Dear Chess Friend,

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with grandmaster Jan Timman. One of the world’s leading players during the 80’s and 90’s, Jan was at some point considered the best non-Soviet chess player in the world, acquiring the nickname “The Best of the West”. Jan is also an active chess author and composer, and still spends much of his time creating endgame studies. However, at 72 years of age, Jan is far from a spent force in competition: with a FIDE rating of 2527, Jan is currently gearing up to participate in his seventeenth Dutch championship, of which he has won nine in the past.

Together with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Jan reflects on his experiences as a world-class player, his encounters with eccentric figures like Hein Donner, and his preparatory work for what may just be his tenth national championship.

0:00 – Intro

2:02 – Participating in the Dutch national championship again

4:03 – How did Jan work on his chess in the pre-computer era?

11:44 – Hein Donner stories

23:05 – Max Euwe stories

26:00 – Jan’s father’s initial objections to his chess career

29:25 – Jan’s brother, FIDE master Ton Timman

31:17 – AD BREAK

31:48 - Winning his first national championship fifty years ago, dominating the Dutch chess scene

35:41 – The rise (and stagnation) of rival Dutch players like Piket, Van Wely, Nikolic and Sokolov

38:07 – Gearing up for his first Dutch championship in 18 years

42:19 – When did Jan achieve his peak?

43:44 – What were Jan’s weaknesses as a player?

45:06 – Why did Jan’s contemporaries not achieve the same success?

47:00 – Does Jan still enjoy the game as much as before?

48:08 – Jan’s passion for composing endgame studies

50:36 – The upcoming Dutch championship

52:31 – Jan’s dream tournament and Kasparov's menacing stare

56:02 – Outro