- Ben discusses the Nimzo-Indian and other favorite openings from childhood Mentioned: Starting out: The Nimzo Indian https://www.chessable.com/starting-out-nimzo-indian-defense/course/258506/ Tal-Botvinnik 1960  47:00- Patreon mailbag question: How you can acquire skills rather than knowledge from watching videos?  49:00- Ben shares a few stories about gambling on blitz and bullet chess.  Mentioned: GM Kirill Georgiev  58:00- Ben’s World Championship thoughts  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Marras 20241h 5min

Peter Doggers is an award-winning chess journalist who is currently the director of News and Events at Chess.com. His role has given him a ringside seat to modern chess history, as he has attended many of the world’s top events, and interviewed the likes of GM Garry Kasparov, Hikaru Nakamura, and countless others. Peter’s new book, The Chess Revolution: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age covers everything from the beginnings of chess, to its many representations in pop culture, to the explosion in popularity the game has experienced in the internet age. Peter’s excellent book covers chess from all angles, so we zeroed in on a few of my favorite topics from the book including: the history of chess and computers, recent stories around chess cheating, and their implications for the future of chess, the rise of Chess.com, and the story behind the making of Peter’s book. Every chess fan will learn something from Peter’s book, and I greatly enjoyed discussing it with him. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com.  Check out their new offerings including GM Garry Kasparov’s much anticipated Chessable debut! 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=pro 0:03- We begin by discussing allegations of GM Kirill Shevchenko cheating at an OTB tournament 11:00- We discuss OTB and online cheating more generally 16:00- Peter tells a story from his book, of the famous Mechanical Turk, which was an 18th-century chess-playing machine with a human hidden behind it.  https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=the+turk+chess 21:00- We discuss the famous Kasparov-Deep Blue match as well as another watershed “man vs. machine” match featuring GM Michael Adams.  Mentioned: The TV series Rematch- more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rematch_(miniseries) 25:00- Patreon mailbag question: Where does Peter see chess heading in the next 10 years?  Mentioned: IM Daniel Rensch’s interview with Ilya Levitov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JeMsV9aNec 32:00- Peter tells the story of what he believes to be the first online encounter between Magnus and Hikaru in 2004 on the Internet Chess Club. We also discuss a “Secret” Magnus-Hikaru blitz match.  Mentioned: YouTube excerpt from Macauley Peterson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGXvcQP6VPo 37:00- The history of Chess.com and LiChess  Mentioned: Lichess founder Thibault Duplessis 39:00- We discuss the chess GOATS- Magnus, Fischer and Kasparov. As discussed in last week’s episode with FM Charles Hertan, did he consider Morphy for the GOAT list?  44:00- What was the biggest challenge in writing the book and compiling the material? 52:00- How did Peter find a publisher, that ultimately wound up in a bidding war? 58:00- Did Peter write in English or Dutch? 1:00:00- Peter’s favorite chapters?  1:02:00- Peter’s plans for an OTB comeback.  1:04:00- Thanks to Peter for joining! Here is how to reach him: You email Peter at Peter at chess dot com peterdoggers.com Chess.com profile- https://www.chess.com/players/peter-doggers Get the book here-  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+chess+revolution+peter+doggers&crid=2PYSZWX9BPES&sprefix=the+chess+rev%2Caps%2C164&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Loka 20241h 13min

This week’s guest is renowned author and 2-time Massachusetts state champion, FM Charles Hertan. Charles’ new book, The Real Paul Morphy takes an all-encompassing look at the complex legacy of Paul Morphy. Morphy is widely regarded as the best player of the 19th century, yet still might be underappreciated. What made Morphy’s play so special?  Why isn’t he mentioned more often in the chess G.O.A.T. conversations? What led to his mental health struggles and early chess retirement? In addition to discussing Paul Morphy, we talk about why Charles’ playing career. He reviews why he retired from OTB chess near a peak rating of 2500 USCF, and Charles shares chess improvement advice from his classic tactics manual, Forcing Chess Moves. As always, approximate timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.  Chessable Pro-  Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com.  Check out their new offerings including GM Garry Kasparov’s much anticipated Chessable debut! 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=pro 0:00- We dive right into Charles’ new book, The Real Paul Morphy. How did Morphy get so good so fast? What differentiated his skills? Purchase the book and access a free preview from New in Chess here: https://www.newinchess.com/the-real-paul-morphy 10:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What was Morphy’s approach to chess improvement?” 17:00- Does Charles have a favorite story that is illustrative of Morphy’s genius? 22:00-  Patreon mailbag question: “Why is Morphy often overlooked in GOAT conversations?” 28:00- Why didn’t Morphy’s brilliant chess skills translate to other domains?  31:00- Did Charles discover any new details about the famed “Opera game”?  Mentioned: Edward Winter article on this game.. https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/morphy.html 35:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘How does Charles’ book differ from the famous 1976 biography Paul Morphy: The Pride and Sorrow of Chess?” 43:00- We discuss some of the chess improvement lessons from Charles’ classic book, Forcing Chess Moves.  54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “When solving tactics puzzles, should one look at their opponents forcing moves before considering their own?”  1:00:00- Charles peaked with a USCF Rating over 2500. What led to his retiring from OTB chess at age 39?  1:08:00- We return to the topic of Morphy- What led to his unfortunate mental health issues in his later years? As a mental health professional, what does Charles think afflicted Morphy? 1:18:00- Given Morphy and Fischer’s mental health issues, does he think there is a correlation between genius and mental illness? 1:19:00- What was Morphy’s social life like?  1:22:00- Does Charles have a favorite game of Morphy’s?  Morphy vs. Lowenthal match- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=79504 1:22:00- Thanks so much to Charles for joining me, you can reach him via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562693384236 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Loka 20241h 26min

