EP 446- IM Greg Shahade on The State of Professional Chess, Why He Loves the Daily and Classical Formats & Adult Improving at Trivia 

GM Robert Hungaski is an Argentina-based, American chess player who has been making a name for himself as a trainer and presenter. In his work as a coach, he is a certified FIDE Senior trainer who often works with US Chess World Youth teams. Robert has been a resident GM at the Saint Louis Chess Club several times, and most importantly for our purposes, he is a down to earth and funny guy with lots of good chess advice and stories! Please read on for timestamps, details and relevant links.  0:00- Intro- We discuss what Robert’s day to day life is like. Robert also goes into some detail about he earned the FIDE Senior Trainer and FIDE arbiter titles. Mentioned: St. Louis Chess Club, FIDE Arbiter Title  9:00- What does Robert notice amongst the top World Youth players he works with? Mentioned: Aren Emrikian, GM Mesgen Amanov , Zurich 1953, My System, Small Steps to Giant Chess Improvement, The Woodpecker Method  18:00- We discuss the tendencies of the modern chess elite to violate what were once considered sturdy chess principles. This is illustrated in two recent Magnus Carlsen games. Mentioned: Carlsen-Caruana 2019, Carlsen-So 2019,  Botvinnik’s 100 Selected Games  22:30- With limited time to compete these days, how does Robert choose his chess tournaments? Does he play for both the US and Argentina?  Mentioned: American Continental Chess Championship, US Open Chess Tournament , FIDE World Cup 30:00- Why are a lot of primarily online American Chess Trainers relocating outside of the US?  Mentioned: GM Gata Kamsky, IM Bill Paschall 31:45- Mar del Plata, Argentina is a famous chess location due to a historic tournament and epononymous chess opening. What can Robert tell us from having played there?  Mentioned: King’s Indian Defense Mar del Plata Variation, Mar del Plata Chess Tournament  36:00 When and how did Robert meet legendary Danish GM Bent Larsen? Mentioned: GM Miguel Najdorf, GM Bent Larsen  37:30- Robert says he was a terrible scholastic player and many people urged him to quit. Is this true? What motivated him to work to become stronger?  41:30- When he lived in New York, Robert worked with legendary GM William Lombardy. What helpful advice did GM Lombardy give when Robert hit a lengthy rating plateau? In this segment Robert gives some great insight on how to take a big picture approach to analyzing one’s chess games.  Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky, GM Rafael Leitao, Chess Steps Method 51:30- Book recommendations!The Books of IM Jeremy Silman, Chess Middlegames by Laszlo Polgar, The Anthology of Chess Combinations, Chess Strategy for Club Players, Dvoretsky Books, Positional Play, Winning Pawn Structures, The Middlegame- Book 1,GM Jonathan Rowson’s Books 57:00- Was Robert a good student in High School? What did he learn from chess? Mentioned: The Moves that Matter by GM Jonathan Rowson  1:05- In the 2000’s Robert played some blitz matches with IM Greg Shahade, some of which can still be found on Youtube.. How did those go? Mentioned: Jenn Shahade , IM Lawrence Trent vs. IM Greg Shahade grudge match, GM Hikaru Nakamura  1:11- Robert tells some stories about meeting former World Champion, GM Anatoly Karpov and playing him in a simul. Here are a few of Robert’s favorite Karpov games:Karpov-Yusopov 1988,  Karpov-Lautier 1992, Korchnoi-Karpov 1981 Game 9  1:15- One more hilarious GM Lombardy story that has nothing to with chess. :)  1:18- Goodbye! Contact Robert via his website. Follow him on Twitter. You can also purchase some lessons of his on ChessLecture.com. Here a couple of my favorite of his YouTube lectures: The Resurgence of Romantic Chess, My Greatest Losses  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Okt 20191h 25min

FM Kamil Plichta is a popular Chessable author, a chess trainer, and something of a rapid and blitz specialist. His strength at fast time controls is borne out by the the fact that he recently finished 3rd at the Polish Rapid Championship, and that he has won online blitz games against the likes of Nakamura and Artemiev. In our wide ranging chess talk, we hit topics ranging from how to tailor your game for a specific opponent, to blitz and time trouble tips, to how much time one should spend studying openings. As always, please read on for more details, hyperlinks and timestamps.  0:00- Intro. We begin by discussing Kamil’s recent success at the Polish Rapid Championship, where he finished 3rd overall, ahead of notable Grandmasters like GM Michail Krasenkow and GM Kacper Piorun.  Mentioned: GM Bassem Amin 13:10- We transition to discussing how Kamil chooses his opening repertoire and designs his Chessable courses. Kamil also dispenses advice about how much time chess players should devote to studying openings at different ratings levels.  Mentioned: GM Simon Williams,  Break the Rules, Play the Trompowsky, Erwin’s Opening Lab, the Dubov Tarrasch, GM Danil Dubov 19:00- What makes Kamil so strong at blitz, and what blitz advice can he give to listeners? Mentioned: Hikaru Nakamura  27:00- We discuss some of Kamil’s other chess related work, including a business he is starting in Poland, and some other business plans of his.  32:00- Kamil delves into the background of how he was able to successfully pitch a course to Chessable  Mentioned: Video intro’s by Kamil for his courses on the King’s Indian Attack, and The Trompowsky 43:00- I ask Kamil some follow up questions based on his excellent interview with Vjekoslav Nemec of Chessentials. I was particularly interested in hearing Kamil’s thoughts about his psychological approach to each chess game.  Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, IM Cyrus Lakdawala  59:00- How does Kamil approach coaching individual students? What mistakes does he often see?  Mentioned: Kamil’s LiChess Coaching Page 1:05- Is it better to work on improving your strengths or your weaknesses? How should you play against a time trouble addict?  1:12- We get another fresh book recommendation! Why does Kamil love the book, Your Opponent is Overrated by FM James Schuyler?   1:14- A question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast asks Kamil why chess players are often drawn to poker and vice versa? Kamil answers the question, and also delves into his years as a poker pro.  1:21- Switching back to chess, Kamil dispenses some important advice for those looking to improve at chess.  1:26- Uh oh, more poker talk.😉  What variant of poker did Kamil play?  Mentioned: Sit and Go Poker Tournaments, IM Greg Shahade  1:30- Kamil turns the tables and asks me about the origins of Perpetual Chess and who my dream guests would be.  Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Jan Timman, GM Genna Sosonko, Lessons of a Grandmaster with GM Boris Gulko  1:35- Goodbye and contact info! You can contact Kamil via LiChess or follow him on twitter here.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Okt 20191h 43min

GM Rafael Leitão is the highest rated Brazilian chess player and its 7 time National Champion. As a Scholastic Player, he won World Junior titles at two different ages, and he is also a Correspondence Chess GM! In addition, GM Leitão runs a successful online chess academy. As you may gather, we had much to talk about.😀 Our topics of conversation ranged across continents and generations of chess, with many great stories and recommendations for chess improvement. Please read on for more details, hyperlinks and timestamps. Enjoy!  0:00- We begin by discussing Rafael’s background a bit, how he got into chess and what the chess culture in Brazil is like. Mentioned: Fischer-Spassky 1972 , GM Peter Leko 10:30- We dive in to the first question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast. John Hartmann writes in to ask GM  Rafael Leitão to share some memories of his interactions with the legendary trainer, IM Mark Dvoretsky. Mentioned: The Legacy of Mark Dvoretsky,  GM Gilberto Milos, GM Jaime Sunye Neto, GM Peter Heine Neilsen  23:00- GM Leitão discusses the impact that legendary Brazilian GM Henrique Mecking has had in Brazil. Mentioned: GM Lev Polugaevsky, GM Viktor Korchnoi  28:30- Several supporters of the podcast write to ask GM Leitão about his popular article in which he discusses his choices for the Top 10 Chess Players of all time, and particularly about his choice of Bobby Fischer as the best ever. Mentioned: Magnus Carlsen’s comment on Kasparov vs. Fischer as the best ever, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Anish Giri, Paul Morphy, Russians vs. Fischer, GM Kasparov, GM Petrosian, GM Karpov, GM Mikail Tal, GM Vladimir Kramnik  44:30- We talk a bit of openings! A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks GM Leitão to compare the relative merits of the Sicilian Najdorf and the Sicilian Taimanov defenses. Mentioned: Ziska- Leitão 2018, Kulaots-Leitão 2018GM Evgeny Bareev on Perpetual Chess, GM Anatoly Karpov, GM Samuel Reshevsky  52:00- What have been some of Rafael’s most memorable encounters with chess greats? Mentioned: Karpov, Anand, Kasparov, GM Gionvanni Vescovi 57:30- GM Leitão answers another listener question about his experiences with playing Correspondence Chess, and what he thinks about the future prospects for this version of the game. Mentioned: World Champion at the Third Attempt  1:02- GM Leitão discusses his chess academy, at https://rafaelleitao.com/ ,and shares some chess improvement advice. Mentioned: The Best Chess Books Ever Written, The 20 Chess Books That Helped Me Become a Grandmaster, Think Like a Grandmaster,Secrets of Grandmaster Chess, Lessons from a Grandmaster by Boris Gulko and Joel Sneed, Positional Decision Making in Chess , Capablaca-Yates, Capablanca-Janowski 1:15- Thanks to Rafael for joining the show! You can keep up with him and reach him via https://rafaelleitao.com/  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Okt 20191h 22min

