The Chess Underground

In the October installment of Chess Underground, Pete and Gopal ask themselves the question: “What are the things you learned about chess after becoming a master?” Also, is Kramnik better than Stockfish? Link to video mentioned in the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fN_8Ehinrg

The September edition of Chess Underground asks the question, "What will chess be like in 2050?" Pete and Gopal put on their wizard hats and offer prognostications galore.

In the 50th episode of Chess Underground, Pete and Gopal examine “underrated and underappreciated players from chess history.” Bonus study with all of the games discussed in the episode: https://lichess.org/study/UTbdCwBG

Strange chess scandals, toilets with threatening auras, the conclusion of beadgate and a brief tip of the hat to Danny DeVito. 

Ding Stans, large wildlife, poker binges and general ennui: Pete and Gopal finally tackle the 2023 World Chess Championship. With a special appearance from Sparks the kitten.

The March Chess Underground flips the TikTok attention span on its head, examining Pete and Gopal's list of favorite chess books. The two drop their “top 3” and offer insights on what makes a good chess volume.   You can also check out a longer version of Gopal's recommendations here.  

Pete and Gopal explore a new horizon in chess media: Chess Sketch Comedy. Open source… kinda.

The January 2023 “New Year New You” episode explores undervalued and underrated aspects of chess improvement. What are some areas that chess students overlook? Underrate? Ignore? Hosts Pete Karagianis and Gopal Menon explore not only what it takes, but what you might not realize you should focus on, to get better at the royal game.

Find out what Pete and Gopal give “Chess Thanks” for on this edition of the Chess Underground. From the mundane and obvious to the deep and pseudo-profound… can you guess the reasons before they do?

The October CU completes it's quest to seamlessly fuse with the Chessfeels Podcast, as host Pete Karagianis and Gopal Menon sit down with Julia Rios. As wholesome as a Stouffer's ™ Lasagna, the three discuss chess, wild horses, emo phases, and a hypothetical 24-game chess match between The Dude and Ricky Bobby.

The September edition of the Chess Underground assesses the idea of “Do No Harm,” stemming from an earlier discussion on the podcast. Host Pete Karagianis submits an oath to the Greek Gods of old. Gopal suggests that sometimes, the most important thing is to actively NOT try to improve one's position. Plus, a bonus hypothetical matchup between Princess Elsa and the one and only GM Judit Polgar. Games and articles mentioned on this episode: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1328830 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1324924 https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-art-of-doing-nothing https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-art-of-doing-nothing-part-two https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-art-of-doing-nothing-part-three https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-art-of-doing-nothing-part-four

Chess Underground, with host Pete Karagianis and Gopal Menon, returns in August to discuss some spicy interviews as hot as the Miami heat, chess internet (degeneracy?), mouse slips and slams, pre-moves, FICS and much more. Also, who would win a hypothetical 24-game match between John Wick and the Terminator? "This Month in Chess" also recaps the 2022 Olympiad, including some impressive performances. Enjoy! Gopal Menon, based out of Chicago, Illinois, is a national master with a peak standard rating of 2394 and blitz rating of 2558. He has more than ten years of coaching experience and is the three-time coach of Illinois high school state champions Whitney Young. He has worked as the second for multiple grandmasters, and has worked for Nikola Mitkov since late 2014. Follow Gopal on Twitter and read his LiChess blog. -- "Chess Underground" is a monthly US Chess podcast hosted by US Chess Assistant Director of Events NM Pete Karagianis that explores eccentricities, peculiarities, and theoretical novelties.    Listen to the whole family of US Chess podcasts at https://new.uschess.org/podcasts

Chess Underground returns! Pete and Gopal try to answer the question, "What makes your best results?" How do we perform at our best over the board? Can any connections be drawn from anecdotal cases? Also, the two debate a hypothetical chess match between Michael Scott and Andre the Giant. Who will be the king of the ring?

Season 4 of Chess Underground continues with Gopal Menon and host Pete Karagianis. The topics this month include: Shrek vs. Beth Harmon in a 24-game match; a philosophical discussion of chess Twitter; psychology, mind games, and stare-downs; and the return of "This Month in Chess." Gopal Menon, based out of Chicago, Illinois, is a national master with a peak standard rating of 2394 and blitz rating of 2558. He has more than ten years of coaching experience and is the three-time coach of Illinois high school state champions Whitney Young. He has worked as the second for multiple grandmasters, and has worked for Nikola Mitkov since late 2014. Follow Gopal on Twitter and read his LiChess blog. -- "Chess Underground" is a monthly US Chess podcast hosted by US Chess Assistant Director of Events NM Pete Karagianis that explores eccentricities, peculiarities, and theoretical novelties.  Listen to the whole family of US Chess podcasts at https://new.uschess.org/podcasts

Season 4 of Chess Underground continues with Gopal Menon and host Pete Karagianis, who go deep into some of their favorite -- and least favorite -- chess variants. Have you ever heard of "Secret Queen"? What happens when 36 pawns meet a chess set? How fast do you have to be to win a game of "Racing Kings"? What's the best method to detonate a radius of squares?  Which of the many chess variants get the official seal of approval and which ones will be poo-pooed into the annals of obscurity? Check out the May episode of Chess Underground to find out! Gopal Menon, based out of Chicago, Illinois, is a national master with a peak standard rating of 2394 and blitz rating of 2558. He has more than ten years of coaching experience and is the three-time coach of Illinois high school state champions Whitney Young. He has worked as the second for multiple grandmasters, and has worked for Nikola Mitkov since late 2014. Follow Gopal on Twitter and read his LiChess blog. -- "Chess Underground" is a monthly US Chess podcast hosted by US Chess Assistant Director of Events NM Pete Karagianis that explores eccentricities, peculiarities, and theoretical novelties.  Listen to the whole family of US Chess podcasts at https://new.uschess.org/podcasts

Season 4 of Chess Underground is here! Host Pete Karagianis and Gopal Menon approach the question: "What is chess most like?" The answer(s) may surprise you! Also Pete and Gopal catch up on "This Month in Chess" with a rundown of hot chess news topics from April 2022. Gopal Menon, based out of Chicago, Illinois, is a national master with a peak standard rating of 2394 and blitz rating of 2558. He has more than ten years of coaching experience and is the three-time coach of Illinois high school state champions Whitney Young. He has worked as the second for multiple grandmasters, and has worked for Nikola Mitkov since late 2014. Follow Gopal on Twitter and read his LiChess blog. -- "Chess Underground" is a monthly US Chess podcast hosted by US Chess Assistant Director of Events NM Pete Karagianis that explores eccentricities, peculiarities, and theoretical novelties.  Listen to the whole family of US Chess podcasts at https://new.uschess.org/podcasts

This month, Pete Karagianis sits down with IM Kassa Korley for the Chess Underground. Born and raised in New York City, Kassa learned to play chess at the age of five and has been passionate about the game since. Having never had a coach or formal instruction, he has always learned by playing, losing, and making adjustments. At 15, Kassa became the youngest African-American National Master in history, a mark that has since been broken. In 2010, Kassa became a FIDE Master and, in 2014, he became an International Master. The same year, he switched federations and became a member of the Danish federation, where he also holds family ties as a dual-citizen. After graduating from Duke University in 2015, Kassa worked at Codecademy, a tech startup that teaches millions of people how to code. In 2019, Kassa left this full-time position to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a Grandmaster. Follow IM Kassa Korley on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch. -- "Chess Underground" is a monthly US Chess podcast hosted by US Chess Assistant Director of Events NM Pete Karagianis that explores eccentricities, peculiarities, and theoretical novelties.    Listen to the whole family of US Chess podcasts at https://new.uschess.org/podcasts

This month Chess Underground sits down with IM Kostya Kavutskiy of ChessDojo, taking a deep dive into chess coaching, improvement, streaming, and much more! Kostya shares his plans for the future of ChessDojo, discusses the recently concluded Chess Sensei series, and gets deep into chess pedagogy and content production. Enjoy!

To start off the New Year, Chess Underground gets in touch with its emotions.   This month we speak to "Chessfeels" himself, AKA JJ Lang, who joins host Pete Karagianis for a fireside chat about all things feels, chess, philosophy, Nebraska, and... well a lot of other stuff, too!

The December Chess Underground pays tribute to Chicago chess legend FM Albert Chow, who passed away in October. Hear memories and stories of Albert from those who knew him best.   Please also check out the beautifully written memorial from Daaim Shabazz here:  https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2021/10/31/chicago-chess-legend-fm-albert-chow-dies/

Smorks, disco porks, mocktails, London Love (hate?), and the Kingside and Queenside separated by only nine thousand miles or so. The definitive* IM Eric Rosen Interview - this month on the Chess Underground.   *Host cannot guarantee if it is fully definitive or not.   Catch up with Eric here: https://imrosen.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RosenChess https://www.twitch.tv/imrosen https://twitter.com/IM_Rosen

The October Chess Underground checks in with Epiphany Peters, who streams under the name "marichess." Epiphany offers her insights on the journey to achieving the NM title as well as what it takes to be a strong bullet player, while also sharing stories from her stream, life, music, and much more! Listen to the show and catch up with Epiphany via the Twitch or Youtube links below... which include a chess-themed musical composition!   Twitch: twitch.tv/marichess YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/epiphanypeters Giuoco Piano (chess-themed composition): Giuoco (piano)

What do DAOs, Bansky, bachelorette parties, derivative art, classic Kung Fu movies and a post-apocalyptic landscape have in common? They're all discussed on this month's Chess Underground with Aakaash Meduri. Listen now!   Follow Aaakaash: - Twitch: https://twitch.tv/aakaash - Twitter: https://twitter.com/AakaashMeduri   See what we talked about: - ggplot: https://jkunst.com/blog/posts/2015-10-30-visualizing-chess-data-with-ggplot/ - Art Blocks: https://beta.artblocks.io/  

The August edition of the Chess Underground sits down with national master, vegan, blitz GM, long doggo lover and lowkey memelord Gopal Menon. Gopal goes deep on current chess literature, chess and academia, opening traps, content creation inspiration, and much more.   Catch up with Gopal via the following socials: https://www.youtube.com/user/gmenon https://twitter.com/GopalMenon11 http://twitch.tv/professordaddi   Links to full games mentioned in the show: Zhu v. Ehlvest Liang v. Kumar Ehlvest v. Ivanchuk ​

The July episode of The Chess Underground checks in with WFM Devina Devagharan. Devina shares her thoughts about bunnies (and bunny appearances), party tournaments, charity streams and much more. Listen to the show and follow Devina!   Twitter: @DDevinaDev  Twitch: twitch.tv/twitchlezgo Website: http://www.devinadev.com

The June edition of "Chess Underground" continues our season 3 theme, “Streamers”, with a sit-down with James Canty III. James discusses his aspirations, hypothetical chess-boxing matchups, inspiration, and much more! Listen to the show and check out all of James' content below. YT: https://www.youtube.com/jamescantyiii Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gmcanty Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmcanty

Season 3 of the Chess Underground – themed “Streamers” – starts off with none other than Gothamchess himself, IM Levy Rozman.   Follow all of Levy’s work via Twitch or YouTube.  

In this month's edition of the Chess Underground, host Pete Karagianis reviews the Candidates finish, recaps season 3 “Tournament Life” and introduces a very exciting season 4 of the podcast.

Chess Underground wraps up its second season - "Tournament Life" - with a visit with super-TD Judit Sztaray. No topic is off limits, and Judit weighs in across the board on chess organizing, fair play, a return to OTB chess, and Peter Leko's recent comedy streak. 

The February Chess Underground examines the intrigue and excitement surrounding the upcoming resumption of the 2020 Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Host Pete Karagianis takes an in-depth look at some of the matchups that may impact who ultimately goes on to challenge World Champion Magnus Carlsen. We also consider the major storylines and possibilities, including how such an unprecedent set of circumstances may affect the second half of the tournament.

The February Chess Underground takes a trip through time with Internet Chess Club co-founder Marty Grund. Marty shares from his wealth of stories through the years, uncovering some gems that are now chronicled in chess history through the Underground. Enjoy!

In the December 2020 Chess Underground, host Pete Karagianis looks back on the year that wasn’t, his own best laid plans, and the difference between Chess and Go. A show like the year 2020: from the archives and for the vaults – the kind they keep locked.

The November installment of Chess Underground's second season, Tournament Life, checks in with Isaac Steincamp, director of strategy at chess.com. As the pandemic has forced tournament life primarily into an online environment, Isaac shares his insights about what that means for tournaments moving forward, online providers like chess.com, and the chess community in general. Also, a deep dive into the current US Championship Online Qualifier as well as the **HIGHLY UNOFFICIAL** rankings of the top-3 pop culture moments for chess in the last quarter century.

The October Chess Underground checks in with States Cup creator and lead organizer Saumik Narayanan. Saumik gives the inside scoop on the States Cup as it enters into the playoffs for its inaugural season. We also discuss his other endeavors, including bowling and chess, grant-writing, and a visit from a certain kind of raptor to a scholastic chess tournament.

The September 2020 installment of Chess Underground continues its exploration of the theme "Tournament Life" with NM Tim McEntee. What's on tap? FIDE basement spaghetti dinner draws, highly rated soccer teams, match play and much more!

The August installment of Chess Underground checks in with ANTD Jim Hodina, Manager of Environmental Public Health for Linn County Iowa. Jim weighs in on lessons from the past, traveling chess teams, Ice Harbor, snowstorms and life with a couple cronies. Don't miss it!

The July episode of the Chess Underground checks back in with Iowa Chess Association Eric Vigil who recently conducted the Iowa Championship... in person? Tornadoes, travel, masks, a lot of bleach and science experiments on chickens. Just the facts!

Dance parties, the Thai Underground, and riding a bull: the untold story. Recently minted US Chess Tournament Director of the Year Glenn Panner joins host Pete Karagianis to investigate the secret lives of TDs.

Chess Underground Season 2 Episode 2 catches up with Maret Thorpe, NTD and FIDE arbiter, about customer service, career changes, and riding a mechanical bull. Also maybe some chess.  

Season 2 of the Chess Underground, Tournament Life, investigates the many nuances of the chess tournament subculture. What better way to kick off than with US Chess National TD and FIDE International Arbiter Bill Broich, who takes us from a hotel room in Reno to the open fields of Oklahoma.  

The Chess Underground is literally underground, in every sense of the word, live (on tape) from the quarantined, sheltered-in-place state of Illinois, where we check in from afar on the only show in town... in the world... the 2020 FIDE Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia.   We look back on the February predictions and measure the field at the (almost) halfway point. Featuring special guest Daniel Garrett, chess fan and author of the Dumb Knight YouTube Channel.

The inaugural season of Chess Underground, Americana comes to a close. The examination of chess in the US began with flash mobs and beer and concluded with a trip back to civil rights era America, with plenty of fascinating stops in between. Join us this month for a brief intermezzo of sorts -  a first look at the 2020 Candidates Tournament, to be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Host Pete Karagianis takes an in depth look at the matchups that may ultimately determine the next World Champion. A special thank you to all our season one guests! Stay tuned for updates on season two release.  

Ladies and gentlemen, the life of Garrett Scott.

This month’s Chess Underground features Colorado’s LM and NM Brian Wall, a true legend of American chess. Wall is well known for his adventurous opening repertoire and his prolific, “not for the faint of heart” email list.  

The November Chess Underground catches up with FIDE Master, electronic musician dabbler and treasure hunter Carl Boor. Carl discusses the merits of Bronstein vs. Fischer, defeating a GM over the board vs. finding eBay treasure, and the value of a wasp’s nest, all while unveiling his fiendish plan to “Make Chess Great Again.”  

Dr. Henry Getz discusses his pet line in the Budapest, discovered after lining his living room with Ebay-purchased computer towers. The Underground goes in depth on brute force AI, the future of chess and technology, and finding the inspiration to return to chess as an adult player. For the first time, The Underground is presented with interactive games that introduce some of the “chess” ideas presented within the show.

The September Chess Underground welcomes the first titled chess player to the show: NM William “Will the Thrill” Aramil. Will, a staple in the Chicago chess scene and an accomplished coach, is also the co-founder of Dynamic Chess. Described by some as a jack-of-all-trades, Will considers himself a “master of games.” Tune in while we discuss facing off against a former World Champion in 9-ball, gut feelings about the Toronto Raptors, and #ChessCoachTrauma. Please note: unfortunately, Daniel X Jones, the guest listed for the September episode in Chess Life was rescheduled due to a conflict. We hope to have Daniel on the Underground soon!  

Cornhole professional and chess instructor/tournament director Stacia Pugh joins the Chess Underground in August to discuss the similarities between the two sports. We will attempt to answer the question: What does GM-level cornhole preparation look like? Wine, travel, blockers, shuckers, and dirty roll-ups… yup. It’s beanbag time.

Rook polynomials, mathematicians in burning hotel rooms, chess problem formulas, and the age old question: are chess and math related? If so, how? Chess Underground attempts to answer that and more in the July installment, featuring Dr. Jason Juett, professor of Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin. Oh yeah… and a bit about a blindfold match with Topalov, too!  

Episode 3 of the Chess Underground features chess set collector extraordinaire Ronald Suarez. For some, equipment is an afterthought. For others, a formality. For Ron, it’s a lifelong passion. Chess Underground explores the trade secrets of one of the most notorious chess equipment collectors around, while also receiving a history lesson on the origins of some of the most famous and popular sets in circulation today. “Woodpushing” redefined: meet Ron Suarez.  

Welcome to US Chess’ latest podcast, Chess Underground,  the show that explores eccentricities, peculiarities, and theoretical novelties. Chess underground drops on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Episode two features one of the few living “Chess Historians,” Quora mega-guru and human anecdote supercomputer Micah Tuhy. What was the worst game of chess ever played? Is chess art, sport, battle, or something else entirely? Would you accept payment from Mikhail Tal – why, and how much? Grecian Phalanxes, poetry, the spires of the Kremlin, Botvinnik, Fischer, the dimensions of baseball, the origin of words, opera, yellow belts, and the existential experience of a single match. Take a deep breath and dive in. Chess Underground is hosted by NM Pete Karagianis, the US Chess Assistant Director of Events.