EP 437- Coach Jay Stallings and NM Adam Weissbarth talk Chess Teaching, Chess in the Movies and The Challenges and Rewards of Running a Chess Business

The wait is almost over! With the 2022 FIDE Candidates Tournament beginning June 17, we present one last deep dive on this chess-history defining tournament. The winner of this tournament is slated to play GM Magnus Carlsen in the 2023 World Championship match if it takes place. I am joined by two separate guests to discuss the players and what we can expect. First up is GM Robert Hess. Robert, of course, is an insightful and popular commentator who will be traveling to Madrid to cover the event live with his Chess.com team. Robert and I discuss each player individually, as Robert shares his reflections on what he has observed from many years of observing these players up close. Robert’s other appearance on the podcast was nearly 5 years ago, so after an hour of FIDE Candidates talk, we spend some time catching up on other chess-related matters. Following Robert, I am joined by Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the “Chess by the Numbers” blog. I always enjoy getting Tai’s insights, which are primarily derived from an Elo-rating based model. Who is statistically most likely to win? How do Tai’s numerical assessments differ from those of other models and the betting markets? Tune in to hear some fascinating Candidates discussion! You can find brief timestamps below, and more detailed ones on the podcast website here. FIDE Candidates info here 01:00- Intro with details on the Candidates format and Schedule.  Prior GM Robert Hess appearance  05:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com you can find the free “Endgame Strategy” Lesson from GM Sam Shankland here: https://www.chessable.com/course/115673 7:45- How does Candidates prep compare for Robert and his announcing team compare to prep for an event like the World Championship? 13:00- What can Robert share about GM Jan-Krystof Duda?  16:45- GM Teimour Radjabov  20:00- GM Hikaru Nakamura  29:30- GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi  35:00- GM Richard Rapport 41:00- GM Fabiano Caruana  47:15- GM Alireza Firouzja  55:45- GM Ding Liren  1:07:00- How does Robert approach commentating on an event like the ongoing “I am not a GM” tourney on Chess.com? 1:15:15- Robert’s OTB exploits! How did it feel to draw GM Viswanathan Anand in 2018 and defeating GM Sam Shankland in 2019.  1:24:45- Global Chess Championship more info here  1:26:30- How does Robert work on his commentary? 1:35:30- Robert’s Book Recs: 1:36:30- Does Robert get recognized in public much?  1:42:45- What is Robert looking forward to most about the Candidates? 1:46:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of how to improve your game. Check it out for free and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  1:48:00- Tai Pruce Zimmerman of the Chess by the Numbers blog joins to give an analytical perspective on the FIDE Candidates. We begin by discussing what differentiates the Candidates from other tournaments.  1:56:15- What do the betting markets and Tai’s model say the probabilities are for each player? Mentioned: BWIN odds here, Smarter Chess Probabilities here  2:06:00- Which player does Tai think the betting market undervalues?  Thanks so much to Tai for joining us again. Be sure to subscribe to his blog and support his work via his website. Follow him on Twitter here.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Kesä 20222h 14min

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by Dr. Stuart Margulies, the co-author of the legendary, best-selling chess book, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. First published in 1966, and written along with Donn Mosenfelder and Fischer himself, this book has sold more than 1.25 million copies, and many believe it to be the best selling chess book of all time! Dr. Margulies tells the story of the modest beginnings of the book, and of his first and subsequent encounters with his fellow New Yorker, Bobby Fischer. Stuart is 89 years of age, but has vivid memories of Fischer and many other key New York City chess figures. Stuart worked as an educational psychologist, and also shares his take on the whether playing chess can positively impact reading scores, a subject about which he wrote a paper in the 1990s. It was so much fun to hear Stuart’s reflections on his life in chess! More details and timestamps can be found below.  0:00- Stuart shares his earliest first-hand memories of Bobby Fischer Mentioned: Alan Kaufman, Jack Collins, FM Asa Hoffman  0:08- We discuss the origins of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess Mentioned: Donn Mosenfelder, Leslie Ault, IM Raymond Weinstein, IM Michael Valvo, Shelby Lyman, Episode 250 with FM Asa Hoffman  16:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com 17:00- We discuss more about the history of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, including the origins of its title.  