GM Bassem Amin is a 31 year old Super GM, who was the first Egyptian, Arab and African chess player to reach the rating of the 2700. Among many other titles, he has been the champion of Africa 5 times. As if that weren’t enough, GM Amin is also a medical doctor, but as the #38 ranked player in the world he his professional focus has been on playing chess in recent years. In our interview we discuss topics ranging from the FIDE World Cup, to the chess scene in Egypt and Africa to his chess study habits and advice. Please read on for timestamps, details and relevant links.    Intro: A world cup trip report from GM Bassem Amin. He details the events that led to his unfortunate early exit, and discusses his opinions of the format and the nerves one may feel at such an important tournament.  Mentioned: GM Amin Tabatabaei, GM Mikhailo Oleksienko,  GM Nikita Vituigov Chess.com Isle of Man International, Chess24 Interview with GM Vituigov, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Vishy Anand, GM Ivanchuk,  21:00- Why did GM Amin choose to focus on chess as a profession? How popular is chess in Egypt? GM Vidit Gujrathi,  23:30- GM Amin discusses what it was like to experience and compete in the Grand Chess Tour in Africa at the 2019 Cote D’Ivoire Rapid and Blitz  Mentioned: GM Magnus Carlsen , GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Ding Liren, GM Wei Yi, GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi, GM Vesilin Topalov  30:00- What is GM Amin’s study routine like? What were his study methods like as a top scholastic player in Egypt? Mentioned: Karpov Cup in France , GM Edvins Kengis, GM Ahmed Adly, GM Sergey Grigoriants, GM Mikhailo Oleksienko 38:00- What does Bassem consider to be his biggest career milestone? 41:30- What advice does Bassem have for adult improvers?  44:30- Goodbye! You can follow GM Bassem Amin’s progress via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Okt 201951min

WIM Beatriz Marinello is a Chilean-American chess player, educator and organizer. Beatriz was recently named the Director of the Chess Program at the Dalton School in New York City, and in the past few decades, she has also worked and volunteered in countless other capacities in the chess world. Beatriz was the first woman to be elected as President of the US Chess Federation and was also the first woman to be elected Vice President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). She is also one of the founders of and the President of Checkmating Dementia. Beatriz was very forthright about the good and bad that she has seen during her years in the chess world. Her experiences highlight the growth that the chess world has seen in recent years, but also show that there is still much more that can be done to promote and grow chess. Please read on for timestamps, links and a few more details.  0:00- We begin by discussing Beatriz’s roles on the FIDE Social Action Committee and as the Director of the Chess Program at The Dalton School  Mentioned: David MacEnulty retires from his role as Director of the Dalton School, IM Josh Waitzkin,IM Kassa Korley, Charu Robinson,  GM Maxim Dlugy, USCF Master Gus Huston    6:45- What was it like to grow up playing chess during the Pinochet regime in Chile?  11:00- Beatriz transitions to discussing her chess work in the US, including living in Miami, Las Vegas, and ultimately New York.  Mentioned: Svetozar Jovanovic, PS 9, The Anderson School, Carmen Farina, Dr. Robert Ferguson, Castle Chess Camp,  US Chess Federation  25:00- As Beatriz retells, she became the first female president of the US Chess Federation, only to discover that the organization faced serious financial difficulties. How were she and others able to help US Chess recover?  Mentioned: Stan Booz, Sam Sloan  35:00- How did WIM Marinello end up becoming affiliated with FIDE? What was that experience like?  Mentioned: FIDE Social Action Commission, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Former Fide President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov 47:00-A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks about Beatriz’ efforts to promote chess as a vehicle to fight dementia.  Mentioned: Checkmating Dementia, Michael Glassman  1:04- Beatriz tells a funny Bobby Fischer story that she heard from a reliable friend of hers.  Mentioned: Beatriz Marinello Interview with Chessbase, Dr. Leroy Dubeck,    GM Tigran Petrosian   1:12- We talk a bit of chess improvement and chess books, and some of Beatriz’ favorite chess players and chess games.   Mentioned: My Great Predecessors, GM Hou Yifan, Polgar-Berkes,Hou Yifan-David Navara 2016, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Antoaneta Stefanova, Jennifer Shahade, Kimberly Doo McVay  1:21- Goodbye! You can keep up with all of Beatriz’s initiatives via her Facebook page. If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Okt 20191h 27min

Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh is the author of the highly regarded book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making,   and was the 2002 British Chess Champion, but these days he is best known as one of the top chess trainers in the world! He has served as the coach of the Indian National Team many times, and in recent years has been the trainer of the teenage super-talent, GM Praggnanandhaa, among many others. In our conversation we talk about topics ranging from  how Ramesh finds and keeps track of material for his students, to how to fight chess slumps, to a list of his many favorite chess books,plus lots more! Please tune in and read on for timestamps and relevant links.    0:00- We begin by discussing R.B. Ramesh’s current whereabouts. He is conducting a training camp for talented young Indian chess players with GM Vishal Sareen and IM Dejan Bojkov. Ramesh shares the sorts of material and themes he often emphasizes in these types of camps, including the advice he gives to students who get upset by losing games.  In this segment Ramesh answer a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast about how trainers organize their teaching materials.  Mentioned: Chessbase 15 21:30- Are there any traits GM Ramesh has noticed in his most accomplished students, such as GM Praggnanandhaa?  31:00- When GM Jacob Aagard was a guest on Perpetual Chess, he discussed an upcoming chess camp he would be teaching with GM Ramesh. GM Ramesh provides us with some details about the camp.  Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland, GM Ivan Salgado Lopez,  34:00- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh for advice about how to think about and persevere during periods of stagnation in one’s chess development.  46:30- GM Ramesh talks about his own chess playing career, was he discouraged in the period when it took him 8 years to go from IM to GM? Mentioned: GM Anand, GM Sasrikan  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of GM Ramesh’s insightful  3 part 2017 interview with Niklesh Jain on Chessbase India 50:30- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh whether he thinks the competition amongst players in India is particularly fierce. From here we transition to a more general conversation about support for chess in India.  Mentioned: IM Sagar Shah, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Harikrishna, IM Tania Sachdev , GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Aravind Chithambaram, GM Nihal Sarin gets an endorsement with a milk company, GM Koneru Humpy  1:01- Chess books! Get ready! No surprise that a renowned trainer like GM Ramesh has a long list of recommended books. :)  Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games, Zurich International, The Art of Attack, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Judgement and Planning in Chess, Fire on Board, The Works of Mark Dvoretsky, The Works of GM Jacob Aagard, Secrets of Practical of Chess, Winning Pawn Structures (out of print), Think like  a Grandmaster, Endgame Strategy, The Works of Boris Gelfand, Dynamic Chess Strategy, Theory and Practice of Chess Endings, Imagination in Chess, Perfect Your Chess, Its Only Me by Tony Miles, The Yusopov Series, Fundamental Chess Endings, Timman On the Attack,Creative Chess by Amatzia Avni, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall,  1:11- At his ChessGurukul Academy GM Ramesh sometimes teaches yoga and meditation to his students. How have they responded to it?  Mentioned: The Grandmaster Diet: How to lose Weight While Barely Moving , GM Praggnanandhaa 1:15- We conclude with a brief discussion of GM Ramesh’s excellent book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making,  and an exciting tease for another book project that GM Ramesh is planning. You can keep up with GM R.B. Ramesh via Facebook and Twitter.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Sep 20191h 25min

More than 2.5 years after our first interview it is once again an honor to talk chess with renowned chess author and historian IM John Donaldson. As we discuss, John has remained extremely busy despite recently retiring as Director of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in San Francisco. In addition to co-authoring acclaimed books about Bobby Fischer and Akiva Rubinstein, John is a member of the Samford Fellowship Committee and has served as the Captain of many U.S. Olympiad Teams. So as always, we had much to discuss! Please read on for many relevant links and timestamps.  0:00- Intro- We begin by discussing what is new with John's ongoing research related to his series of books about GM Bobby Fischer, written with IM Eric Tangborn. Mentioned: Bobby Fischer’s Final Years: A Memoir, GM William Lombardy, IM Anthony Saidy  11:30- When he retired from the Mechanics' Institute one of John’s goals was to play chess competitively more often. Has he been able to achieve this goal? Which older players inspire him?  NM Han Schut, IM Anthony Saidy, USCF Master Viktors Pupols 20:00- John has been the captain of the U.S. Olympiad team many times, He explains the selection process for determining the next team for the U.S. Olympiad.  Mentioned: Khanty-Mansiysk, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Sam Shankland, Jeffrey Xiong, Hikaru Nakamura  24:30- What is Samford Fellowship, and how do its recipients get selected? Mentioned: Allen Kaufman, Sam Sevian, Hikaru Nakamura, Awonder Liang, Joel Benjamin Wesley So, IM Christopher Yoo,  32:00- More Olympiad talk! Who will be the strongest teams in the next Open Chess Olympiad? What are John’s favorite Olympiad memories?  Mentioned: 38th Chess Olympiad (2008), GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Pentala Harikrishna, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Gata Kamsy, GM Vassily Ivanchuk  44:00- Is drug testing necessary in chess? How thorough is the monitoring for computer assistance at the Olympiads?  Mentioned: IM Kenneth Regan  49:00- We discuss John’s 2 volume work on legendary GM Akiva Rubinstein (co-written with IM Niklay Minev) , which is available on Forward Chess and Amazon. A Patreon supporter of Perpetual Chess wonders if there is hope for a 3rd edition of the book and also asks John’s opinion on whether Peak Rubinstein could have beaten GM Emanuel Lasker for the World Championship. John did not dodge the question!  Mentioned: Michael Negele, Positional Decision-Making in Chess, Dynamic Decision-Making in Chess  1:00:00- John shares some memories about notable recent passings in the chess world. This includes Fischer-era chess commentator Shelby Lyman, Chess Historian Dale Brandreth, and GM Pal Benko  Mentioned: Steve Brandwein , Henry Kissinger, Karl Burger, IM Jack Peters, GM Michael Wilder, Albrecht Buschke, John Rather, Oscar Shapiro, USCF Master Fred Wilson  1:19:00- Has John read any standout chess books lately? Mentioned: Quality Chess, Chess Evolution, Thinkers Publisher, McFarland, Mongoose Press, New in Chess, Russell Enterprises, Everyman Press, Andy Soltis, 300 Most Important Chess Positions, The Survival Guide to Rook Endings, The Woodpecker Method , The King’s Indian According to Tigran Petrosian , Opening Simulator - King's Indian Defence, Perfect Your Chess , Learn From the Legends  1:36:00- John reviews the performance of the U.S. Teams at the 2019 World Team Championship. Mentioned: GM Darius Swiercz, GM Sam Sevian, GM Alex Onischuk, GM Alex Lenderman, GM Elshan Moriadiabadi, GM Melik Khachiyan, GM Alejandro Ramirez, Carissa Yip, Rochelle Wu, GM Zviad Izoria 1:41:00- Thanks to John for coming on! You can email him here.  If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Sep 20191h 47min

This week the Adult Improver series returns with another great guest. Fifty-five year-old USCF Master Han Schut is a Certified Chess Steps Trainer, a blogger, and a chess parent. His daughters Donna and Lisa were both top Dutch scholastic players, and Lisa is the youngest ever Dutch Women’s Champion. She won it at the age of 19.  Han returned to competitive chess in 2013 and has since seen his rating steadily climb from 2120 to a recent high of 2270.  Given the age and relatively high rating from which Han started, this is quite an accomplishment! How did he do it? What resources did he use?  How does he combat Father Time? What do we need to know about the Steps Method? Tune in to find out. Timestamps and relevant links below: 0:00- Intro and discussion of the Steps Method. The Steps is a Dutch chess curriculum which is designed to take you from the Novice to the Master Level. You can order Steps books here. Han also asks some questions from Patreon supporters of the podcast relating to the qualifications for becoming a Certified Steps Trainer and how to “mine the data” of the LiChess Online database .  Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Patreon Page, Rob Brunia, IM Cor van Wijgerden, GM Loek Van Wely, GM Erwin L’ami, Chess Tutor discs, LiChess Opening Explorer, Hiarcs Opening Book Subscription  30:00- We transition to talking about Han’s chess playing and chess improvement more generally.  Han shares how he has managed to continue to improve into his 50s, and answers a few questions from supporters of the podcast about how to budget one’s chess study time.  Mentioned: Chess Steps, Step 3 Books, 100 Endgames You Must Know (Chessable version), Perfect Your Chess, Chess Structures, Keep it Simple 1. D4 (Chessable Course) . Grandmaster Repetoire 1. e4 , 1. d4 : Dynamic Systems, Game Changer, Chess for Life, Vladimir Chuchelov, Alex King, IM Ali Mortazavi, Fred Wilson  1:04- Han retells a great story from his blog relating to former World Champion, GM Boris Spassky.  Mentioned: Daniel Yarur Elsaca 1:15- Han shares some advice for other parents based on his experiences as a chess parent.  Mentioned: GM Robin Van Kampen  1:18- Goodbye. Keep up with or contact Han via his Chess.com account If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Sep 20191h 25min