This week’s returning guest is ChessDojo co-founder, IM Kostya Kavutskiy. Kostya joined me after returning from a busy summer of chess travel in Europe. Kostya has recently redoubled his efforts to earn the Grandmaster title, and has been competing OTB frequently. He also attended the Olympiad and gave a fascinating first-hand perspective of what it was like to be in Budapest. Kostya has been writing about both his GM quest and the Olympiad on his recently launched blog, Kostya goes for GM. As an experienced trainer, and Chessable Author, Kostya is always insightful on the challenges of chess improvement, both his own, and that of the Chess Dojo members across the rating spectrum. With that in mind, we began the conversation by discussing the challenges Kostya is facing, as well as those from some podcast listeners.  After 30+ minutes of chess improvement talk we discussed the Olympiad, what is new with the ChessDojo, and even a forthcoming book. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.  0:00-  Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com.  Check out their new offerings including GM Garry Kasparov’s much anticipated Chessable debut! 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=pro 02:00- Why did Kostya decide to redouble his efforts to earn the GM title and start a blog about it? Mentioned: Kostya goes for GM Kostya’s interview with Chessbase India: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihXw3q8UMdM 06:00- Are the changes in the FIDE rating system noticeable yet?  11:00- Kostya recently played a few tournaments in Europe. What did he learn from them? 18:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is there a correlation between solving easy puzzles quickly and solving more challenging ones?  21:00- What is new with the Chessdojo?  26:00- Patreon mailbag question:  Is there still room for classic chess books like The Art of Attack in Chess.  Chessable-  https://www.chessable.com/the-art-of-attack-in-chess/course/24575/ Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Art-Attack-Chess-Ladimir-Vukovic/dp/1857444000 29:00- Is Kostya taking inspiration from Levy’s GM quest?  36:00- Kostya shares some reflections from visiting the Olympiad.  Mentioned:  Kostya’s blog post about the Olympiad: https://hellokostya.substack.com/p/12-things-i-learned-from-the-budapest 52:00- Kostya discusses a forthcoming Chess Dojo book.  54:00- Thanks as always to Kostya for joining, you can find him via Chessdojo as well as his own social media accounts.  https://www.chessdojo.club/ Twitter/X-  https://x.com/hellokostya?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/hellokostya/ ChessDojo YouTube-  https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessDojo 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

15 Loka 20241h

“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 Gurevich Selim’s FIDE graph: https://ratings.fide.com/profile/6301819/chart 22:00- Selim describes his study routine Mentioned: 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 goals 53:00- 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 Erdoğmuş 1:10:00- 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

8 Loka 20241h 22min

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-method2 PDF Sample of the book: https://forwardchess.com/sample/the-woodpecker-method2 Forward Chess: https://forwardchess.com/product/the-woodpecker-method2 02:00-  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 Revisited https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/the-woodpecker-method-revisited?utm_source=publication-search 21:00- Check out the app of our new sponsors Chess Universe in your app store.  https://chess-universe.sng.link/Dqw52/kbhh 22:00- 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 Chess https://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 regimen 38:00- 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

1 Loka 202454min

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/kbhh 0:02- What makes some chess players better than ourselves? Mentioned: Sam’s post My Insane, Degenerate, Overpowering Chess Hobby https://samkahn.substack.com/p/my-insane-degenerate-overpowering 0:07- 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.html 16:00- 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=pro 25:00- What is the story behind Sam’s chess history blog being turned into a book?  Mentioned: Colin Stapcynzcki A 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 Persson https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hmw6yMC1u2mwYo5HUjNPG?si=43cd8d56debb4319 48:00- Is there much overlap between Sam’s non-chess blog and his chess blog?  https://samkahn.substack.com/p/my-insane-degenerate-overpowering 55:00- 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 Gross 1:03:00- 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/kahns Non-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

24 Syys 20241h 16min

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 Foundation 08:56- 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/1837226230082588923 Chessbase India shorts: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessBaseIndiachannel/shorts Check out FM Mike Klein’s interview with Palestinian star performer Eman Sawan here: https://x.com/chess24com/status/1836815099614400866 Magnus 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/1836397064143438001 Thanks 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

21 Syys 202424min