Mentioned: Dr. Frank Brady, Fischer-Larsen 1958 28:00- Stuart discusses the one time he beat Fischer in a casual game, and shares more about his personal interactions with Fischer.  Mentioned: The Kevitz defense, Shernaz Kennady 44:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. 45:00- Patreon mailbag question: How did Margulies and his collaborators decide to use a format that had no chess notation?  Mentioned: Secrets of Spectacular Chess  50:00- Stuart discusses his own, and others people’s research into the effect of chess instruction on kids’ reading scores.  Mentioned: Margulies’ Whitepaper: The Effect of Chess on Reading Scores, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, GM Levon Aronian  58:00- Stuart describes his encounters with GM Nicolas Rossolimo and a young GM Judit Polgar  Mentioned: FM Jude Acers, Abraham Kupchik, Irving Chernev, Al Horowitz, Fred Reinfeld  1:07:00- What was the motivation for writing Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess? 1:13:00- As such a sharp 89 year old, does Stuart have any mental and physical health tips?  Mentioned: New in Chess Magazine, GM Genna Sosonko’s books , A Change of Air by Ivan Gold can be found the compilation Nickel Miseries, Endgame by Dr. Frank Brady   1:21:00- Thanks so much to Stuart for joining the show!  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Donate — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 Touko 20221h 26min

After a one month hiatus, Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss another classic chess book- GM Alexei Shirov’s Fire on Board. This 1997 game collection book shows the games of one of the world’s best attacking players at the peak of his powers. Joining me to discuss the book is Mitchell Fabian. Mitch is a 26 year old dad, actuary and avid chess student who suggested this book because he felt that it helped his chess tremendously. In addition to many wild slugfest games and creative ideas, the book covers an interesting time in chess history, when the World Championship Title was disputed by different organizations. We cover all of this in a fun conversation about a challenging, but informative book. More details and timestamps below:  0:00- We welcome Mitch Fabian to the show and he discusses why he chose Shirov’s Fire on Board.  Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiiy  6:00- For what rating is Fire on Board best suited? Mentioned: Seirawan’s Play Winning Chess  12:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com, the premier chess education website. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com 13:00- Patreon mailbag question: Any hot takes on the Shirov-Kasparov World Championship match that was supposed to take place in the late 1990's but never did?  Mentioned: Fire on Board 2, Luis Rentero Suarez  24:00- Back to the book! We discuss the book’s structure and share some quotes from a great foreword by GM Jon Speelman  Mentioned: Topalov-Shirov 2004 with 47… Bh3!!! 36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of how to improve your game. Check it out for free and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  37:00- We share a few of things that struck us about Fire on Board  Mentioned: Attack with Mikhail Tal, Episode 273 with GM Johan Hellsten, GM Vasilios Kotronios, Lifetime Repertoires: Jan Gustaffson 1. E4 e5 , Everyman Chess “E Book” of Fire on Board  48:00- Should we be concerned about some errors in the book that modern engines identify?  Mentioned: GM Samuel Sevian, Shirov-Kramnik 1994  51:00- Mitch and I share a few other things we like about Fire on the Board.  Mentioned: Book Recap #1- The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios 1:04:00- We wrap the book discussion before segueing to some adult improvement discussion with Mitch. In Mitch’s honor I will be making a modest donation to The US Chess School.  1:05:00- Mitch is quite an accomplished adult improver so before we wrap up he shares some improvement recs.  Mentioned: Chess Dojo Discord, GM Eugene Perelshteyn  1:16:00- Thanks so much to Mitch for joining us! Here is where you can find him: Chess Dojo Discord Twitter Chess.com Lichess   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Touko 20221h 21min

