Podcasts about us chess

104 This week's guest is Vanessa Sun, a former chess journalist. For years, she covered events for US Chess, from major national tournaments like the US Open to local competitions.She was also a tournament director at the famous Marshall Chess Club in New York City. Plus, she's volunteered for IM Greg Shahade at the US Chess School, which is a nonprofit that offers free chess coaching to the most promising juniors in the country.Beyond her chess experiences, she's an atmospheric chemist and is currently in a Ph.D program.In this episode, we chat about her chess journey, including:What unique insights about chess she's gained from covering tournaments and doing interviews as a chess journalist.Why she prefers classical and calls herself a “blitz hater.”Whether there's any link between playing chess and intelligence.The powerful impact chess can have on people's lives, even if they don't make a career of it or work on the game regularly.Find Vanessa on Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com

James Nidds is a 58-year-old amateur player and LI Chess Club regular rated 1808 (US Chess) at the time of this recording. He offers a great deal of advice and perspective on chess improvement as an adult. Talking points include the following & more: Beginners should focus on these THREE things The FOUR characteristics all good players possess How to handle opponents who play aggressively Why the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik match changed James' approach permanently A sample chess study regimen James' belief that electronic training tools are more effective than books Why the idea that amateurs "should not spend too much time on openings" may be inaccurate for some players Referenced: Viktor Korchnoi - Sofia Polgar Speed Chess Match

In Episode 267, I have the pleasure of convrersing with Ranae Bartlett, who became US Chess Executive Director last month. She started at US Chess in September 2023 as Director of Operations. Before joining US Chess, Ranae was an Assistant General Counsel for a Fortune 5 company. She served as a local school board member in Madison, Alabama for ten years and advocated for chess education and funding chess initiatives in her school system. Ranae founded Madison City Chess League,  a non-profit chess organization where she served as Executive Director for ten years and conducted over eighty chess tournaments. In 2020, she became the first Education Director at ChessKid.com, and in 2022 she co-chaired the Chess In Education Committee for US Chess.We speak about her current plans for US Chess, The Nationals, the disparity of gender in chess, fundraising, ratings, Tournament Director certifications, the upcoming Saint Louis Chess Conference,  the alabama chess scene, title 1 funds, our 2024 Summer Chess and Table Tennis Camp,  pickleball, unrated events, the upcoming Chess in Education webinar How Philanthrophy Supports Chess in Education with our 47th Podcast Guest Dewain Barber, "the Dean of Scholastic Chess", John D. Rockefeller V and US Chess Director of Development Geoff Isaak, and Mark Indermaur, moderator, and more.   

This week's guest, Tim Just, is a major figure in tournament directing and chess administration. He is a National TD, editor of the 5th-7th editions of the US Chess Rulebook, author, and columnist. When it comes to directing amateur chess tournaments, he's done it all and seen it all. In this episode, Tim shares a number of wild and entertaining anecdotes from the amateur chess scene. You can't make this stuff up! Links for Tim Just: My Opponent is Eating a Doughnut Just Law Rules | US Chess.org (“Just the Rules” column) A Guide to Scholastic Chess

076  Jennifer Shahade returns to the podcast! 2023 was a major one for her, and we discuss the major milestones of her year.If you're not familiar, Jennifer is a 2-time US Women's Chess Champion, author of 4 chess books (including the recent hit Chess Queens), and a long-time advocate of making the chess community a better place for women and girls.In this episode, we talk about:A recent, fun chess experience she's had on Jeopardy.Her new tactics book, Play Like a Champion, that features well-known women chess players (and why the book helps if you've only been doing online tactics.)The challenges she's faced by stepping down as head of the US Chess Women and leaving US Chess.A peek into Jen's next book, Thinking Sideways.More From Jen:Book: Play Like a ChampionBook: Chess QueensWebsiteTwitterFacebookInstagram>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com

Patrick Wolff, full-time private investor, joins to have a general discussion a wide range of topics: his background (former US Chess champion in 1992 and 1995), the right to buy stocks, domestic vs. international focus, indexing vs. single stock investing, battleground stocks, advantages investing in MicroCap stocks and closes with his thesis on Transact Technologies $TACT. Chapters: [0:00] Introduction + Episode sponsor: Fundamental Edge [2:01] Patrick Wolff's background [7:10] The right to buy stocks [12:37] Domestic vs. International focus; European markets [21:04] Indexing vs. single stock investing; tax efficiency; time efficiency [32:56] Diversification and circle of competence [37:53] Battleground stocks [40:19] MicroCap stocks [47:13] $TACT Transact Technologies thesis Today's episode is sponsored by: Fundamental Edge You've probably heard it's an “apprenticeship” system, or that you'll “learn by osmosis”? But what if there was a better way to learn the equity analyst job? Fundamental Edge is re-defining training on the buy-side. Website: https://www.fundamentedge.com/ Whether you're already in the seat or looking to break in, the Analyst Academy from Fundamental Edge offers a thorough and flexible path to developing the tools and frameworks employed by leading hedge funds. Breaking in: https://www.fundamentedge.com/breaking-in Check out the Academy syllabus and sign up for future free content: https://fundamental-edge.ck.page/academyinfo

This week's return guest is 2 time US Women's Champion and award-winning author, podcaster and commentator Jennifer Shahade. Jennifer has recently released the excellent and inspiring new tactics book, Play Like a Champion. Play Like a Champion is a collection of biographical sketches of top woman players, featuring memorable tactics for a wide range of experience- levels. In our conversation, we discuss Jen's writing and puzzle selection process, new chess vocabulary, Jen's advice for starting chess clubs, and her decision to leave US Chess. We also discuss Jen's next projects and her plans for 2024. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.  0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! Be sure to check out their new courses, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess.  https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro 03:00- We discuss Jen's recent event at the Marshall Chess Club.  04:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What is Jen's advice for starting a Women's meetup/chess club?”  07:30- Why does Jen think there might be a “confidence gap” between how women and men assess their own chess skills? Mentioned: Elizabeth Spiegel, Shawn Martinez 14:30- What led to the shift in Jen's confidence level as a chess player when she was a teenager?  15;00- How did Jen decide on the wide range of difficulty within her puzzles? Mentioned: The Botez Sisters, Silman's Complete Endgame Course, IM Sara Khadem 25:00- New chess strategy terminology: What is a “zap”? What does it mean to “think sideways?” 29:00- How is Jen's next book progressing?  31:30- Jen discusses her collaboration with IM Jeremy Silman, who was her publisher for the book Chess Bitch.  Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Anna Hahn, Irina Krush, Pal Benko: My Life, Games, and Compositions  38:00- Will Jen be blogging more frequently? Mentioned: Jen's substack 40:00- Jen discusses her decision to leave US Chess in the wake of the Alejandro Ramirez allegations. Mentioned: How Sexual Assault Allegations Against a US Chess Grandmaster went Unaddressed for Years,French female players Open Letter,  Article regarding Steve Shutt, coach at Masterman High School (which Jennifer and I attended), Carol Meyer stepping down as US Chess Executive Director  48:00- Jen on her 2024 events and plans: Chesskid National Festival, Russell Makofsky's Impact Coaching Network, FM Mike Klein, FM James Canty, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Daniel Rensch, ASAP Philly  53:00- How to enter to win a copy of Play Like a Champion signed by Jennifer Shahade  1) Either leave a podcast review on Spotify/Apple Podcasts, Sub to the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel, OR subscribe (for free) to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest Substack. You can also subscribe to to Jen Shahade's YouTube Channel or Jen's Substack 2) After completing step 1, email a screenshot to ben@perpetualchesspod.com subject line- Contest!  SIGNED BOOK IS US ONLY, outside the US, you can still enter to win a free Forward Chess Digital Copy of Jen's book. (there are two prizes in total) Please specify in the email whether you are in the US or outside of the US. Entries will be closed on January 16 and winners will be announced via email shortly thereafter  55:00- Thanks, as always to Jen for joining me. Be sure to check out her book and to subscribe to her blog.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next week's podcast is arriving early, and it's a double episode! For the first segment, I am joined again by Chessable author and trainer CM Vjekoslav (Vjeko) Nemec. Vjeko and I discuss the riveting, recently concluded FIDE Grand Swiss. India's ascension continued as GM Vidit Gujirathi and IM R. Vaishali's had impressive victories in the Open and Women's Sections respectively. With more spots in the 2024 FIDE Candidates now settled, we also look ahead to what is shaping up to be quite an entertaining fight for the right to challenge for the World Championship titles. Lastly, Vjeko followed this event quite closely, so he recommends several interviews and games from an action-packed tournament for us to check out.  Following Vjeko, I catch up with Chris Callahan (38:00) about what is new with LiChess.org since our last chat in 2021. Chris reports that LiChess is continuing to see solid growth, and discusses their plans in terms of both community outreach and potential additional features on the website. We also discuss the latest in cheat detection and LiChess' decision to stop working with US Chess and with the St. Louis Chess Club in the wake of the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez. It is always fun to catch up with Chris and hear about what is going on with LiChess. As always, timestamps of the many topics discussed can be found below.  Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com! Silman's Endgame Course is now on Chessable and on sale if you act quickly! https://www.chessable.com/silmans-complete-endgame-course-from-beginner-to-master/course/199399/ 0:00- Intro Up to date information about ordering my book, and events can be found here: 5:00- CM Vjekoslav Nemec joins me to recap the FIDE Grand Swiss  5:30- Who won and earned Candidates' spots in the FIDE Grand Swiss?  More info here 13:00- What can chess do to make more tournaments feel as important as the Grand Swiss and the FIDE World Cup?  Mentioned: Tarjei Svensen's article about GM Ding Liren 19:00- What players and personalities stood out in the tournament?  Mentioned: L'ami-Gujirathi 2023  Bogdan-Daniel Deac interview with Fiona Stiel-Antoni: Mishra's amazing analysis of his win over Ivanchuk: Sevian's analysis of his win over Firouzja  L'ami-Gujirathi 2023  24:00- Who are the early favorites to win the 2024 Candidates?  27:00- What stood out from the Women's section? Mentioned: GM Pia Cramling, GM Tan Zhonkyi, GM Humpy Koneru  IM Vaishali's analysis of her round 3 win over Garifullina 32:00- Early thoughts on the 2024 Women's Candidates Field  36:00- Thanks to Vjeko for coming back to talk with us- check out his Twitter page here: 37:00- Chris Callahan joins the pod to talk LiCHess 38:00- How LiChess has changed in recent years? Mentioned: Episode 221 with Chris Callahan,  LiChess game database available for download here: 42:00- How do LiChess blogs work? How is it determined which posts get on the home page?  Mentioned: FM Nate Solon  46:00- How do they treat blog posts that are somewhat promotional in nature?  48:00- What, if any, are the technical upgrades the LiChess team is working on?  50:00- What are most requested features for LiChess? 52:00- Chris' discusses the financial situation of LiChess.  LiChess' costs spreadsheet here: 54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does LiCHess have plans to become a non-profit (501c3) in the US?'  57:00- What is the latest on LiChess' cheat detection efforts? 1:03:00- What went into Lichess' decision to stop working with US Chess and the St. Louis Chess Club? Mentioned: Breaking the Silence, Chris' interview on Ono Another Chess Podcast St. Louis Chess Club Statement  1:10:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How can one volunteer with the Women in Chess Foundation?”  1:13:00- Thanks to Chris for joining the pod! You can email him at chris.callahan at Lichess dot org  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Championship has just started and the boys are shamelessly promoting Fabiano's new chessable course (which is not out yet), and the c-squared new website…they also talk the us championship, world juniors, Hans, and more. Enjoy!

US Chess Silences Whistle Blower Only Friends Podcast Ep 367 S4Y by Solve For Why

Does U.S. Chess need to be reformed? GM Jesse Kraai, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, and IM David Pruess talk about the ongoing problems and controversies with the USCF and whether the organization needs serious reform in today's episode of the Dojo Talks podcast. Interested in improving? Check out the Dojo Training Program: https://chessdojo.club   Chess is more than a game, it's a lifestyle. Live it with ChessDojo merch: https://www.chessdojo.club/shop  Want to support the channel? Donate here - https://streamlabs.com/chessdojolive  Follow ChessDojo here: Website: https://chessdojo.club Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojolive Discord: https://discord.gg/sUUh8HD Twitter: https://twitter.com/chess_dojo Patreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chess_dojo/ Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com/ 0:00 Intro 2:17 Randy Bauer, Alejandro Ramirez, and US Chess Fallout  17:21 Possible US Chess Reforms 29:14 Saint Louis Chess Club, US Chess, and the Dojo 41:41 Problems in Chess Abroad

The Adult Improver series returns to look at both the macro and the micro of adult chess improvement. My guest is NM Todd Bryant. Todd is a software engineer (for Chess.com) and an accomplished player, who has used his analytical skills to gather lots of data about the most accomplished adult improvers in recent US Chess History. Todd shares information about the standout improvement cases at different age ranges. What would be considered an exceptional rating gain for someone over the age of 30? What about age 50? What patterns does Todd notice in looking at the rating graphs of these accomplished amateur? In addition to sharing all of this data that Todd has dutifully gathered, he discusses his own improvement philosophy. Todd plays frequently OTB, and when at home he emphasizes opening study and frequent speed chess play. This approach has been working for Todd as he recently passed 2500 Blitz on Chess.com for the first time! This was a fascinating conversation, and I really appreciate Todd's gathering and sharing all of this interesting data! Timestamps of the topics discussed are below.  Todd's previous Perpetual Chess appearance: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2023/6/30/f82nnc8zc3crw6pxaprlkd5rgil5a7 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via the Patreon community you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Chess.com's First #Chesspunks tournament! More info here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/chesspunks-champs Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Here are a few of NM Todd Bryant's favorite Chessable courses and authors:  GM Gawain Jones: FM Kamil Plichta  You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ 6:00- Todd shares his findings from his independent research into what type of rating gains are seen by the most accomplished adult improvers at different ages.  13:45- What were the outlier cases of improvement after the age of 25?  Mentioned: Michael Johnson, NM Philemon Thomas, NM Fred Wilson   19:30- What type of rating gains have improvers over the age of 50 achieved?  Mentioned: Tom Hickenlooper, James Altucher, Skip the Line   29:00- Does Todd think there is rating deflation in US Chess and FIDE?   Mentioned: Paul Iinuma 32:00- How does this data impact how Todd approaches chess?  36:00- Why does Todd choose to focus on speed chess and blitz with his chess time?  Mentioned: Pre-order My Book- Perpetual Chess Improvement, IM Greg Shahade's Blog Post “Slow Chess is Dying”  44:00- Is there a rating below which playing speed chess does not result in an improvement in playing?  46:00- Why does Todd still play the King's Gambit?  Mentioned: The King's Gambit by GM John Shaw, IM Ryo Chen  52:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Todd's advice for improving thinking processes at the board?  Mentioned: The Amateur's Mind by IM Jeremy Silman  57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Should amateurs invest the time to learn antidotes to dodgy but popular amateur openings like The Stafford Gambit?”  1:01:00- What other chess books made a difference for Todd?  Mentioned: Attacking Chess with Josh Waitzkin, Best Lessons of a Chess Coach by FM Sunil Weerumantry 1:04:00- What has Todd learned from watching his son pursue chess?  1:07:00- Todd's final chess improvement advice? 1:12:00- Thanks to Todd for joining!  Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/thestrongchess?lang=en Or chess.com here: https://www.chess.com/member/toddbryant If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's return guest is the always entertaining and informative, GM Ben Finegold. Ben is a popular Twitch Streamer and YouTuber who has just released his first Chessable course, Starting out with 1. D4. Ben is always among my favorites to interview because he offers a unique blend of entertaining stories, hot-takes on top level chess and improvement advice. This episode is no exception, as Ben discusses the status of his OTB retirement,  whether Magnus Carlsen's best OTB days are behind him, the resurgence of Hikaru and Fabiano, and why doing a course on 1. D4 was an easy choice for him. You can find a full list of topics discussed below, as well as timestamps.  0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com!  Get Ben's new Course Starting out with 1.d4 here: https://www.chessable.com/course/156667 You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/  0:03- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ben ever regret pursuing chess, or think that adult amateurs should not devote so much energy to it?” Mentioned: IM Stuart Rachels, GM Patrick Wolff, Stuart Leaf  0:08- Is Ben having any second thoughts about retiring from OTB chess?  Mentioned: The National Open  11:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Ben's advice for amateurs who want to improve at chess?”  17:30- How does Ben think back on the four years he was covering lots of events for US Chess in Europe in the 1990s?  Mentioned: Chess Life Magazine Archive, Kasparov-Karpov 1991 22:00- Ben shares more memories from the 1988 World Chess Festival  Mentioned: Ray Stone, Fred Lindsay, GM Jonathan Speelman, GM Valery Salov, GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, Ivanchuk-Kasparov Linares 1991, Linares, Linares  30:00- Ben's updated thoughts on the Magnus-Niemann controversy 33:00- Why did Ben decide to do a course on 1. D4 ?  42:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Ben have a refutation to Marc Esserman's refutation of Finegold's line in the Mayhem in the Morra book and Chessable course?” 47:00- We discuss Norway Chess and whether Ben is surprised by GM Fabiano's Caruana's resurgence.  48:00- Has Magnus peaked? Mentioned: GM Alex Fishbein, GM Dmitri Gurevich, GM Eric Lobron  50:00- How does Hikaru stay so strong?  52:00- Which junior has the best chance of being World Champion?  55:00- Ben's wife Karen won a seat to the World Series of Poker Main Event! Will Ben go? Will he play poker?  57:00- Other summer plans  Mentioned: Episode 292: Adult Improver Interview with Karen Boyd  58:00- Thanks, as always,  to Ben for joining the pod! Here are the links to keep up with him.  Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/itsbenandkaren YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/c/GMBenjaminFinegold Chessable Course https://www.chessable.com/starting-out-with-1d4/course/156667/ Chessable Course and Master Class Bundle- https://www.chessable.com/starting-out-with-1-d4-queen-s-gambit-fundamentals-masterclass/course/182439/   If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guest on Perpetual Chess is U.S. Chess Hall of Famer, IM James Sherwin. An 89-year-old New York City Native, Sherwin has played and met many chess legends. He knew Bobby Fischer from his teenage years. Jim did not pursue chess professionally and had a successful career as an attorney and a corporate executive, but he still managed to compete extensively and participated in 8 US Championships, often finishing near the top of the standings. Sherwin now lives in the London area, and as recently as three years ago, was still winning chess tournaments! After talking to him, I can see why he is still able to perform so well, because James' memory of his games and encounters with Fischer, Petrosian, Tal, Reshevsky, and many others was truly dazzling. You can find timestamps for the topics discussed below.  0:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com! You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/ Check out what's new here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 0:03- Jim begins by discussing his childhood summers in Vermont, where he improved at chess by practicing against himself.  Mentioned: My System, Cambridge Springs 1904, Dr. Elliot Hearst  12:30- Did Jim ever consider becoming a chess professional?  15:00- Jim reminisces about a few tournaments including the World Junior Championship in Copenhagen in 1953 and Portoroz 1958, an Interzonal tournament, featuring Fischer, Tal and many others.  Mentioned: Boris Ivkov, Penrose, Reshevsky, Penrose  22:00- What are Jim's first memories of Fischer?  Mentioned: Fischer-Sherwin 1958 32:00- Jim shares his recollections of Fischer-Spassky 1972, as well as his own games against Fischer.  Mentioned: Sherwin-Fischer Log Cabin Open 1957, Fischer-Sherwin 1957 37:00- What does Jim recall about his games with Tal and Petrosian?  40:30- Does Jim ever review his old games? Does he use an engine?  43:30- Jim's Memories of the legendary tournament in Lone Pine 1976, featuring Petrosian and Smyslov.. How did his blitz battles with a young Yasser Seirawan go? 47:00- Did Jim know the well-known authors like Fred Reinfeld, Al Horowitz and Irving Chernev?  50:00- Jim discusses his time supporting American professional chess as head of the American Chess Foundation. Mentioned: GM Boris Gulko, GM Gata Kamsky, GM Judit Polgar, Allen Kaufman 57:00- How are Jim's chess skills at age 89? How does he keep up with the game?  1:03:00- Jim recalls the only game in which he beat GM Andy Soltis, where Fischer joined the post mortem analysis.  1:09:00- What were Jim's closest friendships in the chess world? Mentioned: IM Donald Byrne, GM Larry Evans, Dr. Edward Lasker, GM Arthur Bisguier, GM Edmar Mednis, Dr. Eliot Hearst   1:11:00- Which is Jim's favorite of his games? Mentioned: Sherwin-Gligoric 1958 If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/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

This week we are joined by trainer, author and 6 time New Jersey state chess champion, IM Dean Ippolito. Dean has been an accomplished active player for decades, and a major theme of our conversation is the increasingly unforgiving nature of modern competitive chess. As Dean explains, players at all ages and levels are better prepared and more skilled than ever before. Competing with them is a challenge, but Dean relishes the opportunity to put his best foot forward and shares helpful advice for players of all levels who are looking to do the same. Dean was a lifelong New Jersey resident who recently relocated to Charlotte, in part to compete in events at the Charlotte Chess Center. Most recently, Dean played in the star-studded US Masters tournament. We also discuss Dean's new book, Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers. The book draws on Dean's decades of teaching experience and is a good choice for scholastic players and amateurs rated below 1500 or so. Lastly, Dean shares some fun stories from his years of high-level chess. As an accomplished veteran of the US Chess scene, Dean has seen the rise of Nakamura and Caruana and many others, and in his extensive chess travels, he has had memorable games against some world class competitors . You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.  0:00- You can subscribe to my free weekly chess news round up, the Perpetual Chess linkfest here: https://benjohnson.substack.com 1:00- Dean reflects on the ups and downs of his chess career as it relates to his ratings up and downs, which translates to good universal advice for OTB players.  10:00- What would it take for Dean to become a Grandmaster?  Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman (Ratings Discussion) 15:00- What has Dean observed about adults sometimes losing interest in competitive chess?  20:00- What adjustments has Dean made for modern tournament chess?  Mentioned: The Woodpecker Method  34:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 36:00- What was the US Masters and North Carolina Open like in Charlotte?  Mentioned: FM James Canty, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, GM Aman Hambleton, GM Daniel Naroditsky  45:00- What training will Dean do to try to earn the GM title?  55:00- 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 56:00- Why write a chess book? Mentioned: The Art of Attack in Chess, Get the E-Book here 1:04:00 - Dean has decades of experience running chess clubs/academies. What advice does he give to those thinking of opening one?  1:11:00- What are Dean's favorite chess memories?  Mentioned: Ippolito-Sasrikan 2017, Morozevich-Ippolito 1997, GM Awonder Liang, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Parimarjan Negi  1:29:00- Thanks to Dean for joining me! Here is how to reach him: Email- Dean at deanofchess dot com Book- Tricks, Tactics, and Tips in the Chess Opening: Practical Lessons for Ambitious Improvers.  Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/deanofchess/?hl=en Twitter- https://twitter.com/deanofchess?lang=en Webpage- https://www.deanofchess.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World News in 7 minutes. Thursday 6th October 2022.Support us and read the transcripts at send7.org/transcriptsToday: Russia mobilisation exceptions. France celebrities chop hair. UK PM mini-budget speech. Iran protests. India Himalayas avalanche. Uganda apologises to Kenya. Morocco Cannabis. US Chess cheating. Chile missing professor. France World Blind Wine Tasting Championships. With Namitha RagunathPlease leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify.Contact us at podcast@send7.org or send an audio message at speakpipe.com/send7If you enjoy the podcast please help to support us at send7.org/supportSEND7 (Simple English News Daily in 7 minutes) tells the most important world news stories in intermediate English. Every day, listen to the most important stories from every part of the world in slow, clear English. Whether you are an intermediate learner trying to improve your advanced, technical and business English, or if you are a native speaker who just wants to hear a summary of world news as fast as possible, join Stephen Devincenzi, Namitha Ragunath and Juliet Martin every morning. Transcripts can be found at send7.org/transcripts. Simple English News Daily is the perfect way to start your day, by practising your listening skills and understanding complicated stories in a simple way. It is also highly valuable for IELTS and TOEFL students. Students, teachers, and people with English as a second language, tell us that they listen to SEND7 because they can learn English through hard topics, but simple grammar. We believe that the best way to improve your spoken English is to immerse yourself in real-life content, such as what our podcast provides. SEND7 covers all news including politics, business, natural events and human rights. Whether it is happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or Oceania, you will hear it on SEND7, and you will understand it. For more information visit send7.org/contact

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

My guest on this special edition of Cover Stories is Caroline King, the photographer who shot our July cover photo of the 2022 National High School Championship, which was held in Memphis in April. Caroline — the sister of previous guest Alex King, the author of our July cover story on the High School  — was on-site in Memphis, taking some of the best photos of a US Chess event that I've seen in my time with the organization. To my knowledge, that issue of Chess Life was the first time that a brother and sister were the author and photographer for the cover story. Alex and I spent a lot of time talking about the High School and Caroline's photography, but it seemed kind of brotastic to be talking about Caroline and not talking to her. This is an attempt to fix that faux pas. Please welcome Caroline King, who may be the first photographer ever featured on this program.   - Cover Stories with Chess Life" hosted by Chess Life and Chess Life Online Editor John Hartmann, goes in depth and behind the scenes of each month's Chess Life cover story.  Listen to the whole family of US Chess podcasts at https://new.uschess.org/podcasts

Today's guest on Cover Stories is the author of our July cover story on the 2022 National High School Championship, which was held in Memphis in April. He is also the author of a series on the Tarrasch defense that will wrap in our August issue, and he has written quite a few pieces for US Chess publications in these past few years. Newly minted FM Alex King is a teacher, player, and father, currently residing in Memphis, TN with his wife and daughter. He comes from a very talented family, with musicians and artists of multiple stripes, including his sister, Caroline, who was the photographer at the 2022 National High School and whose photo graces the cover of the issue. Alex is a skilled pianist, and he often posts videos of his original compositions to his social media accounts. I'm speaking to Alex today after having the toughest time scheduling this interview. He was on vacation, then I was on vacation, and then we both had conflicts. But now we've clear the time to get to talk, and I expect to learn a lot about Alex in the time we have.

For the July edition of One Move at a Time, US Chess Senior Director of Strategic Communication Dan Lucas sits down with Fred and Bonnie Waitzkin to discuss both the book and film versions of Searching For Bobby Fischer and what it all meant to the Waitzkin family, more than three decades after the book's release. Among the topics covered, we learn that Bonnie has an extensive history as a chess teacher. Publications Editor Melinda Matthews joins this episode as a co-host.  -- “One Move at a Time,” is a monthly US Chess podcast in which Dan Lucas, the Senior Director of Strategic Communication, talks to people who are advancing the US Chess mission statement to “Empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess.” 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. 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

For the June edition of One Move at a Time, US Chess Senior Director of Strategic Communication Dan Lucas sits down with Elliott Neff, founder and CEO of Chess4Life and author of A Pawn's Journey: Transforming Lives One Move at a Time to talk about the history of his organization, chess as a transformational tool, and being a chess teacher and coach. Chess4Life is a platform that teaches kids critical thinking skills, problem-solving, EQ, and other important life lessons through chess. Elliott is a master-level player and he holds the Professional Chess Coaching Certification Level V — the highest awarded certification by US Chess. Chess4Life has more than 70 employees and they've trained more than 10,000 students and have also been recognized as one of the Inc. 5,000 fastest-growing private companies on their 2015 list. His book, A Pawn's Journey: Transforming Lives One Move at a Time, shares true-life stories of students he's encountered over his 20+ years of coaching, whose lives have been significantly changed for the better by chess. -- “One Move at a Time,” is a monthly US Chess podcast in which Dan Lucas, the Senior Director of Strategic Communication, talks to people who are advancing the US Chess mission statement to “Empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess.” 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

Welcome to the April edition of One Move at a Time! Our guest today is IM Greg Shahade, who founded the US Chess School in 2006 and which resumes classes this year in a victory for a post-covid world. He also founded the New York Masters and the U.S. Chess League which is now known as the PRO Chess League. He is a former member of the Executive Board of US Chess. Greg won three national scholastic championships: tying for first in both the 1993 National Junior High School Championship and the 1996 National High School Championship, and winning the 1996 United States Junior Open outright. He won the prestigious Samford Fellowship, annually awarded by the U.S. Chess Trust to the top U.S. prospect under the age of 25, in 1999. His dad is FM Michael Shahade and his sister Jennifer is a two-time US Women's Champion and our US Chess Women's Program Director.

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

My guest today is Jen Shahade. Jen, is a champion chess and poker player, an author, an award winning podcaster and the Woman's Program Director at US Chess. It was the perfect time to catch up with Jen, as she has just released her new book, Chess Queens. Chess Queen's is an insightful, entertaining and introspective look at key figures in the history of Women's Chess, and a reflection on Jen's own chess journey to the pinnacle of American chess. It is an updated and expanded version of Jen's first book, Chess Bitch. In our interview, we dig into the process of updating and rewriting a book, and then Jen shares a few of the amazing life stories covered in the book. Jen also discusses her own upcoming projects, chess in the Queen's Gambit age, and dispenses some chess and life improvement advice. There is always lots to learn from Jen! Lots more details and relevant links are in the show description.  Jen's Prior Appearances on the Pod: Episode 50 with Jen Shahade  Book Recap #7 discussing Judit Polgar's How I Beat Fischer's Record with Jen Shahade  0:00- Jen discusses how her new book came into being, and how the book has been changed.  Mentioned: GM David Howell match against GM Nils Grandelius, GM Simon Williams, Silman-James Publishing, GM Judit Polgar, GM Hou Yifan, Vera Menchik, Lisa Lane, Diana Lanni, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, Kieie Laymon  15:45- What was the experience like of doing an audio book?  Mentioned: Anya Taylor Joy  17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here.  New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels in all - Chessable.com 18:30- Jen tells the story of the time a coinflip decided who gets to play for the Women's World Championship.  Mentioned: GM Susan Polgar, WGM Nona Ioseliani  26:30- Why is chess so much more popular with women in some countries than others?  Mentioned: Ladies Knight with Martha Fierro, Nadya Ortiz 30:00- Jen discusses some her favorite figures mentioned in the book including some successful politicians and Sonya Graf.   Mentioned: Antoaneta Stefanova, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Vera Menchik  35:00- Patreon mailbag question: Why does Jen think many girls quit chess in their teenage years?  Mentioned: Rachel Crotto  40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. Check the site out, and if you choose to subscribe, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.  41:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Better Help. You can see some online reviews here, and if you sign up, use this link to save 10%: https://www.betterhelp.com/chess 42:00- Patreon mailbag question:When is will a book about women in poker similar to Chess Queens be written?  Mentioned: Poker Power, The Biggest Bluff  45:00- Patreon mailbag question: How can chess players apply poker strategies to chess? Has Jen done so herself?  Mentioned: GM Danil Dubov, GM Fabiano Caruana, EP 265 with GM Simon Williams, How to Chess Episode 10 With FM Nate Solon , Zwischenzug Substack 52:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will there be ways to get signed copies of Chess Queens?  Mentioned: Dr. Alexey Root, Facebook Chess Book Collector's Group  57:00-  Patreon mailbag question: Has Jen read Robert B. Tanner's book about Vera Menchik ? 59:00- What is Jen's next book, Reset, about?  1:01- What skills is Jen looking to develop right now? Any chess improvement tips?  Mentioned: Daniel Kahneman, GM Jesse Kraai, GM Noel Studer  1:07:00- What can men do to help ensure a welcoming environment for female chess players?  1:08:00- Thanks so much to Jen for coming on the pod. Here are links to keep up with her. Twitter Instagram Chess Queens Website  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the March edition of One Move at a Time, US Chess Senior Director of Strategic Communication Dan Lucas sits down with Tyler Schwartz, the co-founder of Chess at Three and Story Time Chess. Both companies use an original, story-based method to teach chess to children as young as three years old. This innovative method is explained in Tyler's 2018 TED Talk, “Can Three-Year-Olds Play Chess?” Tyler is also a professional magician and currently performs in "Speak Easy Magick" at the McKittrick Hotel alongside the best magicians in New York City.  Dan and Tyler discuss the recent success of his companies, the similarities between chess and magic, his frustration with misoriented chess boards, and about the time he “beat” GM Hikaru Nakamura at chess in an energy drink commercial. Follow Tyler on Twitter and Instagram. -- “One Move at a Time,” is a monthly US Chess podcast in which Dan Lucas, the Senior Director of Strategic Communication, talks to people who are advancing the US Chess mission statement to “Empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess.” Listen to the whole family of US Chess podcasts at https://new.uschess.org/podcasts

Welcome to the February 2022 edition of “One Move at a Time,” the US Chess podcast in which Dan Lucas, the Senior Director of Strategic Communication, talks to people who are advancing the US Chess mission statement to “Empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess.” Our guests today represent the Manasota Chess Center in Sarasota, Florida.  Nicholas Lewis is the Executive Director and Grandmaster Pascal Charbaneau supports the coaching and advisory team. Nicholas is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He has held diverse professional roles since graduation, which included professional violinist and conductor, software developer, copyright coordinator, Wikipedia administrator, product lead for Minds.com and, most recently, founder and executive director of the Manasota Chess Center. Nicholas discovered chess during his freshman year at college, when he began playing with his college piano instructor,  which led to his piano lessons ending and morphing into weekly chess lessons instead. Nick later joined the college chess club and eventually became the president.  Under his leadership, the club held numerous tournaments, and grew from just eight to over 30 members. After graduation, Nicholas moved to Sarasota, Florida.  He worked in the technology field for three years, before reinvigorating his passion for playing and teaching chess. During this time, he began pursuing the launch of a local community chess center in Sarasota.  The result of his efforts culminated with the formation in June 2021 of the Manasota Chess Center.  Today the Manasota Chess Center has grown to more than 50 members, and it now delivers a wide range of chess programs and activities that include monthly US Chess tournaments, chess study groups, and private and group chess lessons from US Chess certified coaches. Additionally, the coaching/advisory team includes two GMs, Pascal Charbonneau and Akshayraj Kore. One of those GMs is joining us today. Pascal Charbonneau has twice been the Canadian Champion and he won over a dozen national championships as a junior. Pascal attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County on a scholarship when the chess team won the national championship four years in a row. He graduated in 2006 magna cum laude with a degree in financial economics and a secondary focus in Russian. After 2006, Pascal aimed his attention to the financial world. From 2008 to 2019 he worked at a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund as a key member of a small investment team.  He is currently senior portfolio manager with Vazirani Asset Management, an event-driven hedge fund. 

This bonus episode of the GRID offers a fascinating discussion between Jen Shahade and quant sports trader & US Chess expert Ella Papanek. A recent graduate of Harvard University, Ella works at the Susquehana International Group (SIG), a global quantitative trading firm in the Philly area. Her interests span from chess to poker to sports, and of course-... The post The Grid 061.5 Bonus Episode ft. Ella Papanek appeared first on The Poker Grid.

US Chess expert and quant sports trader Ella Papanek joins Jennifer Shahade on Ladies Knight for a fascinating discussion. A recent graduate of Harvard University, Ella works at the Susquehana International Group (SIG), a global quantitative trading firm in the Philly area. Her interests span from chess to poker to sports, and of course- statistics, her major...

Welcome to the December 2021 edition of “One Move at a Time,” the US Chess podcast in which Dan Lucas, the Senior Director of Strategic Communication, talks to people who are advancing the US Chess mission statement to “Empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess.”     Our guest today is Grandmaster Maxim Dlugy,  joining me in person from the 2021 National K-12 Grade Championships.  He is here doing a simul, all-comers blitz, and lecture. He was born in Moscow when it was still in the Soviet Union, and arrived with his family in the United States in 1977. He won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1985 andwas awarded the Grandmaster title in 1986 for his result at the World Chess Olympiad in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dlugy was formerly ranked number one in the world by the World Blitz Chess Association. His best finishes in the U.S. Championship were 3rd place finishes in 1984 and 87. He was elected president of the United States Chess Federation in 1990. Dlugy was one of the campaign managers, along with Garry Kasparov, for Anatoly Karpov when he ran for FIDE President in  2010. 

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

​Welcome to the November 2021 edition of “One Move at a Time,” the US Chess podcast in which Dan Lucas, the Senior Director of Strategic Communication, talks to people who are advancing the US Chess mission statement to “Empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess.” Our guest today is Brian Karen. Originally from Merrick, Long Island, Brian discovered chess around the age of 16 in the mid-80s. While in high school, he worked at the computer chess store, Your Move. After college graduation, he worked with emotionally disturbed children for 5 years at a group home/assessment center, but around 1997 he started teaching chess, which he has done ever since, often 7 days a week. He considers himself more chess fan than player, and he is passionate about chess history. When he studies, it is more for entertainment then improvement. As a chess player, he has hovered at 2100 for a few decades and has the FIDE CM title. He can even claim to have played a very young Nakamura and Caruana, among other Nassau Chess Club regulars. Brian's chess life includes playing internet chess since the 1980s, being one of the first ICC admins circa 1993, broadcasting the first tournament on the internet, providing beginner commentary on the IBM site for the deep blue match, and broadcasting the 1995 Anand – Kasparov world championship match from a glass booth above the players in the World Trade Center.  I came to know Brian through Facebook, where he founded and administers the chess book collectors group , which has 43,000 members, and the fide world championship 2021 group, which boasts 56,000 members.  He is also a former US Chess volunteer on our scholastic council.   Make sure to subscribe to our family of podcasts on Google Podcasts, iTunes, or Spotify!  ​

Today's guest on Cover Stories with Chess Life is the author of our November 2021 cover story on the U.S. Open, which he won with a dominating performance and score of 8½/9. More recently, he finished in shared fourth through sixth place at the 2021 U.S. Championship, his +1 score leaving him just a half-point outside the playoff won by GM Wesley So. GM Alex Lenderman is one of America's top grandmasters, and his story is one of long, hard work paying off with success. US Chess records have him playing nearly 1200 tournaments since 2001, including seemingly every event in the NYC area for many years. These include dozens of New York Masters rapid events, and closer to my heart, two Nassau Chess Club championships in 2007 and 2008. Today he has a bachelor's degree from Webster University, where he was on their fabled chess team, and having – I think – just graduated, he is looking to a very bright future.

Most editions of Cover Stories with Chess Life follow the same pattern: each month we talk to the author of our cover story. This month, however, is a little different. Dan Lucas, former editor of Chess Life and now our Senior Director of Strategic Communication, got back in the saddle for his December 2020 cover story on John D Rockefeller V and his $3 million gift to US Chess. Now, Dan's employment with US Chess wouldn't prevent him from appearing on this podcast, which he used to host. But Dan now hosts another podcast, One Move at a Time, where this month's guest will be none other than John Rockefeller. This left me in a bit of a quandary. Obviously I didn't want to reinvent the wheel and drag Dan onto my show, where naturally he'd use his best material and leave nothing for his own. So who could I ask to pinch-hit? Who could be interesting enough to fill such big shoes? Ben Johnson is a national master, a chess teacher, and, in a former life, he was a poker player of some repute. Now he is best known to chess fans around the world as the host of the Perpetual Chess Podcast, a weekly show where Ben interviews chess players and personalities both famous and... well, those of the likes of me. It's a must-listen, and it's one of the first things I check each Tuesday when I sit down at my desk to work. Ben and his guests cover a lot of ground in their talks, ranging from improvement to books to chess culture, and in what follows, I'll try to drag out the very best of what Ben has learned in his over 200 episodes of Perpetual Chess, and also get a deeper sense of what Ben is like when he's not in his basement, behind his recording equipment.

US Chess is pleased to announce our first podcast, “Cover Stories with Chess Life.” This monthly podcast, hosted by Director of Publications and editor of Chess Life Daniel Lucas, goes in depth and behind the scenes with the author of each month's cover story. First up with our April edition is FM Mike Klein of chess.com, who wrote our 2018 U.S. Championship Preview. Extra features are included, such as “Checking in with Jen” in which our Senior Digital Editor Jennifer Shahade discusses what is new and coming up on US Chess News at uschess.org as well as our social media networks. And don't miss your chance at winning a $50 gift certificate to USCFSales.com! Listen to our monthly cover trivia contest sponsored by US Chess Sales within the podcast and send in your answer to letters@uschess.org. The winner will be randomly drawn from all correct answers.  

The February 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 IM Eric Rosen, who not only took the cover photo that graces our February issue and the inside article photos, but who also did a Twitter takeover for US Chess from the London championship venue. Extra features include “Checking in with Jen” in which our Senior Digital Editor Jennifer Shahade discusses what is new and upcoming on CLO at uschess.org/clo as well as our social media networks, including YouTube, where you can find the video of Timur Gareyev “chess-diving.” This month, Jennifer discusses the U.S. Amateur Team events and a brand new elite women's event on the U.S. calendar: the Cairns Cup at the Saint Louis Chess Club, which will be the strongest women's event in US Chess history. We also discuss Jen's brand new podcast Ladies Knight, which drops on the third Tuesday of every month. 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 have a profile of Dewain Barber, the Dean of Scholastic Chess, written by Al Lawrence. Send in your questions now for Al Lawrence or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy.

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.  

The April 2019 edition of “Cover Stories with Chess Life” is now live! This monthly podcast, hosted by Senior Director of Strategic Communication Daniel Luc This month, we talk to GM Robert Hess, our "In the Arena" columnist and the author of this month's cover story about Hikaru Nakamura's Grand Chess Tour triumph. Hess is also a popular online commentator and Twitch streamer. “The Skittles Room” is our monthly segment in which we talk to people doing something interesting or of note within US Chess. Natasha Roberts, our Creative Content Coordinator at US Chess, talks about the changes she has implemented in Chess Life Kids magazine. 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 Chess Life will be releasing a special issued devoted to Women's Chess. Send in your questions now about this topic or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy.  as, goes in depth and behind the scenes for each month's cover story.

The May 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 of each month's Chess Life cover story. This month, we talk to WGM Tatev Abrahamyan about the her May Chess Life cover story on the inaugural Cairns Cup at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Tatev is also famous in the chess world for her love of penguins, so we surprise her with a penguin trivia quiz! Will she get 50% of the questions right to win a $50 gift certificate to US Chess Federation Sales for one of our loyal listeners? As the May issue is a special Women's issue, we also spend a lot of time talking about women in chess both nationally and internationally. “The Skittles Room” is our monthly segment in which we talk to people doing something interesting or of note within US Chess. This month we talk to our Creative Director Frankie Butler about the special work she did for this issue as well as the Women's Program logo she designed. 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 Chess Life cover story will be the USAT East and we'll be talking to Steve Doyle. Send in your questions now about this topic or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy. 

The June 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 of each month's Chess Life cover story. This month, we talk to Steve Doyle about the June Chess Life cover story on the USAT East by Al Lawrence. Doyle has been the long-time organizer of the most popular event on the US Chess calendar outside of our scholastic national championships. Doyle was the youngest ever president of US Chess in the 1980s and has recently retired from Aetna, now serving as the Mayor of Island Heights, New Jersey.   “The Skittles Room” is our monthly segment in which we talk to people doing something interesting or of note within US Chess. This month we talk to Ken Ballou, the chair of the US Chess Elections Committee, about our current Executive Board election.  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's Chess Life cover story will be the U.S. Championship and we'll be talking to GM Sam Shankland. Send in your questions now about this topic or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy. Make sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify!  

The July 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 of each month's Chess Life cover story. This month, we talk to GM Sam Shankland about the July Chess Life 2019 U.S. Championship cover story. The defending champ penned a personal perspective of the event from Saint Louis.   “The Skittles Room” is our monthly segment in which we talk to people doing something interesting or of note within US Chess. This month we talk to Pete Karagianis, the Assistant Director of Events for US Chess and the host of our Chess Underground podcast which drops on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Pete and I discuss the upcoming U.S. Open which will be held in Orlando, Florida this August 3-11. 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's Chess Life cover story will be the spring scholastic national championships and we'll be talking to the legendary Bruce Pandolfini. Send in your questions now about this topic or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy. Make sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify!  

The August 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 of each month's Chess Life cover story. This month, we talk to Bruce Pandolfini about the August Chess Life 2019 spring nationals cover story. Pandolfini, who has been a Chess Life columnist for over 40 years, describes this year's event, reminisces about past events, and talks about the many books he has authored. During the podcast, Pandolfini mentions a puzzle he uses: How many knights can be placed on a chessboard in such a way that none attack the other? ANSWER SPOILER ALERT: The answer is 32, since as long as all the knights are placed on all of the dark squares or all of the light squares, no other knight will be attacked by a knight. When a knight moves, it always moves to an opposite-color square.   “The Skittles Room” is our monthly segment in which we talk to people doing something interesting or of note within US Chess. This month we talk to Chief Editor Tim Just about the release of the US Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess, 7th Edition.  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's Chess Life cover story will be the U.S. Senior Championship and we'll be talking to GM Joel Benjamin. Send in your questions now about this topic or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy. Make sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify!

The November 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 of each month's Chess Life cover story. This month we talk to GM Joel Benjamin about his remembrance of GM Pal Benko, who died in August 2019 at the age of 91. We discuss his personal memories of Pal and go into more detail about the Benko Gambit. 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's cover story will be about our 80th Anniversary of US Chess. Send in your questions now about this topic or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy. Make sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify!

The December 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 of each month's Chess Life cover story. This month we talk to Al Lawrence (our first four-time guest!) about his cover story on the 80th anniversary of US Chess. 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's cover story will be about our U.S. Women's Champion Jennifer Yu, and our guest will be the article's author, Jamal Abdul-Alim. Send in your questions now about this topic or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy. Make sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify!

The June edition of “Cover Stories with Chess Life” is now live! This monthly podcast, now hosted by Chess Life and Chess Life Online Editor John Hartmann, goes in depth and behind the scenes of each month's Chess Life cover story. This month's guest is GM Jesse Kraai, who wrote the cover story on "Chess & Coronavirus" for our June issue.  While the main topic of discussion is chess in the age of COVID-19, we also talk about his book Lisa: A Chess Novel, his ideas on improvement, and his work with Chess Dojo. GM Kraai also recorded an audio version of his cover story, which can be heard in this video at our YouTube channel. Congratulations to Mario García González who was the winner of the "Best Question" contest. Mario receives a $50 gift certificate from uscfsales.com for submitting his question. Keep an eye on US Chess social media at Facebook and Twitter for a chance to win next month, when we interview IM Vignesh Panchanatham for the July edition of "Cover Stories."  

The December 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 with the author of each month's cover story. This month, we talk to Jennifer Vallens, who wrote our cover story about the challenges of chess parenting. Jennifer founded OFF da ROOK Entertainment in 2013 and runs scholastic tournaments in Southern California.  Jennifer serves on the Board of the Southern California Chess Federation, the Karpov International Chess School, and Chess Journalists of America.  She is the author of several published articles in New In Chess and Chess Life magazines, as well as articles in ChessBase.  She manages worldwide events,  publicity and promotion for GM Timur Gareyev.  She has a background in marketing and enjoys creating opportunities to unite the chess community. When she is not working in chess, she teaches Yoga and runs Mental Health support groups for those in Treatment and Recovery.  She resides in Westlake Village, California with her husband, two sons, and dog. Extra features include “Checking in with Jen” in which our Senior Digital Editor Jennifer Shahade discusses what is new and upcoming on CLO at uschess.org/clo as well as our social media networks, including YouTube, where you can find the video of Timur Gareyev "chess-diving." This month, Jennifer recaps the World Chess Championship and the upcoming National K-12 Grade Championships. Dan and Jennifer also talk about the new job opening at US Chess for a Digital Editor.   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 cover the Silver medal winning US Olympiad team with GM Maurice Ashley, so send in your questions for him or anything about Chess Life that strikes your fancy.