GM Peter Svidler (and goodbye, for now...)

This week on 64: A Chess Podcast, I was joined by GM Ruslan Ponomariov. GM Ponomariov was the youngest GM in history when he obtained the title, won the 2002 FIDE World Championship at 18 years old, and has played & won many elite tournaments, including the Tal Memorial 2006, San Sebastian 2009, and the Ukrainian Championship in 2011 and 2013. He recently played in the FIDE Grand Swiss and is still playing tournaments and coaching the next generation of chess talent.It was wonderful getting Ruslan's opinion on recent chess news, discovering some of the behind-the-scenes drama behind a planned Kasparov-Ponomariov match that would have reunified the split World Championship titles in the early 2000s, and talking about what's next for his chess career. Thanks Ruslan for coming on the show -- I hope to have you back soon!I've uploaded the video of our conversation to 64: A Chess Channel, so check out the video, and please subscribe if you enjoyed this episode! You can also follow me on Twitter and Twitch :-) thanks again for listening to this week's episode of 64!If you like what you've heard this week and want to support my podcast financially, you can subscribe to my Patreon for as little as $1 a month!Thanks as always to Aimchess for sponsoring the podcast -- use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess!

13 Jan 20221h 37min

Happy 2022, everyone! I'm joined this week by Benjamin Portheault (@BenjiPortheault), a performance coach for mental athletes who has worked with chess players across a wide range of ratings -- from tournament players to someone (anonymous) who was trying to qualify for the Candidates. This was a lovely discussion that covered a bunch of topics, from the 2021 World Championship to sleep deprivation (!!!!). I'm grateful to Benji for coming on the show and hope to have him again! I've opened a YouTube channel called 64: A Chess Channel -- click the link and subscribe! I have some amazing content coming out there this year, and will start putting my podcasts on there later this month. You can also follow me on Twitter and Twitch :-) thanks again for listening to this week's episode of 64!If you like what you've heard this week and want to support my podcast financially, you can subscribe to my Patreon for as little as $1 a month!Thanks as always to Aimchess for sponsoring the podcast -- use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess!---ChessBase article about Isabelle ChokoLadies' Knight episode with Isabelle Choko (shoutout to WGM Jennifer Shahade!)Ivanchuk-Jobava 1-0 (2010)Morozevich-MVL 0-1 (2009)

8 Jan 20221h 3min

On 64: A Chess Podcast's final episode of 2021, I spoke to NM Sophie Morris Suzuki, who took 5th place at the U.S. Junior Women's Championship earlier in 2021 while on a gap break from college. We had actually recorded an episode together back in July, but for some reason Zoom did not record my audio while we taped the episode and as a result I could not actually release the episode. I'd been waiting to tape an episode with Sophie for months and I'm glad we could end 2021 on a high note, reflecting on chess this year and talking about the future!If you like what you've heard this week and want to support my podcast financially, you can subscribe to my Patreon for as little as $1 a month!In brief, we talked about...Life (i.e. school, COVID, etc.) getting in the way of playing chessSophie's experiences playing in the 2021 U.S. Junior Women's Championship + 2022 chess goalsSophie and I also talk about being (former) gamers, and why chess is superior to any video gameI reveal some of my plans for the podcast + content creation in 2022One final Instant Insights for 2021Thanks as always to Aimchess for sponsoring the podcast -- use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess!Follow me on Twitter and Twitch!Thanks again to NM Sophie Morris-Suzuki for coming on the show!

31 Des 202145min

IM Greg Shahade is the commissioner of the PRO Chess League. Along with his sister Jennifer (who was on my podcast a few months ago!), Greg was a talented junior player in his youth who has worked on growing chess in the United States for his entire career, both as an educator and as an organizer of chess events. Among many other achievements, he has one GM norm, and was awarded the Samford Fellowship in 1999. He also founded the New York Masters and the U.S. Chess League (the predecessor to the PRO Chess League). This week on 64; A Chess Podcast, IM Shahade joined me for a laid-back discussion on Game 9 of the World Chess Championship, the growth of chess online and in the United States, and how chess can take advantage of this watershed moment it's having re: interest and place in culture. I'm grateful that Greg could join this podcast on such short notice, and I hope we do it again! I had a lot of fun recording this one, and am looking forward to the rest of this World Chess Championship.If you like what you've heard this week and want to support my podcast financially, you can subscribe to my Patreon for as little as $1 a month!We talked about...Game Nine -- Nepo's colossal blunder, chess psychology, and the cursed press conferences throughout the World ChampionshipWe dive into the more recent history of U.S. chess. I reveal a new project that I've started working on, and Greg shares some thoughts and stories of Garry KasparovI ask a bunch of questions about PRO Chess League: most importantly, do I have a shot at making it on a team? We also talk about creating better, more welcoming environments at OTB tournaments and chess clubs Greg talks about looking forward to the possible Firouzja-Carlsen matchup, the general difficulty of playing in a tournament like the Candidates, and preview the FIDE Grand PrixAs always, another edition of Aimchess Instant InsightsThanks as always to Aimchess for sponsoring the podcast -- use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess!Follow me on Twitter and Twitch!Thanks again to IM Greg Shahade for coming on the podcast -- follow him on Twitter here!

8 Des 20211h 24min

Tai Pruce-Zimmerman (@chessnumbers), also known as "Chess by the Numbers", has been running a chess blog for many years. Fueled by statistical analysis and intense attention to trends in the chess world, he has reported about everything from the rise of chess prodigies to probabilities of tournament results. His work has also fueled a lot of the discussion that I've had about certain storylines in top-flight chess. With the World Chess Championship just days away and with a certain teenager capturing headlines Internationally for his dramatic climb to the top of the chess world, I thought it would be a great time to bring Chess by the Numbers on my show to talk Alireza, Magnus, and statistics. We got into a lot of interesting side discussions about rating inflation and many different sports. This episode really got me excited for the future of chess, and I hope it gets you pumped too! If you like what you've heard this week and want to support my podcast financially, you can subscribe to my Patreon for as little as $1 a month! We talked about...Move over, Magnus! The Alireza effect is in full swing. We do a deep dive into Alireza Firouzja's phenomenal 2021, pondering Alireza as prodigy, as elite player, and as possible heir to the throne. Tai talks about following Firouzja's journey since February 2015 (on his "Prodigy Watch" feature of his chess blog) and how beating Magnus Carlsen's record of youngest 2800 feels like "full circle" A beginner's guide to rating inflation, the 2800 club, and on Magnus Carlsen's "plateau" at 2850 eloA little World Chess Championship talk -- for more, see Tai's episode with the Perpetual Chess Podcast, released recently Could Firouzja be the first player to take the #2 spot from Magnus in the classical ratings list? And where did this massive step forward come from?The current and future projects from Chess By The Numbers, including the return of Prodigy Watch to his blog. Plus, two "amateur statisticians" talk about the tools Tai uses for his workClassical vs. rapid chess, from a spectator point of view. Plus, my suggestions to make classical chess more fun to watchAs always, another edition of Aimchess Instant InsightsThanks as always to Aimchess for sponsoring the podcast -- use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess!Follow me on Twitter and Twitch! Thanks again to Tai Pruce-Zimmerman for coming on the podcast -- hope to have you back!

24 Nov 20211h 29min

NM Jeremy Kane is the Curriculum Director for Chess.com. He won the Wisconsin State Championship in 2007 and has worked as a chess teacher/coach/mentor for many years. He last made an appearance on the podcast in July, where he teased a book called "The Next to Last Mistake" which he had been writing for several years. Next month, the book will be released! I invited Jeremy back on the show for a deep dive into the thoughts that went into writing the book. We also talked a bit about the atmosphere and storylines around the World Chess Championship, which is starting next Friday!Having received an advance copy of "The Next to Last Mistake", I can say that it is a fantastic and necessary addition to chess literature. It focuses on skills like resilience and creating complications from a practical and educational standpoint, which are topics that are oft neglected despite being able to impact one's improvement in chess. It's also a book that I think will be very helpful for my own chess improvement. I give the book two thumbs up -- you can pre-order/purchase the book on Amazon now. Thank you for listening to this week's episode of 64!Check out the Magnus-Nepo Prediction Challenge at www.magnusnepo.com!We talked about..."The Next to Last Mistake" -- who is the book written for? What gaps in the chess literature does he hope to fill with it? How does How to get the most out of the book -- analyzing with a real board vs. computer, and changing one's chess mindset towards finding resilient and creative ideas over the "best" move in tricky or worse positionsHow Jeremy's extensive experience/career as a chess coach informed the way he wrote "The Next to Last Mistake" The case for chess books over online chess coursesMagnus-Nepo: how does Jeremy think Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana signing contracts with Chess.com impact the company in the short and long-term?Secret chess accounts of the world's elite on rival websitesWhat is the main storyline/angle for this World Championship for people who might be interested in chess but have never watched? What might be the consequences of a Nepo WCC win in December? Plus, showing some love to London 2013 and Yekaterinburg 2020/21 (iconic!)As always, another edition of Aimchess Instant InsightsThanks as always to Aimchess for sponsoring the podcast -- use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess!Thanks again to NM Jeremy Kane for hopping on the podcast again! Third time's the charm, perhaps? :-) Follow him on Twitter!Follow me on Twitter and Twitch! Thank you so much as always for listening.

17 Nov 20211h 6min

lularobs is a chess streamer from Jersey, UK. She started playing chess almost a year ago, when "The Queen's Gambit" was capturing the attention and imagination of audiences all over the world. She started streaming shortly after -- since then, she's gained 3,500 followers on Twitch, and recently became a partner streamer with Chess.com. A few days ago, she won the second edition of the Dragon Masters tournament on Chess.com -- her first ever tournament!Her chess skills have progressed rapidly as well; she's gone from a total beginner to nearly 1500 elo in just under a year, and Lula recently hired a chess coach for more focused improvement. She might also the world's biggest fan of 1.b4, the Polish Opening. Having watched her streams over the past few weeks, I can say that she has a very bright future both as a chess player and as a streamer. It was a delight to have Lula on the show, and I am so glad that we did this podcast episode.We talked about...What effect did "The Queen's Gambit" have on Lula's decision to start playing chess? How did her perception of "chess players" change over time, and how were her first days of streaming?The Dragon Masters online tournament -- how she prepared for her first ever chess tournament, and how she felt after winning the whole eventTwitch discussion -- dealing with backseating, tilting in front of viewers, and Lula's strategies for growing her stream over the last yearWhat makes Chess so watchable compared to other games?Impostor syndrome across the rating ladder, plus a mention of Garry Kasparov's connection to HearthstoneLula discusses her upcoming OTB tournament in a few weeks -- her first ever! -- and her plans for chess improvement and stream growth over the next few monthsAs always, another edition of Aimchess Instant InsightsThanks 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 lularobs (twitch.tv/lularobs) for coming on the podcast -- hope to have you back again! Follow her on Twitter here!Follow me on Twitter and Twitch! Thank you so much as always for listening.

10 Nov 20211h 12min

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 chessThe 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 InsightsThanks 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.Follow me on Twitter!Follow me on Twitch (pleaaaaaase!)FM Michiel Abeln's Leningrad Dutch course can be purchased here, and his book "The Anand Files" can be bought here

2 Nov 20211h 30min