This week we are re-joined by the popular and amusing Twitch streamer, YouTube presenter and commentator, GM Ben Finegold. Lots has changed since our last interview! For one thing, there has been lots of discussion recently about a decline in the popularity of chess?. Does Ben think chess is losing popularity? Is he seeing a decline in his viewership on Twitch? What about on his YouTube channel? Other recent developments which we discussed include: Why Ben and his wife Karen sold their chess center in Atlanta, the state of Ben’s OTB chess game in the wake of some recent tourneys, plus some discussion of the Candidates, recent elite tournaments, and a few stories about Ben’s earlier days in the chess world, including Ben Finegold, “the college years.” Its always fun to catch up with Ben, lots more details and links in the show notes below.   Prior Finegold appearances on Perpetual Chess-  2017- Episode 9 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2o91dlqfOFf2Lwl9hfbrGF?si=b01f64b4f4fe4f8a 2018- Episode 52 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4f3W9CS9Q9nC5JUOYib5cn?si=e97663b0a8eb4879 2021- Episode 228  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ONlsNPYykFsH3sqM28LWL?si=5c1710b4b2514f79 0:00- Are Ben’s Twitch viewers down? Is the popularity of chess declining? Mentioned: Martin Justesen’s post “Is the Chess (Twitch) Boom Over?, IM Levy Rozman’s Tweet, GM David Smerdon’s post  13:00- With the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta having been sold, will Ben still be doing his popular chess history lectures?  Mentioned: Kid Chess Atlanta, IM Carlos Perdomo  23:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of how to improve your game. Check it out for free and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  24:00- Ben has been competing regularly OTB recently, he wonders “was I always this bad at chess?”  Mentioned: Charlotte Chess Center ALTO tournament, Foxwoods Open, GM Alex Shabalov  40:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Ben define a blunder at different rating levels?  Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, 2022 Continental Chess Championships in El Salvador 48:00- Which young players impress Ben? What does it take to reach and stay at the top?  Mentioned: GM Sarin, GM Praggnanandhaa, GM Christopher Yoo, GM Hans Niemann, Episode 271 with GM Hans Niemann  56:00- Are there any chess talents that Ben has been surprised to see not to reach their potential?  Mentioned: GM Baadur Jobava, GM Wei Yi, GM Etienne Bacrot, GM David Navara, GM Jeffrey Xiong, GM Sam Shankland  1:02:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com  1:03:00- Who does Ben expect to win the 2022 FIDE Candidates tournament?  1:06:00- Did Ben ever meet the recently passed legendary GM Yuri Averbakh?  1:08:00- How does Ben prepare for his chess history lectures?  1:11:00- What was it like for Ben to attend university in his 20s?  Mentioned: Chess Life Magazine Article by Ben Finegold The 40 Year Old GM:  https://t.co/3CozXi7lbC 1:16:00- Ben’s upcoming Twitch and tournament plans!  Here are the links to keep up with Ben.  Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gmbenjaminfinegold YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6EnFbK-P5q0zeaqI5yobKg Twitter: https://twitter.com/ben_finegold?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Touko 20221h 26min

This week's Adult Improver interview is with Derek Wilder. Derek is a 33 year old Detroit- based Scholastic Chess Coach and Chess Podcaster (host of the Detroit Chess Killers pod). Derek is always working on his game, and he recently leveled up and surpassed the USCF rating of 2000 for the first time. This puts Derek in the 95th percentile of all USCF players. It took Derek years of hard work to break through this plateau, and it was illuminating to hear what he believed to be the keys to his success. Derek was quick to credit lots of friends and trainers with advice and tips that helped his game, and he offered lots of advice for those looking to achieve a similar breakthrough. Please read on for timestamps, resources, and people that were referenced in our interview.  0:00- Derek recently had a breakthrough in his OTB game. How’d he get to that moment?  Mentioned: IM John Brooks, Paul Grams, Chrysler Elementary School 08:00 Growing up in Detroit, Derek was one of the top scholastic players in his state, but he was bullied a bit for playing chess. How did he get through it?  09:30- What influence did FM James Canty and others have on his chess game?  12:00- What adjustments did Derek make when he came to chess in 2016 after a long hiatus?  Mentioned: Nunn’s Chess Openings  14:30- What kind of chess learner is Derek?  Mentioned: NM Mike Zaloznyy, IM Atulya Shetty, Derek’s interview with NM Kofi Tatum  18:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice of how to improve your game. Check it out for free and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  19:00- In his recent gains, did Derek focus more on strengthening his strengths or on shoring up his weaknesses?  Mentioned: FM Josh Posthuma, NM Gopal Menon, My System, IM Mark Dvoretsky’s books, IM Jeremy Silman, Charisse Woods 26:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How much did studying theoretical endgames help Derek’s game?”  