Jacob is arguably the most versatile chess professional in the world. At the risk of turning this episode description into an essay, we'll summarise his activities. Jacob is a grandmaster who occasionally still feels the lure of competitive chess; a prolific and successful writer, who has authored more than twenty books; a chess publisher; a coach for world-class players such as Boris Gelfand, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Sam Shankland and many names that are supposed to remain a secret; the proprietor of the Killer Chess Training brand; and, last not but least, the owner of the New In Chess Group, which comprises New In Chess, Quality Chess, Everyman Chess, Popular Chess and Elevation Chess. In short, he is the boss of everyone involved in the production of this podcast. 

Together with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Jacob talks about his ambitions and plans for the near future, and anything else that pops up. These include his predictions for the upcoming Candidates Tournament in Cyprus and his thoughts about the new Netflix documentary Untold: Chess Mates, about the controversy between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann that made headlines all over the world. Will Carlsen and Niemann finally speak freely and clarify what really happened?

0:00 – Intro

2:11 – How does Jacob coordinate his many top-level roles in the chess world?

14:42 – Jacob compares the different publishers under his umbrella

24:22 – Daniel Naroditsky’s brilliance as a chess author and educator

29:36 – AD BREAK

30:09 – Jacob previews some other chess books in the pipeline

31:19 – How chess literature has developed throughout the computer age

36:53 – The genius of Mikhail Tal

38:26 – Jacob’s Killer Chess Training platform

48:48 – AD BREAK

49:47 – The Carlsen – Niemann saga

1:00:17 – The upcoming Candidates Tournament

1:10:02 – Some football talk

1:12:35 – Pragg

Judit is universally considered the greatest female chess player of all time. After breaking Bobby Fischer's record to become the youngest grandmaster of all time at age 15, she topped the women's rankings for 25 years, from 1989 until her retirement in 2014. She is the only female player to have every broken into the world top 10. Over the course of her career, she amassed victories over no fewer than eleven current or former World Champions in classical or rapid chess. 

With a life so filled with records, firsts and extraordinary achievements, it should come as no surprise that a Netflix documentary about her unique career has come out. "Queen of Chess" was directed by Rory Kennedy, daughter of late US attorney general Bobby Kennedy, and focuses on her strict upbringing and her intense matches with then-World Champion Garry Kasparov.

A second topic of conversation is Judit's relationship with the late Jan Timman, who passed away a few weeks ago and with whom Judit had a strong relationship, having had many training sessions together, as well as a shared love for endgame studies. 

0:00 – Intro

2:26 – How did “The Queen of Chess” come about?

11:48 – Did Judit have any doubts about Kasparov’s participation in the film?

20:11 – How does Judit look back on being the “guinea pig” of her father’s experiment?

24:40 – AD BREAK

25:12 – Mr. Polgar has no regrets!

27:02 – The influence of Judit’s husband Gustav

30:40 – How does Judit remember the late and great Jan Timman?

37:53 – Judit’s words of encouragement for talented young women

41:02 – AD BREAK

42:00 – Was Judit intimidated by Kasparov?

46:17 – Judit and Timman’s shared passion for the artistry of chess

53:43 – Outro

Jon is a grandmaster and a prolific journalist, who has worked for Reuters as a chess correspondent, and has written many stories for New In Chess. He has been active in the chess world for decades, wearing a multitude of hats; n fact, if you want to know who is who in a chess press room, then the gentleman with the hat is usually Jon Tisdall. Jon is also the author of the widely acclaimed book Improve Your Chess Now, and he is working on a new book in collaboration with stand-up comedian (and chess fanatic) Nick Doody.

Jon was present in Wijk aan Zee to witne respective players' performances. ss Uzbeki Nodirbek Abdusattorov win the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. Together with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, he recaps the event and its

Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

0:00 – Intro

3:02 – Nodirbek and Sindarov

6:15 – Jonathan reviews some strange moves and decisions from Wijk aan Zee

9:35 – Hans’s mentality

11:15 – Abdusattorov’s strong performance

12:40 – Jonathan’s personal relationship with Arjun Erigaisi

16:25 – Why does Erigaisi perform so poorly in Wijk aan Zee?

19:56 – Jorden van Foreest’s performance

23:45 – Controversy around the time control in Wijk aan Zee

27:42 – Matthias Bluebaum’s strong development

29:20 – AD BREAK

29:52 – How strong is Gukesh right now?

35:28 – The role of psychology in chess

40:10 – Dirk Jan tells a story about the Spassky-Korchnoi match

44:51 – AD BREAK

45:43 – The Uzbeki revolution: why hasn’t Norway followed suit?

58:00 – Jon’s previous and upcoming books

1:07:41 - Outro 

This podcast was recorded in the early afternoon of Thursday, January 29, 2026, on the third and final rest day of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. Loek has spent the past two weeks in Wijk aan Zee, coaching Dutch GM Max Warmerdam in the Challengers group while keeping an eye on the Masters. With three rounds to go, Uzbekistan’s top player Nodirbek Abdusattorov is leading the Tata Steel Masters, half a point ahead of three pursuers: his countryman Javokhir Sindarov, Jorden van Foreest (winner in 2021) and Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum.

The New In Chess Podcast is coming at you with unprecedented urgency this week! Enjoy.

0:00 – Intro

1:40 – Welcome back once again, Loek!

4:47 – Loek criticises the tournament’s time control

11:58 – Is the FIDE tournament calendar too busy these days?

22:44 – Do players really care about Freestyle?

25:08 – AD BREAK

26:01 – Anish’s bad tournament

28:40 – Bluebaum’s strong performance thus far

31:23 – Jorden’s strong play so far

33:40 – The Uzbeki stars: Abdusattorov and Sindarov

36:35 – Erdogmus, the young superstar: how serious should we take him?

46:40 – Vasyl Ivanchuk’s performance in the Challengers

50:33 – AD BREAK

51:34 – The rest of the Challengers group

54:25 – Abdusattorov: a safe bet with three rounds to go?

56:30 – Hans

59:43 – Loek’s master plan to overtake Erwin l’Ami in the Dutch rating list

1:04:50 – Fedoseev’s beautiful Rc3 against Erigaisi!

1:06:30 – Outro

Peter Svidler can look back on an incredible career as a player and he is one of the most knowledgeable and versatile experts in the world of chess. He is a three-time Candidate for the World Championship, an eight-time champion of Russia, and a World Cup winner. Among his many further successes are five gold team medals at the Olympiad.

Over the past years, as he began to play less, Peter has become one of the most popular chess commentators in the world. In fact, it’s fair to say that he was one of the commentators that took chess broadcasts to a new level.

For all these reasons, Peter is a perfect guest at the start of 2026, as we look ahead to a well-filled chess year that no doubt will bring us many highlights.

First, Peter looks back on the Rapid & Blitz World Championships in Doha, where Magnus Carlsen won the title in both time controls for the fifth time in his career.

Next, he talks about the Tata Steel tournament that starts tomorrow in Wijk aan Zee, the world-famous village on the Dutch coast. And, of course, he also touches on the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus in the first half of April.

Peter is an easy talker, who happily shares his stories and insights about many leading and upcoming great chess players.

How does he see Magnus’s new victory? What is his take on rising stars Yazig Erdogmus and Faustino Oro? Or on Vincent Keymer, Anish Giri, Javokhir Sindarov, Leinier Dominguez, World Champion Gukesh and the other Indian stars?

You’ll hear about all of them and many more. If you’d like to warm up for the Tata Steel Masters and Challengers and get into the mood for more highlights in 2026, this episode of the New In Chess Podcast is a good place to begin. Don’t miss it!

The New In Chess Podcast is brought to you by DGT, the chess innovators. DGT is the only brand that provides everything you need to broadcast the games of a chess event - from chess clocks to sensory chess boards.

2:05 – Peter’s recap of the World Rapid and Blitz

3:50 – Which “new kids on the block” did Peter follow with particular interest?

10:36 – Peter’s match against Erdogmus

20:49 – Magnus’s outrageous Messi comparison

23:16 – AD BREAK

23:55 – Is it unwise for Oro to play in the Masters group in Wijk aan Zee?

27:20 – Keymer’s great form going into Wijk aan Zee

28:17 – Anish Giri

30:53 – Gukesh

33:36 – Why Peter thinks this World Championship cycle will be more exciting than before

40:15 – Jakovhir Sindarov’s dark horse status

42:56 – Fabiano Caruana’s chances

47:35 – Pragg

47:57 – AD BREAK

51:34 – What can we expect from Ivanchuk in Wijk aan Zee?

54:30 – Does Peter miss playing competitive chess?

59:03 – How has Uzbekistan become such a strong chess country?

1:02:53 – Will the “India conveyor belt” ever stop?

1:04:14 – What is the current state of chess overall according to Peter?

Matthew returns to the New In Chess Podcast to look back on the year that’s almost behind us and cautiously look ahead to the year we’re about to enter.

Matthew Sadler is a two-time British Champion, a streamer, a YouTuber, an expert in chess engines, and a prolific writer. The best-selling Game Changer, co-authored with Natasha Regan, on AlphaZero’s groundbreaking chess strategies and the promise of AI, was one of the most successful and talked about books of the past years.

