EP 448- NM Max Farberov on Beating Plateaus, Springing Opening Surprises, and Why Speed Chess Matters

GM Vasyl Ivanchuk is a modern chess legend who has won countless tournaments including the 2016 World Rapid Championship and the 2007 FIDE World Blitz Championship. He has been ranked #2 in the World on 3 separate occasions. Vasyl is known for his creative play and his wide opening repertoire. Vasyl joined me just after the World Championship concluded to share his thoughts on the match, and to discuss his recent foray into Twitch streaming, his passion for checkers, and to answer my many questions about his illustrious career. So much fun to talk chess with "Chucky!" You can follow/subscribe to Vasyl's Twitch channel here: https://www.twitch.tv/ivanchukchess 0:00- Intro, Match Wrapup 6:00- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk joins the podcast! If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 Dec 202145min

We are back for another Book Review podcast, a series called Chess Books Recaptured. This month we tackle Frisco Del Rosario’s First Book of Morphy, which is a Paul Morphy game collection book geared towards novice to intermediate players. My guest co-host this episode is Danish chess enthusiast, dad and linguist Mads Jønsson. As we note, First Book of Morphy does have some flaws, but Morphy’s games are amazing, and the annotations are helpful enough to make this book well-suited to its target audience. Please read on for lots more details, show notes, and relevant links.  0:00- We introduce our guest go-host, Mads Jonson, and he shares for his suggestion that we recap the First Book of Morphy.  6:30- We talk a bit about the book's background.  Mentioned: Lichess Study games 1-60, and 61-69  11:30- There are always great new courses from Chessable including FM Kamil Plichta’s Lifetime Repertoires: Accelerated Dragon. Check out what else is new here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 12:00- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe, use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  13:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Did Morphy play at the level of a modern IM?”  Mentioned: IM Ken Regan’s Intrinsic Rating Compendium, Chess Metrics Morphy  17:00- What chapters did Mads find most helpful? Mentioned: Book Recap #16 Logical Chess Move by Move  25:00- What other changes could have been made stylistically?  28:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.  29:00- We share a few of our favorite games and quotes.  Mentioned: Morphy-Guibert 1958, Ben Finegold’s Paul Morphy videos,  36:00- We give a list of pros and cons related to the books.  39:00- What other “move by move” style books might one consider reading? (They are listed below in order of difficulty)  Logical Chess Move by Move (Podcast about it in Book Recap 16) The Most Instructive Chess Games of All Time  Instructive Chess Miniatures  World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book  Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking: From the First Move to the Last   Nunn- Understanding Chess Move by Move  Morphy Move by Move  Chess Master vs. Amateur  46:00- Tune in next month for a recap of Lipnitsky’s Questions of Modern Chess Theory with Martin Justesen a/k/a Say Chess! Be sure to follow Mads on Twitter here.  And we are always happy to support Chess in Slums.  50:00- Blindfold puzzles are back!  Puzzle #1- Meek-Morphy 1855  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Nxf7 Nxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 WHITE TO MOVE AND REGAIN MATERIAL  Solution here:  https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1335871 Puzzle #2- Morphy-Conway 1959 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. d4 gxf3 6. Qxf3 Bh6 7. O-O Ne7 8. Bxf4 Bxf4 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qxf4+ Kg7  FIND MATE in TWO FROM THIS POSITION Solution here:  https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2036628 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 Dec 20211h 5min

GM Jacob Aagaard is an award winning author, and a founder of Quality Chess and of Killer Chess Training.com. With Magnus Carlsen firmly ahead in the match (by a score of 6.5 to 3.5), I thought it would be fun to check back in with GM Jacob Aagaard, who had written a prescient prediction for the match which was shared with our listeners in Episode 254. In our conversation, Aagaard expounds a bit on his thoughts on the match, and also shares his concerns about future World Championships when it comes to potential match formats and venues. It is always illuminating to hear GM Aagaard's thoughts! Following the Aagaard interview Shaun McCoy of Chess.com joins the show to give an update from Dubai. Shaun shares his highlights so far and discusses what it was like to be on the premises for Magnus' historical win in Game 6. As always, you can find the timestamps for the interviews below. 0:00- Intro 10:00- GM Jacob Aagaard interview 43:45- Shaun McCoy joins the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Dec 20211h