Mentioned: Kameron Tolliver  30:00- -Patreon mailbag question: “Did Derek’s training method change leading up to his recent breakthrough?” 39:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com 40:30- How big was the goal of reaching the USCF expert level for Derek? Do his students follow his chess progress?  43:00- How does Derek approach his openings?  Mentioned: IM Orlando Husbands, IM Richard Leyva Proenza 48:00- How does Derek think about budgeting for chess tournaments?  49:30- Welcome the the Chess dot bomb! On this month’s sponsored segment we discuss the Global Chess Championship and Chess.com’s new verification feature. If you get verified on Chess.com you are eligible to compete in the $1,000,000 Global Chess Championship for free. If you decide to get verified ($15 for initial verification / $10 per year thereafter), please use this link to help support Perpetual Chess.  Chess.com verification:  Verified - Chess.com Global Chess Championship  https://www.chess.com/article/view/chesscom-global-championship-2022?ref_id=17919348 Premium Membership:  https://go.chess.com/Perpetual 52:30- What does Derek think he needs to do to become a USCF master?  Mentioned: Max Euwe, Tigran Petrosian  55:30- When did Derek start working with coaches? How much do they help him?  58:00- Why is it important to play against tougher competition? Mentioned: FM Ylon Schwartz  1:00:00- Thanks to Derek for joining the pod!  You can check out his podcast, Detroit Chess Killers, here: Detroit Chess Killers Follow Derek on Twitter here:  https://twitter.com/derekewilder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Touko 20221h 5min

GM Jan Gustafsson is a popular and entertaining commentator for Chess24.com, a noted opening theoretician, a Chessable author, and 3 time member of GM Magnus Carlsen’s World Championship preparation team. Jan returned to Perpetual Chess for the fifth time to discuss chess news and the World Championship cycle, catch us up on the state of his chess game and to discuss what else he has been up to. Jan’s new projects include the launch of his own chess podcast, Chicken Chess Club,, where he and his friends, GM Laurent Fressinet and Peter Heine Nielsen give a light hearted rundown of the latest chess news. You can find timestamps below, for more detailed show notes, please go to the podcast webpage here: Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast 0:00- We briefly discuss the origins of Jan’s new podcast, The Chicken Chess Club. 5:30- Jan’s thoughts on the 2022 FIDE Candidates tournament, and whether Magnus will defend his title  Mentioned:  Inside Team Magnus (behind Chess24 Paywall use promo code #Janistan) 12:30- When did Jan find out he would be on Magnus Carlsen’s 2022 World Championship Preparation Team?  17:00- Patreon mailbag question: What does Jan think of IM Lawrence Trent’s new courses on 1… b6 and 1. Nc3. ?  19:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the stupidest opening idea that works?  20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 21:00- Jan plays in the elite German chess league called the Bundesliga. He discusses how his recent games have gone and the state of his chess game.  32:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Jan’s advice for creating an opening repertoire?  37:00- What is Jan trying to improve at? 42:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  44:00- Any plans for more weekly features on The Chicken Chess Club podcast?  49:00- How is Jan’s daughter’s chess game?  51:00- More Team Magnus and World Championship talk! What was the celebration like when Magnus defended his crown?  59:00- Will Jan do another Chessable course?  1:01:00- Jan reveals his plans for the 2022 Chess Olympiad?  1:03:00- What TV/series/moves has Jan been watching? 1:08:00- Thanks to Jan for joining us! Be sure to subscribe/rate/review the Chicken Chess Club If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Touko 20221h 13min

This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by a Ukrainian and then a Russian guest to discuss the impact that the Russian-Ukrainian war has had on their lives and on the chess world. My first guest is GM Kirill Shevchenko. Kirill is a 19 year old rising star in the chess world, currently ranked #92 in the world, and #6 among juniors. He joined me from Germany, where he is in between tournaments, after leaving Ukraine to pursue his chess career. Kirill spoke very movingly about the devastation Russia’s attacks have wrought on his loved ones and his country, and about how he balances that with his chess career. Kirill continues to compete, and will soon play in his first Grand Chess Tour event.  Following Kirill, I am joined by chess journalist and Twitch streamer, WFM Maria Emelianova. Maria is Russian, but like Kirill, felt compelled to leave her country when news of the attack broke. Maria has been an outspoken critic of the war, and has been working hard to raise funds to support Ukrainians. As Maria explains, this war has divided and scattered her family, an unfortunate situation which is not uncommon in Russia. I found both interviews to be quite enlightening, and I am inspired by the spirit of the chess community in trying circumstances. Please read on for interview timestamps and relevant links. I apologize for the background noise at points in these interviews, if you would like to read an edited transcript while you listen, you can do so here: EP.276-KirillShevchenkoandM... | Public Trint | Trint You can also view a ‘read only’ lightly edited transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQG2m9fXCK23o0UBTkWzBhhS_dss2ogQneNnTU2Za0GpkSTInIRY-59QzWIl0vEVhm_nVODtvrcuJTr/pub You can donate to Kirill’s charity, Care with Team Hikaru, here: https://events.softgiving.com/donate/Team-Hikaru-CARE-For-Ukraine Or donate directly to Ukrainians in need via WIM Nastya Rakhmangulova here: https://linktr.ee/nastiachess 0:04- Kirill joins the show  42:00- Maria Emelianova joins the show! Follow Kirill on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/chesser_22?lang=en Maria’s Twitch- : https://www.twitch.tv/photochess  Maria’s Instagram-  https://www.instagram.com/photochess/?hl=en Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com and Chessable.com  For full show notes, please go here: Listen to Episodes! — The Perpetual Chess Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Touko 20221h 37min

GM Michael “Mickey” Adams is a legend of British chess who has been an elite chess player for the last 30 years. He is a former World Champion finalist, the 7 time champion of Great Britain and has been ranked as highly as #4 in the world. Michael is also an author, most recently of the very original and instructive new book, Think Like a Super GM, with co-author Philip Hurtado. Michael is normally one of the most active players on the tournament circuit, and as Covid subsides he is preparing to resume a busy schedule, beginning with the Tepe Siegman invitational in May. In our fascinating and entertaining conversation, Mickey shares some memorable stories, and discusses whether he has made adjustments to his game as he turns 50. We also discuss Michael’s new book in detail and shared some of its chess improvement takeaways. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps, and links to topics that were referenced.   Brief timestamps are below, for full show notes please go to the podcast website EP 276- GM Michael Adams- Stories and Lessons from Mickey's decades Among the Chess Elite — The Perpetual Chess Podcast You can read my reviews of Think Like a Super GM on my Lichess blog or Chess.com blog. 0:00- Mickey has a tournament coming soon, how does he prepare especially after the pandemic?  10:00- How has Mickey maintained his chess strength up to age 50?  18:00- What is Mickey’s approach to using engines?  21:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on that data. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  22:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who is the most naturally talented player that Mickey has ever played against?  27:00- What was it like to play chess with legends like Spassky and Tal?  30:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Mickey’s favorite victory over a fellow Super GM? 33:00- Mickey tells a few entertaining stories from his younger years involving Kasparov . Kramnik and GM Joel Lautier.  43:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:  New Chess Courses  Best of British Chessable Course with GM Simon Williams   44:00- Chess improvement takeaways from Mickey’s new book 57:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will Mickey ever write a games collections book?  1:02:00- Patreon mailbag question: What self-study methods did Mickey use, and which does he recommend?  Mentioned: GM Mark Hebden, GM Keith Arkell 1:07:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Mickey’s advice for how to approach big open Swiss tournaments?  1:11:00- Patreon mailbag question: Who does Mickey think will win the Candidates tournament? 1:20:00- Patreon mailbag question: What does Mickey think of the possibility that Magnus won’t play the next World Championship match? He also shares some ideas of alternative World Championship formats.  1:30:00- Is it true that Mickey has never had a “real job? 1:34:00- Does Mickey still have a condo in Florida? 1:36:00- What is Mickey’s favorite chess venu 1:39:00- Thanks so much to Mickey for joining the pod! Here are the best ways to keep up with him.  Mickey's Website Think Like a Super GM (free excerpt here) (Forward Chess version)  Best of British Chessable Course with GM Simon Williams  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Ben Johnson is creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Huhti 20221h 44min