FM Michiel Abeln

FM Michiel Abeln is a chess author, best known for his critically acclaimed book "The Anand Files" which details the games and stories surrounding Viswanathan Anand's three World Championship titles. Michiel has recently published a Chessable course on the Leningrad Dutch, a dynamic response to 1.d4 which is aimed towards adult improvers.

Long-time listeners know that I adore "The Anand Files". It is a unique book; part game collection, part journalism, part narrative storytelling, painting a vibrant picture of the 15th World Champion and the team that supported him through his World Championship run. With the Carlsen-Nepo match coming up in a few weeks, I also thought it might put the podcast in a World Championship atmosphere. In any case, it was great to pick FM Abeln's brain about chess culture.

We talked about...

• The Leningrad Dutch course -- why he wrote it, what his goals were for the course, and comparing it to other books on the Dutch

• Quality over quantity -- FM Abeln's work ethic and goal to create flawless chess content. We also touch upon misleading claims re: improvement from publishers and marketers in chess

• The Anand Files -- across the episode I ask questions about the creation of the book, such as the interview process with Vishy and his seconds, how he annotated the games, and what he thinks about the project now that it's available for purchase. I basically just raved about the book and asked all the questions I've wanted to know while I continue reading the book. If you own the book, this might be especially fun for you, and if you don't, consider it a sneak peek :)

• World Championship dynamics -- how do teams form for a player? What is the hierarchy between the champion/challenger and his seconds? How does a coach give advice to a player like Magnus Carlsen or Vishy Anand?

• Magnus vs. Nepo -- given what he knows about World Chess Championship matches, what does FM Abeln think about the upcoming match later this month? Does Nepo have any chances to usurp the throne? What can we expect from the match in terms of strategy game-by-game?

• Vishy's legacy -- is Viswanathan Anand underestimated as a chess player, at least outside India? We discuss Vishy's career and his impact on chess

• As always, another edition of Aimchess Instant Insights

Thanks as always to Aimchess for sponsoring the podcast -- use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess!

Thanks so much to FM Michiel Abeln for coming on the podcast -- hope to have you back soon! Follow him on Twitter here.

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FM Michiel Abeln's Leningrad Dutch course can be purchased here, and his book "The Anand Files" can be bought here