Welcome back to another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. In this episode, we feature another Queen’s Gambit convert to Perpetual Chess. 30-year-old tech executive and musician Alex Crompton recently became obsessed with the game and dove headlong into the best ways to improve at it. Alex is quick to note that his accomplishments are modest, but as he detailed on his blog, he has gone from total beginner to a respectable 1500 FIDE rating in less than a year. As our conversation reveals, lots of research and work went into this improvement. In our conversation, Alex shares tons of good study tips and reflections about the science of learning, including the ways that the study of languages has helped him improve his chess. It was a lot of fun hearing about Alex’s chess progress, and any listener of any rating can learn from this conversation. Please read on for lots of details, timestamps and relevant links. 0:00- For more information about the Harvard Chess Cognition Study go here.  3:00- Alex joins the show, and we begin by discussing why Alex finds it challenging to follow the World Championship despite his enthusiasm for chess.  Mentioned: The Art of Learning by IM Josh Waitzkin  12:00- We discuss Alex’s adult improvement journey, which you can read about in his blog post here.  18:30- NEW SPONSOR! Chessvis is an app designed designed to help you train your visualization skills. Search for it at an app store or get the links here.  https://www.chessvis.com/ 19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.  20:00- What were Alex’s first steps to develop a system to study chess?  Mentioned: Squareoff Chess, Bryght Labs’ ChessUp, Woodpecker Method on Chessable, Woodpecker Method Podcast with Neal Bruce, Michael De La Maza article- 400 Points in 400 Days, Tim Brennan’s Tactics Time on Chessable  39:00- How did Alex approach the study of openings?  Mentioned: Make it Stick by Peter C. Brown  41:00- Alex shares some interesting research about why adults may improve at chess more slowly than kids.  Mentioned: Some of the research Alex referenced is here.  Lichess study, Episode 231 with Braden Laughlin, James Heisig: Remembering the Kanji, Episode 215 with Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar  54:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well! 54:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  55:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Alex’s approach to learning openings?” Mentioned: My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White, Lifetime Repertoires: Chessable 1. b3, Logical Chess Move by Move  1:11:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Any theories on why ratings tend to repeatedly plateau and then jump?” Mentioned: Episode 181 with Elijah Logozar  1:15:00-What resources have helped Alex blunder less, rather than just solve tactics?  Susan Polgar’s How to Learn Chess the Right Way Volume 3, FM Peter Giannatos’ Everyone’s First Chess Workbook 1:19:00- What are Alex’s next chess goals, if any?  Mentioned: Sean Carroll’s Mindscapes: Episode 169 Games  1:28:00- Thanks so much to Alex for sharing his insights.  You can keep up with him via his blog here: https://www.alexcrompton.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Dec 20211h 41min

After 8 rounds, things have changed! As you may have heard, Magnus Carlsen has taken a 5-3 lead in the 2021 World Championship, highlighted by a record breaking, unforgettable win in Game 6. Please listen in as a do a quick rundown of the highlights of the match, then bring in two great guests: Grandmaster Jan Timman is the 9 time champion of the Netherlands, an award winning author, and was one of the highest rated players in the world for decades. Among other topics, Jan shares his thoughts on the match so far and discusses the ascendance of young Super GM Alireza Firouzja, who we could potentially see in the next World Championship.  My second guest, John MacArthur is an accomplished scholastic coach and Twitch streamer who joined me just after returning from Dubai on Monday. Dubai was the 6th World Championship match he has attended. John shares some great stories and contrasts this event with the many other memorable matches he has attended.  Timestamps and the links you need are below. 10:00- GM Jan Timman joins me! Jan is a founding editor and columnist for New in Chess Magazine  His latest book is, The Unstoppable American: Bobby Fischer's Road to Reykjavik  33:30- NM John MacArthur joins  Check out his photos from Dubai on his Instagram here.  Follow him on Twitch here. On Twitter here  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Dec 20211h 1min

After 8 rounds, things have changed! As you may have heard, Magnus Carlsen has taken a 5-3 lead in the 2021 World Championship, highlighted by a record breaking, unforgettable win in Game 6. Please listen in as a do a quick rundown of the highlights of the match, then bring in two great guests: Grandmaster Jan Timman is the 9 time champion of the Netherlands, an award winning author, and was one of the highest rated players in the world for over a decade. Jan shares his thoughts on the match so far and discusses the ascendance of young Super GM Alireza Firouzja. John MacArthur is an accomplished scholastic coach and Twitch streamer who joined me just after returning from Dubai on Monday. Dubai was the 6th World Championship match he has attended. John shares some great stories and contrasts this event with the many other memorable matches he has attended. Timestamps and the links you need are below. 9:00- GM Jan Timman joins New in Chess Magazine  His latest book, The Unstoppable American: Bobby Fischer's Road to Reykjavik 33:00- NM John MacArthur joins Check out his photos from Dubai on his Instagram here. Follow him on Twitch here. On Twitter here  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Dec 202147min

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess marks the return visit of one of the top female players in the US, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan. I caught up with Tatev after a hectic few months in which she competed in the FIDE Women’s World Cup and also competed in and placed 4th in the US Women’s Championship. For good measure, she moved from Southern California to Kansas City to begin her work as the Director of Chess Content at chess startup Bryght Labs. Tatev’s busy schedule gave us plenty to talk about, as Tatev gave some insightful tournament reports, discussed her new job, and, of course, dispensed some chess improvement advice and some reflections on dealing with setbacks in chess. It is always fun to talk chess with Tatev, so we hope you make time for this interview in between World Championship rounds. Please read on for more details and show notes.  0:00- GM Johan Sebastian Christiansen recently expressed his extreme frustration with a slump in his competitive chess. Tatev talks about how common such feelings of frustration can be for be top players, and ways to work through it.  Mentioned: Episode 49 with WGM Tatev Abrahamyan , Chess.com Article with GM Alireza Firouzja’s quote regarding chess and mental health 11:00- How does Tatev reflect on her 4th place finish in the 2021 US Women’s Chess Championship?  Mentioned: GM Alejandro Ramirez, You can review Tatev’s games here, How to Chess Episode 17 with IM Lawrence Trent,  26:00- Now that she has a 9-5 job, Tatev reflects on how she will manage her chess career as well as a new job in a new town (Kansas City, MO).  29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessmood.com. They offer a huge video library with instruction on every phase of the game.  31:00- Tatev gives the trip report from the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup in Sochi, Russia, and we discuss the Women’s World Championship Cycle.  Mentioned: Episode 243 with GM Anna Muzychuk, Information on the 2022 FIDE Woman’s Candidate Tournament is here, Goryachkina-Motylev 2021  39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out what's new from them here: New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels- Chessable.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the How to Chess podcast as well! 39:30- Perpetual Chess is also brought to you in part by AImchess.com. Check out the site, and if you decide to subscribe use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  40:00- Does Tatev think that US Women's Champion IM Carissa Yip will be competing for a World Championship someday?  Mentioned: FM Jennifer Yu, IM Annie Wang  43:00- What sort of products is Tatev working on at her chess startup, Bryght Labs?  Mentioned: ChessUp, GM Levon Aronian  1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What tips can we share for how to evaluate a position?” 1:05:00- We discuss GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s recent interview about chess engines and his work with GM Fabiano Caruana.  Mentioned: More information about Kasimdzhanov’s interview with Ilya Levitov here 1:14:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the secret to Tatev’s success in her OTB games against Latvian/American legend GM Alex Shabalov?  Mentioned: Krush-Abrahamyan 2021,  1:17:00-  Thanks so much to Tatev for joining us!  If you decide to order ChessUp from BryghtLabs.com, use the promo code “Perpetual” or the promo code should be inputted directly with this link.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

30 Nov 20211h 27min

With the Carlsen-Nepomniatchtchi World Championship match tied after 3 hard-fought draws, I do a quick rundown of the main story lines emerging from what has been a tense and entertaining battle so far. Then, we get reports from Dubai from Chessable C.E.O. Geert van der Velde, followed by Chess.com reporter/Trivia Whiz Jonathan Corbblah. Timestamps and the links you need are below. 0:00- Ben on the 3 key story lines from the match so far. 14:00- Chessable C.E.O. Geert van der Velde on what its like to watch the match from the Play Magnus lounge in Dubai. 30:30- Trivia Whiz turned Chess.com reporter Jonathan Corbblah on how he wound up in Dubai, and his favorite foods and memories from his trip so far. Links: Geert’s Twitter Jonathan’s Twitter Chessable Classroom (as Geert mentioned) Jonathan's Chess: A Reflection of Us is being premiered each day on Chess.com’s World Championship Broadcasts. Perpetual Chess Episode 161 with Geert van der Velde Perpetual Chess Episode 48 with Jonathan Corbblah Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Nov 202145min