EP 493- GM Vasif Durarbayli: Why Every Serious Chess Player Needs a Coach 

GM Vasif Durarbayli is a former World Youth Champion and two-time champion of his native Azerbaijan. Now based in St. Louis after graduating from Webster University, Vasif has turned much of his attention to ChessEver, an app designed to make following live chess easier. In our conversation we discuss: •• Why he believes every serious chess player needs a coach, and how not hiring one nearly derailed his own career. • Vasif's outstanding performance at the Naroditsky Memorial blitz, including a near-upset of Hikaru Nakamura. • An unforgettable over-the-board encounter with legendary GM Viktor Korchnoi. • How chess broadcasting can be improved, and his ambitious long-term vision for ChessEver. This was a really enjoyable conversation, and I recommend ChessEver to anyone who enjoys following top-level tournaments. 00:00 - Intro 01:16 - Insights from a top 10 finish at the Naroditsky Memorial blitz tournament Check out Vasif’s Naroditsky Memorial games here: The Nakamura game is game 13, 35. Rxa7! Was mate in 12. https://lichess.org/study/UoNAiYdm/TehrviPk 03:52 - Playing Korchnoi 05:02 - Playing style: aggressive opening choices and psychological play 06:45 - The influence of legendary players and their aura on Vasif 09:16 - Off-the-board aspects of chess improvement and coaching advice 12:37 - Strategies for handling lost positions and psychological tactics 15:08 - The significance of coaching and Vasif’s past mistakes in self-improvement Vasif’s thoughts on Gukesh’s slump here: https://x.com/durarbayli/status/2079565216413556923 24:52 - The power of strategic preparation stories from chess books Mentioned: The Random Book that Made me a Grandmaster https://durarbayli.com/a-random-book-made-me-a-grandmaster/ The Method in Chess by Josif Dorfman https://www.amazon.com/Method-Chess-Iossif-Dorfman/dp/2957289024 30:00- Why we should not emulate Sindarov’s study approach Mentioned: Fooled by Randomness 39:06 - The journey from competitive chess to creating Chess Ever 44:50 - The vision for Chess Ever: following games, broadcasting, and innovation 53:41 - Monetization plans and future features of Chess Ever 58:51 - How Chess Ever differs from other streaming and follow platforms 61:47 - The future of chess broadcasting, AI commentary, and competition 63:48 - Final thoughts and encouraging feedback from listenersResources: Chess Ever App Road to Mastery by Golovka Static and Dynamic by Dorfman Nasim Taleb - Fooled by Randomness Connect with Vasif Durabayi: LinkedIn Twitter Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices