This week’s guest is Author and Data Scientist, GM Vinay Bhat. Vinay was one of the top chess prodigies in modern US History. He amassed many scholastic titles and held the record of the youngest ever US National Master before Hikaru Nakamura broke his record. Despite Vinay’s extraordinary chess success, he always maintained many interests and put a particular emphasis on his school work, and then his career. Now 38 years of age, Vinay has written an excellent new book with Quality Chess, How I Became a Chess Grandmaster. Part memoir, part chess manual, in the book, Vinay reflects on his career, annotates memorable games, and takes a big picture look at the study choices and decisions he made over the years, including the tough decision to walk away from chess as a profession. Vinay places a particular emphasis on the few steep plateaus he faced in his development. In our conversation, Vinay reflects on his career and shares plenty of chess lessons and memorable anecdotes. A Bay Area native and resident, Vinay has gotten to know many people who will be familiar to Perpetual Chess listeners. Please read on for timestamps of topics discussed.  0:00- My Recommended Chessable Courses: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ Check out ChessDojo’s 1.e4 Repertoire for White here: https://www.chessable.com/chessdojos-1e4-repertoire-for-white/course/150049/ 0:02- As Vinay reflects on his chess career, how does he reflect on his first real plateau, which occurred around 2200.  Mentioned: The Best I Saw in Chess by IM Stuart Rachels, GM Gregory Kaidanov, Episode 295 with GM Gregory Kaidanov  13:45- What is Vinay’s advice for when an opening change might be in order? Mentioned: Vinay’s Chessbase India interview with IM Sagar Shah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4IIiYe5Vb8 20:00- What conclusions does Vinay draw from reflecting on his whole chess career? Mentioned: Savely Polovets  24:00- How did Vinay utilize one page writeups in his opening prep? 28:00- Vinay shares his thoughts on various players he knows and has met, including GM Sam Shankland, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Eduard Gufeld, the RZA from Wutang Clan,  Mentioned: Joe Lonsdale Jr., Peter Thiel, The GZA, Josh Waitzkin  45:00- What were Vinay’s first impressions of Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana? 47:00- What was it like to live in the “chess house” with IM David Pruess and GM Jesse Kraai? 49:00- Vinay is an avid reader and discusses some of his favorites.  Mentioned: ChessDoJo video- The Best Chess Books , New York 1924, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, How Not to Play Chess, The Books of Irving Chernev  57:00- What have Vinay’s interactions with GM Viswanathan Anand been like? What about Spassky, Kasparov and Karpov? 1:01:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: As a data scientist has Vinay discovered any useful statistical patterns in his play? 1:05:00- What does Vinay think of the acceleration of Chat GBT and similar products? Could it have a further impact on the chess world? 1:10:00- Vinay reflects on the difficult decision he made not to pursue professional chess.  1:15:00- Is there anything Vinay wishes he could have done differently? 1:18:00- Thanks so much to Vinay for joining the show! Here are the links for his excellent book: Check out the book here: Quality Chess https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/436/how_i_became_a_chess_grandmaster_by_vinay_bhat/ Free Excerpt of the Books: https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/HowIbecameaChessGrandmaster-Excerpt.pdf Forward Chess https://forwardchess.com/product/how-i-became-a-chess-grandmaster?section= Vsbhat02 at gmail If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns to hear some more reflections from an accomplished chess amateur.  This week we are joined by John Neely. John started competitive chess at the age of 36 in 2011 and has had a long road to the ECF equivalent of about 1800. John has put in plenty of hours, both as a student of the game, an OTB competitor, and as a Chessable community author who created the popular series Visualize. In our interview, John reflects on the lessons he has learned in his years of studying chess. John is pleased with his approach in some aspects of his study, but he also thinks he could have done a few things differently. Finally, we discuss John’s new project, as he is taking a break from competitive chess in order to work on a series of mystery novels. You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.  0:00- Be Sure to Sub to the Free Newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest! https://benjohnson.substack.com/ 0:01- Thanks to recent Perpetual Chess Patreon subs, you can join the community here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess 0:02- My Recommended Chessable Courses  Fire on Board  GM Niclas Huscenbeth;s 1. E4 Repertoire  Benedictine’s Chessable Courses  03:00- John Neely joins the show! He begins by discussing how he got into competitive chess at age 36 in 2011.  12:00- What did John do to improve his game?  Mentioned: Dan Heisman’s YouTube channel, ChessTempo Tactics Trainer  16:00- How do team leagues work in Great Britain?  21:30- When John was playing online games as a training method, did he feel like they worked as well as training by playing OTB League games? 26:00- How did John come up with the idea for his Visualize series on Chessable?  https://www.chessable.com/visualise-1/course/25695/, Episode 327 with Geert van der Velde  35:00- John shares his approach to analyzing his games Mentioned: How to Batch Analyze Your Games, Blunder Busters  44:00- What would John do differently if starting serious chess all over again? Mentioned: Silman’s Endgame Course, Alekhine’s Best Games of Chess  50:00- How did John get into writing mystery novels?  Mentioned: Lavender and Brown: York Mysteries  56:00- What was it like to play GMs like David Howell, Luke McShane, GM Simon Williams and Mickey Adams in simuls?  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GM Wojciech Moranda is an insightful author, trainer, and one of the top players in Poland. He rejoins Perpetual Chess this week to do a deep dive on all things related to chess improvement. Wojciech answers questions related to memorizing and annotating games, improving at positional chess, the value of playing compared to reading, plus many more questions that can help your game and study routine. In the second half of the interview we expand our conversation to discuss Wojciech’s excellent new book Supreme Chess Understanding, Wojciech discusses his experience coaching IM Levy Rozman, he shares advice for becoming a chess trainer, and of course, shares his thoughts on Nepo-Ding. I always learn a great deal when speaking with Wojciech, and this week’s pod is no exception. You can find timestamps for the many topics discussed below.  Wojciech’s Prior Appearance, Episode 203  Universal Chess Training  Supreme Chess Understanding  0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ Stomp the Stafford Gambit Shankland’s Neo-Catalan 2  03:00- Chess Improvement Q and A begins- Is it worthwhile to memorize complete games as a chess improvement method?  Mentioned: Rapid Chess Improvement, Book Recap #6- Woodpecker Method/Rapid Chess Improvement with Neal Bruce  08:00- Is it worthwhile for amateurs to annotate GM games as an improvement method?  Mentioned: Zurich 1953, San Luis 2005, The Power of Defence and the Art of Counterattack in 64 Pictures, The Road to Chess Improvement  18:00- Wojciech shares his thoughts on the AI revolution  22:00- How should a 1600 level player with little opening knowledge approach learning them?  Mentioned: Everyman Move by Move Series  27:00- Should a lower-rated player study imbalances? (The topic of Wojciech’s new book)  33:00- What method is the most effective for getting better at positional chess? Mentioned: GM Johan Hellsten’s Mastering Chess Strategy (on Amazon) (and on Chessable)  38:00- What are the traits of Wojciech’s most successful students?  45:00- What are the most common mistakes that Wojciech sees students making in different phases of the game? (Openings/Tactics/Endgames) Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know (on Amazon) (and on Chessable) 51:00- Should Dr. Kevin Scull of Chess Journeys stop reading chess books and play more in order to improve?  1:00:00- We discuss Supreme Chess Understanding. How does Wojciech find so many original and creative puzzle positions? Mentioned: Available on Forward Chess, Free Preview of the Book via Thinker’s Publishing  1:08:00- What are the “three types of chess players” when it comes to sacrificing material?  Mentioned: Beyond Material (on Amazon) (and on Chessable) 1:12:00- What was it like to coach Gotham Chess?  1:20:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What resources would Wojciech recommend for someone thinking of becoming a chess trainer?”  Mentioned: WFM Michalina Rudzińska, Episode 201 with FM Peter Giannatos, Episode 66 with Adam Weissbarth, The Chess Instructor 2009, Chess Training for Budding Champions by IM Jesper Hall, How to Study Chess on Your Own, For Friends and Colleagues by IM Mark Dvoretsky, Thinking Inside the Box by GM Jacob Aagaard , Chess for Educators by Karel van Delft   1:42:00- Wojciech’s World Championship Thoughts  Mentioned: Sean Ingle’s story on Nepo’s Missing Sleeping Pill, written for The Guardian  1:47:00- Thanks to Wojciech for joining the pod!  You can contact him via his Lichess and his Chess.com Coaches Pages: https://lichess.org/coach/gmmoranda https://www.chess.com/member/gmmoranda If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here.  https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest on Perpetual Chess is one the United States’ top players, GM Sam Shankland. Sam is a two- time Olympic Gold Medalist, the 2018 US Champion, and an acclaimed author and Chessable creator. A dedicated teacher, Sam is also a lead trainer and the co-founder of Killer Chess Training. As a late starter by the standards of a chess professional, Sam is always especially insightful on the topic of chess improvement. In our conversation, we reflect on his own ups and downs in recent years, as well as the common traits of his most successful students. Sam also shares his thoughts on the first half of the World Championship match, discusses what he did to improve at endgames and at rapid chess, and outlines his 2023 tournament schedule. There is always lots to learn from chatting with Sam, and I greatly enjoyed our discussion! Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.  Interview Recorded on Monday, April 24, 2023.  Prior interview with Sam, Episode 8  0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 02:00- How does Sam follow the World Championship? What were his impressions after Round 11?  09:00- How is Sam feeling about his own chess game at the moment? What is his study routine?  Mentioned: Prague Masters, FIDE World Cup  15:00- What inspired Sam’s choice to write the forthcoming book, Theoretical Rook Endings?  Mentioned: GM Jacob Aagaard, FM Nate Solon’s blog post, What’s the Point of Studying the Endgame 21:00- What was Sam’s approach to endgames as an up-and-coming player?  Mentioned: GM Alex Yermolinsky’s Every Russian School Boy Knows  24:45- Does Sam think he can make another leap forward as he did in 2018?  27:00- Does Sam track the progress of his students?  Mentioned: GM Abhimanyu Mishra, IM Shahil Dey 29:00- Sam discusses the explosion of chess learning tools  32:00- Who from the younger generation does Sam think might someday be World Champion?  35:00- Will Sam make it a priority to try to get into the 2023 Candidates?  Mentioned: 2021 FIDE World Cup  41:00- What did Sam do to strengthen his rapid game?  41:30- What, in Sam’s opinion, is the best way for adult amateurs to try to improve?  43:30- Does Sam think one should do “Puzzle Rush” type tactics as well?  46:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Should strong amateur players try to find less-explored opening moves to gain an edge on their opponents?”  51:00- What is Sam’’s advice for how to study opening structures?  55:00- How is Sam using engines? 58:00- What is Sam’s advice for overcoming setbacks? 1:04:00- What advice did Sam give IM Levy Rozman when he was mired in an OTB chess slump? 1:08:00- Does the explosive growth of chess affect Sam’s life at all? Should top GMs be jealous of lower rated chess content creators with big followings?  1:14:00- What can we expect in Sam’s new Chessable course on the Neo-Catalan? 1:16:00- Is Sam watching any new TV shows?  1:20:00- Thanks to Sam for joining me! Here are the links to keep up with Sam and his educational material: Chessable courses Books Killer Chess Training  Twitter Sam’s Website  If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the heels of a thrilling rapid playoff, I am joined by GM Erwin L’ami to discuss the crowning of GM Ding Liren as the FIDE 17th World Chess Champion. Erwin is a return guest, and a popular Chessable author, who has worked on the team of former FIDE World Champion GM Veselin Topalov, and of GM Anish Giri. In our interview, Erwin shares his impressions of the dramatic playoff, the opening choices, and the psychological ups and downs that both players endured over the course of a long and closely contested match. We also take an early look ahead at the next World Championship cycle and discuss Erwin’s plans for a busy 2023. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.  GM Erwin L’Ami’s Prior Appearances:  Episode 186 Episode 257 0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 0:04:30- GM Erwin L’Ami joins the pod. We begin by discussing the clinching game in the rapid tiebreak.  Mentioned: Kasparov-Topalov 1999 16:00- What did Erwin think of Ding’s opening choices? 23:00- What about Nepo’s propensity to move too quickly at times?  30:00- Were they playing at a higher level in the rapid than the classical?  32:00- Patreon mailbag question: As a high level trainer, what would Erwin do to try to help coach his player to avoid some of the psychological pitfalls on display in the Ding-Nepo match? 38:00- Should they change the format of the press conferences?  40:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Erwin think that Ding caused Nepo’s difficulties in game 12 or was it the pressure of the moment? 47:00- What does Erwin think of the format of the match, and of the existence of the Rapid playoff in particular? 54:00- Early discussion of the next Candidates/World Championship cycle. Will Magnus return? 1:03:00- What are Erwin’s plans for the rest of 2023? Mentioned: Norway Chess 2023, TePE Seigman 2023 in Malmo, Sweden If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices