Podcast appearances and mentions of john hartmann

Ascend Wellness Holdings (AAWH) had a successful quarter with substantial blended growth in both retail and wholesale. They have been strategically entering late-stage medical and early-stage adult-use markets, with a focus on maximizing cultivation and production output. The company is on a clear path to profitability by executing their strategy of densifying current markets, building the wholesale business, and identifying new markets for investment. They are particularly excited about the potential growth in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Ascend is also focused on product innovation and brand development, with a strong emphasis on providing great products at a fair price and ensuring the safety of their employees. Takeaways: -Ascend Wellness Holdings had a successful quarter with substantial blended growth in both retail and wholesale. -Their strategy includes entering late-stage medical and early-stage adult-use markets, maximizing cultivation and production output, and identifying new markets for investment. -They are particularly excited about the potential growth in Ohio and Pennsylvania. -Ascend is focused on product innovation and brand development, providing great products at a fair price, and ensuring the safety of their employees. -They have implemented a unique tax strategy to address the 280E issue and are patiently waiting for the response from tax authorities. __________________________________________________________________ Featured Guest(s): John Hartmann, CEO - Ascend Wellness Holdings $AAWH https://www.awholdings.com/ Meet The Host(s): Javier Hasse https://www.twitter.com/JavierHasse Elliot Lane https://www.twitter.com/ElliotLane10 __________________________________________________________________ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:24 Successful Quarter and Exciting Headlines 08:12 Path to Profitability 11:02 Growth Potential in Ohio and Kentucky 14:15 Unique Tax Strategy

In this episode, John Hartmann, CEO of Ascend Wellness, discusses the company's impressive revenue growth and strategies driving it. He highlights the success of their wholesale business in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Hartman also talks about Ascend's approach to innovating retail experiences and meeting evolving consumer expectations. He shares insights into their acquisitions and expansion opportunities, as well as how they navigate the complex regulatory landscape. The conversation also touches on Ascend's path to profitability and the importance of balancing rapid growth with maintaining product quality and consumer satisfaction. Hartman concludes by discussing upcoming technologies and innovations in the cannabis industry and the future challenges and opportunities for Ascend. _______________________________________________________________________ Featured Guest(s): John Hartmann, CEO & Director - Ascend Wellness Holdings https://www.awholdings.com/ Meet The Host(s): Patricio Liddle, Cannabis Writer - Benzinga https://www.benzinga.com/author/patricio-liddle-0 Abbey Higginbotham, Cannabis Writer - Benzinga https://www.benzinga.com/author/abbey-higginbotham __________________________________________________________________ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:59 Impressive Revenue Growth 05:15 Innovating Retail Experiences 08:31 Acquisitions and Expansion Opportunities 12:52 Navigating Regulatory Challenges 21:18 Balancing Growth and Consumer Satisfaction 25:09 Upcoming Technologies and Innovations 26:39 Future Challenges and Opportunities 27:07 Conclusion

We are deep in Q4 2023 earnings season and this week's show starts with Jesse, Morgan, and Toby sharing their biggest takeaways from the results so far. Jesse covers how margins are evolving, Morgan complements that with cash-flow conversion metrics, and Toby gives his perspective on the various 280E tax strategies we are seeing utilized. Ascend CEO John Hartmann joins 20 minutes into the episode to give his perspective on the company's Q4 2023 results. Revenue and AEBITDA grew at Ascend in 2023 and it was their first full year of operating and free cash flow generation. John discussed the drivers of the results, and expansion opportunities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and touched on their approach to 280E taxes. He also explains why they are comfortable running lower margins than the tier-one averages and what impact the outlet stores have on margins. This week's show concludes with Morgan asking Grok how to cheer up a a cannabis investor. 

This week's episode kicks off with Jesse providing a review of his trip to Las Vegas for the MJBiz Conference. Sentiment remains optimistic and Jesse touches on the meetings he had, parties he attended, and friends he ran into along the way. Ohio issued new adult-use regulations that should provide a faster opening for adult-use sales, but a higher excise tax and THC caps on flower and concentrates. Morgan and Toby share their thoughts on the new regulations and how Ohio should learn from prior states that have gotten too greedy with taxes. At the halfway mark, John Hartmann, CEO of Ascend joins the show to discuss their recent strong results and what's been driving the improved outcomes. John talks about what he wanted to change when he joined the firm, the importance of Ohio, and the success of their new Royale and Tunnell Vision products. Ascend has a unique outlet store model and John explains how these fit into the broader retail strategy and the types of products these stores offer. The conversation concludes with a discussion about Schedule III and how it may change companies' capital allocation processes. 

A discussion with activists Edward Burns and John Hartmann on Dr. Kate Raworth's book titled Doughnut Economics which looks at efforts and ideas geared toward transforming how our local, national, and international economies can work.

On this week's Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, welcomes to the studio a citizens' panel for a conversation about the concept of Doughnut Economics! In 2017, renegade economist, Kate Raworth, authored the influential book “Doughnut Economics: 7 Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist.” Imagine an economy that actually worked for everyone and did not lead to planetary collapse. Imagine an economy in which GDP growth is not the primary objective. What if economists used more meaningful metrics to gauge the success of an economy. What if we placed thriving rather than growth at the heart of our economy. To discuss these issues and dive deep into the concept of Doughnut Economics, this week we sit down with John Hartmann, Edward Burns, Terrell Holder (from Forward Radio's proud community partner, the Greater Louisville Sierra Club), and Forward Radio's newest host, UofL Economist, Tom Lambert (host of Economic Impact - learn more at https://www.forwardradio.org/economicimpact). Learn more about the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) at http://doughnuteconomics.org Get connected with Kate Raworth and her broader body of work as a renegade economist at http://kateraworth.com As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com

Join Cy and Emily in an insightful conversation with John Hartmann, the new CEO of Ascend Wellness, as they delve into the dynamic world of leadership, strategy, and growth in the cannabis industry.The discussion takes a deep dive into Ascend Wellness's strategic operations. John shares unique insights gained from spending extensive time at each of the company's dispensaries and cultivation facilities. The CEO sheds light on the impact of limited licenses in generating high revenue per store and discusses the strategic approach for states that are further from legalizing adult use. The conversation also touches upon Ascend's immediate near-term objectives for improvements across the company, with a focus on data-driven strategies and planning for market transitions from medical to adult use. https://www.awholdings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/john-hartmann-821210/

This week on Perpetual Chess, we are rejoined by 2019 Swiss National Champion, blogger and trainer, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always extremely insightful on matters related to chess improvement, and has recently released a video course sharing his own recommended approach. The course, Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos, tackles many of the questions commonly contemplated on the pod, such as which aspects of the game to prioritize, how to analyze games and how to approach opening study. Noel even has a section on how one should learn any discipline, and relates his experiences as a tennis and poker improver. Lastly, Noel shares some thoughts and his own experiences on cheating in tournament chess and discusses his continuing recovery from a brain injury. You can find timestamps for topics discussed below.  Episode 248 with GM Noel Studer  02:00- Patreon mailbag question: I am working hard on my chess, but I am not improving. Should I give up on the possibility of improvement?  13:00- We discuss Noel's chess course. What audience did Noel have in mind? How did he go about making the course?   19:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 20:00-  We discuss  a few of the chess improvement recommendations from Noel's course that resonated with me, and the reasons that they struck a chord with me.  28:00- What was the primary contributor to Noel's chess growth when he was an up and coming player?  Mentioned: GM Artur Yusopov, Lee Child “Jack Reacher” Novels, The Tim Ferris Podcast  33:00- Why does Noel think it's important to write down one's thoughts when reviewing OTB games?  37:00- What did Noel learn from doing calculation-training with GM R.B. Ramesh and GM Sam Shankland?  44:00- How would Noel respond to someone who says that his course, at $297,  is too expensive? 48:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess' algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 49:00- Has Noel read any good books lately?  Mentioned: Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism 50:00- What has Noel learned about chess learning through trying to improve at tennis and poker?   1:04:00- We discuss top level chess, especially the Magnus/Niemann saga and the issue of cheating in chess.  Mentioned: Episode 310 with John Hartmann, Belgian IM Stephen Docx expelled from tournament, Episode 301 with Dr. Kenneth Regan  1:22:00- What is next for Noel? How is his health?  Thanks to Noel for joining me, you can keep up with him by subscribing to his blog! Blog- https://nextlevelchess.blog/ Course- Next Level Training: Conquer the Chess Information Chaos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 239, I converse with John Hartmann, Chess Life/Chess Life Online Editor.John became editor of Chess Life in February 2019 and has been writing for the magazine as a freelancer since 2013. Before working for US Chess, he brewed coffee for fun and profit, and taught philosophy at two universities as a PHD candidate. We speak about the My Best Move article I wrote for the January 2023 issue of Chess Life,  Nebraska chess history, consistency, book recommendations, world champions, time management, Bill Wall Chess, the philosophy of chess, the Niemann-Carlsen cheating scandal and PR, Queen's Gambit mania, Chess Life contributors and more. 

As 2022 draws to a close, I am (re)joined by Chess Life Magazine editor and Award Winning Journalist John Hartmann to reflect on a year of seismic change in the chess world. First and foremost, cheating in chess has been thrust to the forefront in the wake of the Carlsen/Niemann scandal. We review the latest legal developments in this particular story and also provide some details on a new chess cheating scandal from a tournament in Spain. John and I also discuss the big “chess business” news of 2022. As we discuss, it is hard to predict the ramifications but it is likely to eventually lead to lots of changes in how chess events are presented. Lastly, of course, Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the World Championship Cycle. Will people still tune in to watch Ding face Nepo in 2023? Is Magnus right that Classical Chess' popularity is receding?  After reviewing the news, I catch up with John Hartmann on recommended chess books, the health of US Chess and chess generally, and we even discuss what we learned from our own tournament games in 2022. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below. Happy New Year Everyone!  0:02:00- We provide an update on the Niemann/Carlsen scandal and discuss the biggest story of the year, cheating in chess.  Mentioned: The Sunway Sitges Invitational, FM Andy Woodward, FIDE World Rapid & Blitz  13:45- A new scandal related to cheating is breaking now, as a Belgian IM was banned from a tournament for refusing to be searched with a metal detector. More info here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/stefan-docx-expelled-from-benidorm-open Mentioned: GM Arthur Kogan, GM Romain Eduoard's Tweet  24:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess' algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%. Or use this link for the same discount: https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12 25:00- We provide an update on Big Story #2- The Chess.com Merger with The Play Magnus Group, which is now complete 39:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 42:00- Big story #3, Magnus stepped down from the World Championship cycle. What does this mean for the cycle going forward?  48:00- We provide an update on the Woman's World Championship Cycle. GM Tan Zhongyi will face GM Lei Tingjie for the right to face GM Ju Wenjun for the World Championship.  49:00- Is US Chess seeing continued interest in tournament chess?  Mentioned: GM Awonder Liang, GM Christopher Yoo, JJ Lang, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, Ladan-Abrahamyan 2022, Cover Stories with Chess Life with WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova  59:00- Quick tangent on the upcoming Tata Steel tournament.  1:02:00- Quick update on our own years in tournament chess  Mentioned: My interview with GM Jesse Kraai for ChessDojo, The Streak App (Its actually $5), FM Nate Solon  1:09:00- Has John checked out any new chess books this year?  Mentioned: Reinfeld's Immortal Games of Capablanca, Cambridge Springs 1904, Albert W. Fox, A Chess Life on and Off the Board by John Hilbert, A Life at Play by Lubomir Kavalek, Gufeld-Kavalek 1962, Learning Chess with Vladimir Simagin by GM Mihail Marin, GM Jacob Aagaard's A Matter of Endgame Technique, 1001 Endgame Exercises for Beginners by IM Thomas Willemze, Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championships Volume 3  Thanks to John for rejoining!  His Twitter: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess To Subscribe to Chess Life Magazine you can sign up for a US Chess membership here (even outside of the US): https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess If you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess If you would like you can help support Perpetual Chess here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our bonus Candidates preview is out! Chess Life and Chess Life Online editor John Hartmann chats with GM Jacob Aagaard about the Candidates, Magnus Carlsen possibly not playing in the next World Championship, the new tiebreak regulations, and why Sergey Karjakin may or may not have deserved a red card. Aagaard will be doing daily annotations for our CLO Candidates coverage, exclusively for Chess Life Online. Keep up with all the Candidates news at https://new.uschess.org/news and https://new.uschess.org/category/candidates over the next few weeks!

This month's guest on Cover Stories with Chess Life is... me.  John is the author of our May 2022 cover story on the 2022 Spring Classic. He also wrote about Jamie Foxx's games with Jude Acers in New Orleans, and he also contributed his semi-regular "In the News" column. John Hartmann is the editor of Chess Life and Chess Life Online. He was named the 2020 and 2021 Chess Journalist of the Year by the Chess Journalists of America. Away from the keyboard, John is a husband, a father, a coffee snob, a Yankees fan, a Cardiff City Bluebirds supporter, and an occasional presenter for GM Jacob Aagaard's Killer Chess Training. You can find him on twitter at @hartmannchess. Thanks to IM John Watson for stepping in to interview me!

This month's guest on Cover Stories with Chess Life is... me.

For the holiday season and end of 2021, Donna shares a special message. Plus, Donna and Dr Adam continue their chat with John Hartmann, Donna's agent from her time on Shindig. In his legendary career as an agent, manager, promoter, and record executive, John has worked with Sonny & Cher, Joni Mitchell, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Canned Heat, America, Poco, Crosby, Stills & Nash and many, many others. In a continuation of their chat, John tells Donna and Adam about how a visit to San Francisco gave birth to his L.A. nightclub The Kaleidoscope. He then takes us behind the scenes of the music business and how he set out to broker some of the best deals for his artists, including Poco, America, and Crosby, Stills & Nash, as they set about making classic albums and the soundtracks to our lives.

Zonk! Donna continues exploring new healing modalities and faces old fears when she takes up swimming and ballet. And the holidays are here! And, Donna and Dr Adam have your holiday treat. Over the next few episodes, John Hartmann, Donna's agent from her time on Shindig, will join her and Dr Adam to reminisce about his legendary career as an agent, manager, promoter, and record executive. John has worked with Sonny & Cher, Joni Mitchell, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Canned Heat, America, Poco, Crosby, Stills and Nash and many, many others. In a continuation of their chat, John takes Donna and Adam on to the set of Shindig with Little Richard and The Rolling Stones, backstage with Chad & Jeremy and Sonny & Cher, and tells of how he turned his attention to a new band named Buffalo Springfield.  

The holidays are here! And, Donna and Dr Adam have your holiday treat. Over the next few episodes, John Hartmann, Donna's agent from her time on Shindig, will join her and Dr Adam to reminisce about his legendary career as an agent, manager, promoter, and record executive. John has worked with Sonny and Cher, Joni Mitchell, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Canned Heat, America, Poco, Crosby, Stills and Nash and many, many others. In the first part of their interview, John tells Donna and Dr Adam about how he moved from the William Morris Agency mail room to working with Elvis' manager, the formidable Colonel Parker.

John Hartmann is the Editor of US Chess' Chess Life and Chess Life Online, and the host of the podcast, Cover Stories with Chess Life. He was recently named the 2021 Chess Journalist of the Year by the Chess Journalists of America, the second consecutive year he received this honor. When John last visited the podcast, US Chess was just coming to grips with the financial impact the pandemic would have on the organization. 18 months later, I am happy to report that John is back to give a more upbeat assessment of the state of the US Chess Federation. John is also an expert in chess computers - he built his current chess computer from scratch! John shares some fascinating tidbits about how top players use engines these days. Lastly, although it is not his top priority, John tries to work on his own game when time permits. While he prefers to think of himself as a #chessamateur instead of a #chessimprover, his online blitz rating is at an all-time high, and he always has useful book recommendations for improvers. So as always, there is much to learn from John Hartmann in this interview! Please read on for all of the details, plus timestamps and relevant links.  0:00- We begin by catching up on the financial health of US Chess, which hit some tough times during the pandemic.  Mentioned: Cover Stories with Chess Life with GM Alex Lenderman, Episode 179 with John Hartmann (John was also on episodes 60 and 120), John Rockefeller III Endows US Chess National Tournaments 20:00- Has John read any good chess books lately? Are chess books truly, finally, in decline?  Mentioned: Episode 4 with IM Kostya Kavutskiy, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendriks, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon, JJ Lang, IM Levy Rozman, Agadmator, FM Robert Shlyakhtenko, Dr. Christopher Chabris  42:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “What was the most instructive chess book John has ever read?” Mentioned: Chess Steps Method Workbooks, Episode 241 with FM Peter Giannatos, Everyone's First Chess Workbook by FM Peter Giannatos, Rakhmanov's Secrets of Opening Preparation  53:00- 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%.  53:30- 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-What is John doing to work on his own games?  Mentioned:Jacob Aagaard's Killer Chess Training, Botvinnik: One Hundred Selected Games, GM Sam Shankland on Cover Stories with Chess Life, IM John Watson  1:02:00- What are the most recent developments in the advancement of chess engines?  Mentioned: Stockfish 14.1, Leela 0.28.0, 2021 Russian Championship Superfinals, Vitiugov - Andreikin, Chessify, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, Skolkovo Innovation Center 1:11:00- How will Chess Life Online be covering the World Championship?  1:15:00- Thanks to John for joining us!  For more information about US Chess and Chess Journalists of America upcoming seminars, go here:  https://new.uschess.org/news/cja-continuing-education-series-announced For US Chess annotated games from the US Championships, go here: https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy Follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess?lang=en Email John at John.Hartmann at Uschess.org  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Check out Paloma Verde CBD! https://palomaverdecbd.com/Use the promo code POPULAR to get 25% off and free shipping! Timestamps: Archotropism discussion begins at 40:00 In this episode, Andrew is joined by Jon Hartmann, host of Mind Your Business with John Hartmann, for a reading and discussion of chapters 10 and 11 of Sun Tzu's treatise, "The Art of War" and we apply it to modern US politics. Mind Your Business Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMOcEJYb4Rnd5iq7Q47NgQ Jon's Twitter: @Jon_Hartmann Andrew's Twitter: @PopularLiberty_ Join Mises GOP: https://mewe.com/join/gopmisescaucus Follow Mises GOP on Twitter: @GopMises

John Hartmann is the CIO and Editor of Chess Life Magazine, and has spent nearly a decade reviewing chess books and writing articles for the magazine. He even does a podcast for the US Chess Federation with the subject of Chess Life's cover each month! John was gracious enough to share an hour of his time with me in what has been my favorite interview to date on this week's episode of "64".We talk about John's editorial philosophy, as he tries to craft a magazine for all kinds of chess players from beginners to grandmasters. We talk about good chess journalism and the state of tournament play today. As someone with a massive chess library, John explains the importance of reading chess books and actively engaging with material. We also talk about the return of OTB chess across America, as I share my recent experience at the Marshall Chess Club.John has been inviting listeners to come check out the U.S. Open Tournament later this summer in Cherry Hill, NJ. Until then, with a USCF membership you get Chess Life for free, which is one of the most widely read chess magazines in the world.64: A Chess Podcast is sponsored by Aimchess. Use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by Jon Hartmann, host of Mind Your Business with John Hartmann, for a reading and discussion of the first three chapters of Sun Tzu's treatise, "The Art of War" and we apply it to modern US politics. Mind Your Business Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMO... Jon's Twitter: @Jon_Hartmann Andrew's Twitter: @PopularLiberty_

In this episode, Andrew is joined by Jon Hartmann, host of Mind Your Business with John Hartmann, for a reading and discussion of the second three chapters of Sun Tzu's treatise, "The Art of War" and we apply it to modern US politics. Mind Your Business Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMO... Jon's Twitter: @Jon_Hartmann Andrew's Twitter: @PopularLiberty_

In this episode, Andrew is joined by Jon Hartmann, host of Mind Your Business with John Hartmann, for a reading and discussion of chapters 6, 7, and 8 of Sun Tzu's treatise, "The Art of War" and we apply it to modern US politics. Mind Your Business Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMO... Jon's Twitter: @Jon_Hartmann Andrew's Twitter: @PopularLiberty_

Originally aired October 27, 2020: Check out John's website full of useful resources here: https://firstlookchess.com​ Follow ChessDojo here: Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojolive​ Discord: https://discord.gg/sUUh8HD​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/chess_dojo​ Patreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojo

The March 2019 edition of “Cover Stories with Chess Life” is now live! This monthly podcast, hosted by Senior Director of Strategic Communication Daniel Lucas, goes in depth and behind the scenes for each month's cover story. This month, we talk to Al Lawrence, our first three-time guest. Al wrote our profile of the new--and first--Dean of Scholastic Chess, Dewain Barber. New this month: "The Skittles Room," in which we talk to people doing something interesting or of note within US Chess. (Missing “Checking in with Jen”? Listen to our new Women's Program Director's podcast "Ladies Knight"!) For this initial segment, Lucas talks to our new Digital Editor, and our "Books and Beyond" Chess Life columnist, John Hartmann. And don't miss your chance at winning a $50 gift certificate to USCFSales.com! Send in your question to podcast@uschess.org, and if your question is selected as the Best Question, you will win the gift certificate. Next month we will be covering GM Hikaru Nakamura's win at the London segment of the Grand Chess Tour, written by GM Robert Hess. Send in your questions now for GM Hess or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy.  

35 year-old Grandmaster Erwin L’Ami has had quite a varied and interesting chess career thus far. He is one of the top players in the Netherlands, and has competed on every Dutch Olympiad team since 2006. He has had many impressive finishes in individal tournaments, including winning the 2015 Reykjavik Open. When not competing himself, Erwin is a highly respected opening theoretician, who has worked with former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov and currently works with perennial top 10 player, GM Anish Giri. All of this makes Erwin the perfect person to publish a Lifetime Repertoires course on the Caro-Kann defense for Chessable. In our conversation, we touch all aspects of his chess career. Topics included how he works with engines, the life of a traveling second, the 2020 FIDE Candidates, Anish Giri and Magnus’ Carlsen’s twitter banter, the latest in Caro-Kann theory, improvement advice,and the identity of his favorite player of all time. As you can imagine, there is lots to dig into! Show notes and timestamps can be found below:  0:00- We begin by chatting a bit about the Caro-Kann and about Erwin’s new course. Why was now a good time to do a course on the Caro-Kann? This also includes talk of what sort of engine use goes into top-level opening preparation generally.    Mentioned: Leela Chess Zero, Stockfish Open Source Engine, Setting up Engines in Chessbase Video with John Hartmann of US Chess- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_G-tvePe6Q, Jon Edwards, GM Viswanthan Anand   14:00- Erwin tells some stories about working with GM Veselin Topalov during his 2010 World Championship Match  Mind Master by GM Viswanthan Anand, The Anand Files by VIshwanathan Anand, Episode 177 with GM Peter Heine Nielsen   19:00- Should the format of the World Chess Championship be changed? Mentioned: Daryl Morey interview with GM Hikaru Nakamura- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prI_EEq6Xsc IM Greg Shahade, GM Magnus Carlsen, FIDE Candidates Tournament 2011   23:30- We talk about what it was like for GM Erwin L’Ami to travel to the 2020 FIDE Candidates tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia and what he thinks of how the tournament was handled generally.  Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Episode 174 with GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov , GM Teimour Radjabov, GM Emil Sutovsky    33:00- GM Anish Giri has been showing great results in rapid and blitz chess lately. What is his secret to his improvement?  Mentioned: GM Ian Nepomniatchi, Chessable Masters 2020, GM Mikhail Botvinnik   41:00- We finally tackle the Girl-Carlsen “Twitter Beef!” Erwin answers two related questions from the Perpetual Chess Patreon mailbag! Mentioned:  IM Anna Rudolf   46:30- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable! Check out GM Erwin L’Ami’s Free Short and Sweet Caro Course here: https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-the-caro-kann/course/45388/ Check out his comprehensive and impressive,  Lifetime Repertoire Caro-course here:  https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-caro-kann/course/37366/   47:30- We talk about some of Erwin’s favorite chess books and a novel he has been enjoying.  Mentioned: On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendriks, Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, My Great Predecessors, GM Jacob Aagaard, Game Changer by GM Mathew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan    54:00- What is GM Erwin L’Ami’s Best Chess Improvement Advice?  Mentioned: GM Peter Svidler    59:00- Erwin tells the story of being in attendance while Garry Kasparov, his favorite player,  played one of his most famous games, vs. GM Veselin Topalov in Wijk an Zee in 1999.  Mentioned: Test of Time by GM Garry Kasparov   1:02:00- A Patreon supporter of the podcast asks about the role that body language plays in top level chess.  Mentioned: GM Viswanthan Anand, GM Michael Adams, IM Stuart Rachels’ The Best I Saw in Chess, see Chess24’s coverage of Magnus’ 2014 blunder against Anand, here:  https://chess24.com/en/read/news/carlsen-blunders-but-wins-game-6-video-recap   1:08:00- Erwin briefly discusses what it was like to be the student of famed trainer GM Vladimir Chuchelov, who has also worked with GMs Caruana and Anand.    1:10:00- What is life on the road like  for the second of a top 10 player?  Mentioned: GM Max Euwe, GM Jan Timman, IM Alina L’Ami, Jeroen Van Den Berg, organizer of Tata Steel Chess    1:20:00- We bring it back to the Caro-Kann, and Erwin answers some questions, including one from a Patreon supporter, relating to the theoretical state of the Caro Kann defense.  Mentioned: Panov-Botvinnik attack, Shirov variation, Short variation of the Advanced Caro  Mentioned: GM Danil Dubov, GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Vladislav Artemiev, GM Jan Gustafsson    1:28:00- Thanks to GM Erwin L’Ami for an insightful and enjoyable interview.  Get his Caro-Kann Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-caro-kann/course/37366/ Follow him on Twitter here:  https://twitter.com/erwinlami?lang=en   If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate

Welcome back to another monthly edition of Perpetual Chess, Chess Books Recaptured! This month, I am joined by electrical engineer, Chessable author, and chess blogger, Vjekoslav “Vjeko” Nemec. Like me, Vjekoslav is a big fan of GM Genna Sosonko’s writing, so we were eager to discuss one of his books. Vjeko and I agree that The World Champion’s I Knew may not be Sosonko’s best book, but due to its prominent subjects,  it might be the most accessible. Like his other books, The World Champions I Knew is marked by vivid first hand accounts and beautiful prose, and its high points make the book well worth reading. In his book, GM Sosonko writes about 7 different world chess champions, so Vjeko and I spent time sharing quotes and reflections about each essay, and ranked our favorite chapters. Please read on for more details and timestamps.  If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed,  you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog   1:00- We begin by discussing why Vjeko Nemec wanted to discuss a book by Grandmaster Genna Sosonko, why we settled on The World Champions I Knew , and we share a few details from GM Sosonko’s fascinating life story.  Mentioned: Perpetual Chess interview with GM Genna Sosonko (June 2018), Smart Chip from St. Petersburg, Russian Silhoettes, The Reliable Past,  Evil-Doer: Half a Century with Viktor Korchnoi, GM Garry Kasparov    13:45- As always, Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable. Two of the many courses that you can check out right now are Vjekoslav Nemec’s The Modern Against Everything, and GM Sam Shankland’s new course, Lifetime Repertoires: Black Against the English, The Reti, and sidelines   14:30- We read a bit of the introduction to the book and give an overview of the book before discussing the book chapter by chapter.  Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein, John Hartmann,    19:00- The first chapter we discuss is the one about Jose Raoul Capablaca, which focuses on GM Sosonko’s interactions with Capablanca’s then wife, Olga Clark Capablanca.  The Genius and The Princess by Edward Winter   26:30- Next up is legendary world champion Alexander Alekhine   32:45- Smyslov  Mentioned: Smyslov on the Couch, The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn   45:00- Legendary Dutch Champion Max Euwe  Mentioned: Todd Bryant, Mike Zaloznyy   54:00- We discuss the chapter about Sixth World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik Mentioned: Soviet Outcast: The Life and Games of Grigory Levenfish, GM Viktor Korchnoi   1:02- GM Tigran Petrosian  Mentioned: GM Boris Spassky, GM Efim Geller    1:13- Tal time! We discuss the best part of the book, the chapter GM Mikhail Tal. Tal-Lautier 1992, Timman’s Titans, The Longest Game, Chess Duels by Yasser Seirawan, Tal Keller Zurich 1959, Steve Doyle, GM Alexei Suetin, Lev Tolstoy, Bacchus, Mythos by Stephen Fry   1:35:00- Thanks to Vjeko for helping out and sharing his knowledge! In lieu of payment for his efforts, Vjeko is donating to Tunde Onakoya’sChess in Slums Program. You can donate to support them here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-chess-in-the-slums-in-nigeria   1:39:00- Blindfold puzzles of the month courtesy of SayChess1   Puzzle #1- White to move  White Pawn h4 King b1 Queen c2   Black Pawns g7 and h5 King h7 Queen g6    https://lichess.org/study/2Jj2xWA5 Puzzle #2- White to move   White  Rook a1 King d2   Black Pawns on b2 and c2 King b4   https://lichess.org/study/z7M9gUy5!    Follow Vjeko on twitter here: https://twitter.com/chessentials_ Read his Chessentials blog here: https://chessentials.com/category/chess-training/ Buy his Chessable course here: https://www.chessable.com/the-modern-defense-against-everything/course/27749/

US Chess’s John Hartmann is always a popular guest on Perpetual Chess due to his relatability and his encyclopedic knowledge of chess books. As of June 2020, John will no longer be writing the book reviewer for Chess Life, because he has been promoted to editor of the magazine!  Nonetheless, John’s passion for chess books remains strong, and in this visit he gives us a comprehensive rundown on some of the best recent books. John also gives an update on his chess improvement ambitions,  and we spend a lot of time talking about how coronavirus is affecting the finances and plans of US Chess, and how it might change tournament chess generally.  (If you aren't seeing embedded hyperlinks in your podcast feed you can find them on the podcast webpage: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2020/5/26/episode-179-john-hartmann-returns-again ) 0:00- We begin by discussing how coronavirus is affecting tournament chess and especially the US Chess Federation. They are launching many exciting initiatives, but  are also facing some financial headwinds, as the US Chess President Allen Priest recently discussed in  a video. .  Mentioned: John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #1, John Hartmann Perpetual Chess Appearance #2, Chris Bird’s The TD Show, Jen Shahade, IM Carissa Yip, WGM Sabina Foisor, US Chess’ YouTube Channel, Chess.com, IM Eric Rosen, Sunway Sitges Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Steve Doyle, US Chess President Allen Priest, Melinda Mathews, Chess Life and Review Online Archives, Bob Sostack, Chess Life for Kids, Chessable.com, GM Jacob Aagaard on the US Candidates, Brian Karen, Ding Liren-Caruana 2020  You can renew Your US Chess Membership here: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php   35:40- Chessable’s newest release is from GM Simon Williams AKA the Ginger GM. Simon has recorded 30+ hours of video to accompany the classic chess book, The Art of Attack. It’s on sale now. Check it out here: https://t.co/R93A3rez9K?amp=1   36:00- We talk about changes with the book review column for Chess Life Magazine, and about John’s favorite recent chess books.  Mentioned: IM John Watson, Beyond Material, Keep it Simple, 1. d4 , GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov’s The Benoni is Back in Business, Hein Donner: The Biography, GM Max Euwe  The Best I Saw in Chess by Stuart Rachels, On the Origin of Good Moves by IM Willy Hendricks The Nemesis: Geller’s Greatest Games, Douglas Griffin,  Coaching Kasparov, The Anand Files, Training Program for Chess Players, 1st Category , Bob Long, The Search for Chess Perfection, Dale Brandreth, Bobby Dudley, Fundamental Chess Strategies in 100 Games,     55:00- John talks a bit about what it is like to be a member of 365ChessAcademy, and to learn from GMs Aagaard, Ramesh and others.  Mentioned: GM Reinier Castellanos, IM Christopher Yoo, Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, GM Karsten Muller, GM Alex Fishbein, Megan Chen’s Perpetual Chess Interview, Harold Stenzel    1:06:00- John answers some Patreon mailbag questions regarding the conditions under which OTB tournaments might eventually return.   Mentioned: IM Steffan Löffler’s Chessbase Article on Long-Distance Chess, GM Jesse Kraai, Jack Spence, Nassau Chess Club, IM Jay Bonin    1:18:00- Thanks again to John for joining the show once again. You can follow all of US Chess’ Podcasts here: https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/ Follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hartmannchess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Sign up for the US Chess Fundraiser, “Blitzing Covid,” here: https://new.uschess.org/news/top-stars-register-blitzing-covid-event-may-30th/   If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so  here: .    . 

Kelly & Justin are back to talk about the beloved original epic superhero film, Richard Donner's 1978 classic Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando. Kelly in particular grew up with this film, watching it repeatedly at her grandfather's house and memorizing every moment. Justin became a fan much later, having grown up with Superman II but never giving the original its due. But both of us love it now, a throwback to a simpler time when superhero films were still very quaint and the idea of a big-budget blockbuster Superman movie was unheard of. We'll discuss the making of this film but also its legacy, comparisons to more recent Superman movies, and comic book films as a whole. So crack open a beer, sit back and join us for this special episode! Dedicated to John Hartmann (1931-2020), for whom Superman '78 was an all-time favorite. You can also watch a video-enhanced version of this episode at www.youtube.com/c/EnuffaDotCom. Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this Pep Talk edition of the Taking Care of Business podcast we have two special guests. True Value President and CEO John Hartmann shares how the company is stepping up to meet retailers' needs during the pandemic, including quickly transitioning their manufacturing facility to ramp up production of vital products. We also visit with Grant Farnsworth of the The Farnsworth Group, which together with the Home Improvement Research Institute is launching a new Covid-19 Impact Tracker study that anyone in the channel can access by visiting www.thefarnsworthgroup.com/covid or www.hiri.org.

Thailand has a unique social structure because it is a country of the global South but has never come under colonial rule while emulating Western modernization. The result is a double structure, one part consisting of a precapitalist structure and the other comprising a hierarchy of social classes. On this episode, Dr. Boike Rehbein sits down with Eric Jones, Kanjana Thepboriruk, and John Hartmann to discuss the peculiarities of Thailand's social structure and the resulting inequality.

In addition to his day job, in which he maintains a senior leadership role at Shell Oil, FM Michiel Abeln is a chess trainer and a chess journalist. Late this year, he and Quality Chess Publishing released his book, The Anand Files: The World Championship Story 2008-2012. It is an incredible book, which goes deep into the ups and downs, games, opening theory, and most of all, the emotions of GM Viswanathan Anand’s team during the 2008, 2010 and 2012 world championship matches. In our conversation, Michiel takes us from the nervous beginnings of this project, through to many of the interesting details he learned and decisions he made in terms of how to structure the book. Please read on for more details and timestamps.  If you are not seeing embedded hyperlinks on your podcast feed, you can find them here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/12/16/episode-156-fm-michiel-abeln 0:00- We dive right into the Anand files, as Michiel discusses why he decided to donate the proceeds of The Anand Files to charity. Michiel also tells the fascinating story of how this project came into existence.  Mentioned: Eric Van Reem, Cathy Rogers, GM Vladimir Kramik, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Radoslaw Wojtasek 18:30- Why did Michiel decide to delve so deeply into opening analysis in his book? Mentioned: IM Sagar Shah’s interview with Michiel Abeln, GM Veselin Topalov    23:00- For more info on the strong chess robot Square Off! Order now atsquareoffnow.com and enter online coupon code SCHACH for 20 percent reduction! If you are in Cologne, you can visit the intercultural chess club: Satranç Club 2000 in Cologne (satranc2000.de , Mail: satrancclub2000@gmx.de )   24:00- How did Michiel keep up with all of the opening theory shared in the book? Mentioned: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, The Meran   29:30- Friend and Patreon supporter of the podcast John Hartmann wonders what sort of preparation work was done, aside from opening work, if any?  Mentioned: GM Anatoly Karpov, The Sicilian Dragon, To see IM Sagar Shah’s excellent “Anand quizzes” with various elite players, go here, The Slav, 2012 World Championship between Gm Boris Gelfand and Anand   44:00- I ask Michiel a question posed by IM Gary Lane in the Facebook Chess Book Collectors Group, “Do World Championship teams try to find out which GMs are helping the opposing teams?” Mentioned: GM Wojtasek, GM Ganguly, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Sergei Rublevsky, GM Danil Dubov    53:00- Will there be a Forward Chess or Chessable version of The Anand Files?  Mentioned: Hugh Jordan, Michiel Abeln’s Philidor article in the 2006 New in Chess Yearbook  58:00- A Patreon supporter asks what lessons from Anand’s team can be applied away from the chessboard?  1:08- Nicolas Noel asks, what can club players learn from this book? Anand-Kramnik Game 6, 2008, Bonn  1:11- Where will Michiel donate the proceeds of the book sales?  Mentioned: Mark Crowther of The Week in Chess  1:15- In closing, we discuss the state of Michiel’s own chess game and have a brief discussion of chess books. Mentioned: Mig Greengard’s chess blog, Brian Karen, Mark Dvoretsky’s books, Bent Larsen’s Best Games, My Great Predecessors, Max Euwe’s books, From London to Elista  1:26- Thanks again to Michiel Abeln for the fantastic book and interview. You can email him here, or keep him with him via his Tumblr,  Twitter and Facebook If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess  

True Value President and CEO, John Hartmann discusses his vision and process for taking the famous do-it-yourself hardware store chain successfully into the future. The retail landscape is in a constant state of change and disruption. Independent hardware stores much accept that change is inevitable, but be willing to be disruptive and change themselves. Mr. Hartmann discusses how he is using innovation, communication and rock solid relationships to stay ahead of the retail evolution and create a sustainable and profitable environment for his retail customers. 

This week’s guest is the highly productive and popular author and teacher, IM Cyrus Lakdawala. Cyrus has recently published his 40th (!) book, Opening Repertoire 1. d4 2. c4., and already has more books in the works. In addition to publishing multiple books per year, Cyrus also teaches chess for about 20 hours a week, plays in two tournaments per month,  and even manages to meditate, exercise and read very regularly. In our conversation, Cyrus reveals how he accomplishes so much, talks some chess improvement, and tells some fun stories. Read on for details, links and timestamps. 0:00- Intro. We being by discussing Cyrus latest book, Opening Repertoire 1. d4 2. c4. Cyrus  tells the story of how he decided it was time to try a spicier opening repertoire, after decades of playing "like a chicken.” The results he attained with this experiment pleasantly surprised him. Mentioned in this segment - IM Dionisio Aldama, IM Tony Saidy, IM Keaton Kiewra 12:00- Cyrus discusses the philosophy behind his unique, very personal writing style. We also discuss Cyrus’ writing routine, and how he reacts to critics. Mentioned in this segment - John Hartmann, ChessBase interview with Davide Nastasio 21:00- What is Cyrus’ opinion of the rise of engine use in chess study and chess spectacting? How does he use engines in his own game analysis and writing? 25:30- Cyrus answers a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast asking him to compare his book Opening Repertoire… c6: Playing the Caro-Kann and Semi-Slav as Black to the book A Complete Repertoire for Black Using Solid Systems by Jovanka Houska and James Vigus. This leads  to a broader discussion about how one should choose repertoires and opening books. 34:00 - We discuss Cyrus’ award winning book,  Chess for Hawks. The premise of the book is that everyone is predisposed toward risky or safe chess, and should tailor her game accordingly. Cyrus also discusses what happens when he clashes against his most frequent opponent, IM Dionisio Aldama, who is a “hawk” to Cyrus’ “dove.” 45:00- Cyrus answers a question from another listener about how an under 2000 player should improve at endgames. Aside from his own endgame book, Cyrus recommends studying the games of Rubinstein, Capablanca and Magnus Carlsen. Also mentioned: Timman’s Titans, Kasparov’s Great Predecessors. 52:00- IM Lakdawala tells the story of how he met former World Champion, GM Boris Spassky a couple times, and shares his impressions of him. Also mentioned- GMs Tony Miles and Kasparov. 58:00- Cyrus shares some stories from his teenage years in Montreal, were he earned spending money by playing speed chess for money. 1:01- After five decades immersed in it, does Cyrus ever feel burnt out on chess?   1:04- Cyrus discusses the benefits and drawbacks of being autistic. 1:14- Goodbye and contact info! You can keep up with Cyrus via Facebook. To help support the podcast, go here.

Douglas Griffin is a chess author/blogger, translator, and an indispensable source of historical chess perspective  on “chess twitter”. He is particularly interested and knowledgeable about chess in the Soviet Union. Doug is also a strong player. As a teen, he was one of Scotland’s stronger junior players. His FIDE rating reached about 2270, before his family, his work and his strong interest in chess history overtook his interest in tournament participation. While Doug may not be as well-known as some of the Grandmasters and personalities that have been on the show, our talk was one I looked forward to, and sure enough, it was highly informative and inspiring.. For more information about Doug, you can check out his blog, and his twitter page. Please keep reading for timestamps and many fun links and resources.  0:00- Intro and discussion of Doug’s intro to the chess world. Mentioned in this segment, GMs Anatoly Karpov, Tony Miles, VIktor Korchnoi. The BBC show, The Master Game 6:00-How did Doug improve in chess and develop an interest in Soviet-era chess and the Russian language? He owes a debt of gratitude to his former teacher IM Danny Kopec, among others. 9:00- Doug transitions to telling some stories about some of the chess greats he encountered early in their careers. Players mentioned are those he saw at the Lloyds Bank London 1984- GM Vishy Anand, Ivanchuk, Spassky, Nigel Short. You can read a bit more about the Lloyds Bank tournament in this Chessbase article by Priyadarshan Banjan Read Doug’s blog post about the Troon 1984 tournament he mentions and about GM Lev Psakhis in his blog post here.   14:30- How did Doug learn Russian, and where does he get all of the original sources for his blog? Magazines mentioned:  Shakhmatny Bulletin , Chess in the U.S.S.R. and “64”  Doug bought a lot of his Soviet chess magazine’s from Kimmo Välkesalmi's website. Translator named in this segment: Ken Neat 25:00- Friend/supporter of the podcast, John Hartmann of Chess Life Online (and author of CLO’s Throwback Thursday)  writes in to ask whether Doug has any plans of turning his material into a book and/or launching a Patreon page.  Mentioned in this segment; Ilan Rubin of Elk and Ruby. . 31:45- We discuss an excerpt of  Doug’s most recent blog post, which unearthed a great and prescient quote from former World Champion GM Mikhail Botvinnik regarding an ascendant Bobby Fischer. Read Doug’s blog post here. 38:00- Are there any Soviet periodicals or books that Doug is especially excited to translate? Mentioned in this segment:, IM John Donaldson and  IM Nikolay Minev’s books about The Life and Games of Akiba Rubinstein, GM Razuvaev and Murahveri’s Russian language Rubinstein biography.   Nikolai Krylenko is also mentioned 43:00- Chris Wainscott writes in to ask if Doug has favorite lesser-known Soviet chess players. Doug mentions Andor Lilienthal, Isaac Boleslavsky, Semyon Furman, Ratmir Kholmov, Grigory Levenfish (about whom Doug is writing a book) Books mentioned by GM Genna Sosonko: Russian Silhoettes, The Reliable Past, Smart Chip from St. Petersburg and other tales of a bygone chess era Also mentioned GMs John Shaw and Jacob Aagard, co-founders of Quality Chess 53:00- Doug and I wax nostalgic about The Chess Informant and he discusses some exciting upcoming projects on which he will work with their publishers. 56:30- Doug names of a few of his favorite chess books amongst those that have been published in the English language. They are: Botvinnik’s Best Games, Smyslov’s Best Games, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal , Anatoly Karpov: My 300 Best Games , Kasparov on Kasparov, Leonid Stein: Master of RIsk Strategy 1:00- Doug reflects a bit on what helped him become a strong chess player. He credits reading voraciously and being blessed with a good memory. 1:05- On the heels of GM Neil McDonald’s story of meeting legendary GM David Bronstein, Doug shares his own story . Also mentioned in this segment: Jon Speelman, Julian Hodgson, Paul Motwani, Colin McNab, Jonath Rowson, Bojan Kurajica 1:09-  Reluctantly, we discuss non-chess related stuff. Doug discusses his day job and his affinity for hiking and photography. Check out his landscape photography site here. The Dutch online photo archive Doug mentions is here. 1:13- Goodbye! A friendly reminder to read Doug’s blog here, follow him on twitter here, You can email him here.

On this episode of “Taking Care of Business,” Dan is joined by True Value president and CEO John Hartmann. They discuss how the company is looking to the future and finding new ways to empower its retailers. Hartmann talks about how True Value is bringing new marketing, sales and operational possibilities to the retailers it serves.

WIM Alexey Root is a former US Women’s Chess Champion among many other distinctions. She has a Ph. D. from UCLA in Education,and is a lecturer at The University of Texas at Dallas. Alexey has written 7 books about chess and education, and is also a frequent writer for US Chess and other publications. In our interview we discussed collegiate chess in the U.S, how opportunities for female chess players have changed, plus the important topic of what chess parents can do to help safeguard their children. Please read on for all of the details, links, and timestamps: 0:00- Intro and discussion of college chess in the United States in general, and at University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)  in particular. The Final Four of College Chess just concluded, with The University of Texas-Rio-Grande Valley emerging as the winner for the second consecutive year. The other participants were Webster University, UTD, and Harvard University. 11:00- How did Alexey decide to pursue a PhD in Education? 18:00- We segue into a discussion of approaches to teaching chess to very young students. Elizabeth Spiegel’s Chess Educator of the Year speech can be seen here, and Jeff Bulington’s here. 21:45- Alexey will be a featured guest in the Girls Club Room at the US Chess National Junior High Championship- go say hi to her-if you are there. How has the world of Women’s chess changed during Alexey's career? Will strong female players like Hou Yifan and newly crowned US Women’s Champion Jennifer Yu pursue chess professionally? 33:00- Chess books! What are Alexey’s favorites (other than her own books)?  Alexey was nice enough to provide a list of her favorite books- you can find it at the bottom of this description. 44:00- What advice does Alexey give to chess parents? Alexey stresses that the #1 priority should be child safety! Alexey has written movingly in the past about how being a victim of sexual abuse framed her experiences as a parent and teacher, and I really appreciate her willingness to talk about this important subject. 56:00- How did Alexey get her first chess book published? Piggybacking off of John Hartmann’s advice, Alexey also gives advice on how to (eventually) find paid work as a chess writer. Alexey is also quite forthcoming about the compensation one can expect as a chess writer. 1:06:00- Why are the supporters of the podcast slacking when it comes to sending in questions?

This week features another return guest, as John Hartmann joins me from the US Chess Championships in St. Louis. As listeners who heard  our popular first interview will recall, John is the book reviewer for Chess Life Magazine, but they may not know that he was also recently named digital editor for Chess Life Online. Some of the highlights of this conversation include:  a discussion of the 2019 US Championship, a rundown of some recent standout chess books, details on John’s new job, and his reflections on how to find work in the chess world. For timestamps, links and more details, please continue reading: 0:00- Intro and John’s report from the US championship in St. Louis. He recorded the first half of this interview at the St Louis Chess Club following the first half of the tournament’s completion. The games we referenced were Xiong-Shankland, as annotated by IM Kostya Kavutskiy at US Chess online here. The Sevian-Garyev swindle we reference can be found here. 11:00- What are John’s duties in his new gig as digital editor of US Chess? As John tells, the planned schedule for US Chess podcasts will be: Cover Stories with Chess Life, hosted by Dan Lucas (1st Tuesday of each month) One Move at a Time, hosted by Dan Lucas  (2nd Tuesday of each month) Ladies Knight hosted by Jenn Shahade  (3rd Tuesday of each month) Chess Underground with Pete Karagianis  (4th Tuesday of each month, coming soon) You can keep with all of US Chess’ podcasts here. 18:00- John’s first Perpetual Chess appearance can be heard here. (If you haven’t heard that one yet, you are in for a lot of great background and book recommendations. :) In this segment, John discusses some of his favorite newer chess books, including Game Changer (John’s review here), Better Thinking, Better Chess and Understanding Minor Piece Endings. As John mentions the analysis from the Karsten Müller & Yakov Konoval book can be downloaded here, courtesy of Russell Enterprise. 25:20- Our discussion of chess books and Alphazero segues into the topic of Leela, the open-sourced neural network chess engine, which has quickly become a world class chess engine. 33:00- We discuss John’s excellent nascent Youtube series, First Look Chess, which gets into the nuts and bolts of how to use Chessbase. 37:00- What is the state of John’s own chess game, what tournaments does he plan to play?   39:30- Back to books! What did John like about Joel Benjamin’s latest book? Other books that John mentions enjoying include My Magical Years with Topalov by Romain Eduoard, Gata Kamsky: Chess Gamer by Gata Kamsky, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy by John Watson. Chess Coaching for Kids.  The Longest Game by Jan Timman, and  Practical Chess Beauty by Yochanan Afek. He also gives a glowing review of the book, Andy Soltis teased on Perpetual Chess, Tal-Petrosian-Spassky-Korchnoi, a Chess Multibiography with 207 games. 53:00- Why should we watch the Chess24 series,  “Inside the 2018 World Championship Match”? 57:00- What advice would John would give to someone who wants to write about chess or work in the chess world? John felt this was an important topic to get right, so we re-recorded this part of the conversation. This also includes a discussion of how John deals with negative feedback on his reviews. His reviews have ruffled some feathers even when they aren’t uniformly negative. The books mentioned include The Shereshevsky Method to Improve in Chess: From Club Player to Master by Mikahil Shereshevsky, Active Pieces: Practical Advice from America's Most Relentless Tournament Player  by Jay Bonin, and Applying Logic in Chess by Eric Kislik. Read John's reviews of the three books here (Bonin), here (Shereshevsky) and here (Kislik). The game John mentions from the 2019 US Women’s Championship is Foisor-Krush, available here. 1:28- Goodbye! Here is how you can keep up with John Hartmann: Chess Life Online Twitter YouTube Channel John’s Book Review Archive Email If you would like to help support the podcast, and you can so here.

Episode 59 is a very special bonus episode featuring The Goode Time Carolers. Thank you to co-founders Tony Duran and John Hartmann for believing in me and inviting me to be a part of this season's caroling season. A special Thank You to Austin, Phil and Sarah for braving the elements for a great gig at the Irvine Spectrum. Featured in this episode are: Kelsey, Dennis and Tony. It was a pleasure working with you all at the second gig of the day in Laguna. The Good Time Carolers, also known as the Ambassadors of the Spirit of Christmas, spread holiday cheer throughout the Southern California areas from San Diego to Los Angeles, as well as in Nashville, New York, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Disneyland Resort, Disney Hong Kong and Disney Shanghai. To contact The Goode Time Carolers, visit http://gtc.goodetimecarolers.com/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

It’s like taking candy from a baby, but it’s always fun to knock down the brainwashing concept that a life filled with cannabis is a useless one. So it is this episode, speaking with a legendary promoter within the music industry. Over the last 50+ years, our guest John Hartmann has dealt with some of the most iconic and talented musicians ever captured on vinyl, like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Canned Heat, Sonny and Cher, and the King himself Elvis . His plan for music creation in the future is also brilliant and generous. Reminder: synthetic cannabis is terrible. John points out that he had some amazing synth-weed – but that was 50 years ago, not today’s current crap which can and has caused people’s eyes to bleed, among other harsh side effects. Check out John's current project Holodigm at http://www.holodigmmusic.com/index-save.html  

Chess writer, teacher and book reviewer John Hartmann is not a titled chess player, but man, does he know his chess books!  In our conversation, John reveals his list of "desert island" chess books and gives chess book recommendations of all shapes and sizes. We talk of chess memoirs/game collections, books about chess tactics, endgame books,  and even about chess software.  John also tells the unique story of how he got into chess as a somewhat troubled teen and how he became a book reviewer for the USCF's venerable Chess Life magazine. Lastly, John gives an overview of the increasingly popular Chess Steps curriculum and all of the details about why he finds it so helpful for his students and his chess study.  You can check out John's reviews here and contact him here .  You can view his full list of recommendatons here.  To support the podcast go here.