These days Matthew is an IT Consultant, but he makes no secret of the fact that he fills his spare time with as much chess as possible. And although the FIDE rating list no longer has him as an active player, his FIDE rating still hovers eerily close to 2700.

In fact, Matthew might very well be the strongest amateur chess player in the world.

Last but not least, Matthew is the highly popular book reviewer of New In Chess Magazine.

For all these reasons, Matthew was invited to return to the New In Chess Podcast - to talk about the best books that came out and to discuss general tendencies and developments in the chess world.

Matthew is a great conversationalist and storyteller. You’ll enjoy his stories about 19th century Scottish-American Master Captain Mackenzie, Yugoslav legends Albin Planinc and Dragoljub Velimirovic, the benefits and dangers of AI, and much more.

Don’t miss it!

0:00 – Intro

2:55 – Matthew’s tells the story of Captain Mackenzie

12:14 – AD BREAK

12:52 – Matthew’s favourite books of 2025

15:30 – The forgotten genius of Albin Planinc

17:50 – Velimirovic

21:40 – Chess history’s tendency to forget non-world champion players

23:50 – David Bronstein

26:40 – Sergio Mariotti

33:42 – AD BREAK

34:45 – Matthew previews the Candidates Tournament 

37:55 - Vincent Keymer   

38:58 - Javokhir Sindarov

40:38 - Who are Matthew's favourites to win the Candidates?

43:50 – Why 2026 will look very different in terms of top level chess

49:21 – Has Freestyle been a success in 2025?

53:05 – AD BREAK

53:47 – Matthew’s field of expertise: computer chess!

55:48 – Why humans are moving towards a more engine-like style of play

1:03:45 – Is the Benoni still alive?

1:05:10 – Is English chess entering a new Golden age?

1:09:00 – Outro

"Luka" is another lesser-known name in the Essential catalogue, but his story is no less interesting. Coming from a working-class background, Genna describes how "with his independent character, recklessness, and his entire manner of behaviour, he somehow did not fit in with the academic regime of tournaments on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and theoretical lessons on Fridays. His sole trainer became play itself."  

Lutikov's recklessness translated to the chessboard, where he was an attacking player feared by everyone in the Soviet chess elite, and beyond. When a fifteen-year old American boy named Bobby Fischer visited Moscow for a series of blitz matches, he crushed several masters in a row before the "big guns" were called in. Luka showed up and beat the youngster 20/30.

Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

Of course, Jan Timman is primarily known as the most successful Dutch chess player of the past fifty years; a world-class player who won countless elite tournaments and rose to second place in the world rankings in 1982.

However, in recent years, after Covid, Jan’s appearances as a player had become less frequent, and a few weeks ago he announced in an interview with Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, that he has ended his active career as a player.

As Honorary Editor, Jan continues to write for New In Chess Magazine, but he will no longer seek the tension and excitement of the chess arena.

And one thing Jan will definitely not forego is the pleasure of endgame studies! As he puts it in our talk, during the last 10 years endgame studies have actually been the most important part of his chess life.

In 2011, Jan wrote his first book on endgame studies: The Art of the Endgame, My Journeys in the Magical World of Endgame Studies. And last year he paid tribute to all the great composers who have inspired him, and wrote 100 Endgame Studies You Must Know.

And now Jan has written Timman’s Studies, My Collected Endgame Studies and their Origins. As said, it’s a thick book of more than 450 pages and it contains 186 of his endgame studies composed in a period of more than half a century, between 1971 and 2025. What’s more, the final chapter, with 31 studies in total, consists entirely of new work.

If you’re interested in studies and what they mean to Jan Timman, this is certainly a podcast for you.

Don’t miss this talk with one of the modern legends of our game.

The New In Chess Podcast is brought to you by DGT, the chess innovators. DGT is the only brand that provides everything you need to broadcast the games of a chess event - from chess clocks to sensory chess boards.

The New In Chess podcast can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and the New In Chess website.

To leave a comment go to our socials or e-mail us directly at podcast@newinchess.com.

0:00 – Intro

4:10 – Jan’s lifelong passion for endgame studies

5:57 – Jan tells stories about his father, Max Euwe and Paul Keres

12:40 – Jan’s great admiration for fellow endgame composers like Troitsky, Kubbel and Kasparyan

17:40 – How Jan started composing endgame studies himself

23:09 – AD BREAK

23:41 – How much do we know about famous chess composers?

30:39 – Chess composers who were also strong players

35:12 – Composing chess studies without a board

37:27 – Why grandmasters are often appreciative of chess studies

42:49 – AD BREAK

44:50 – What can composers do to increase general interest in chess studies?

46:15 – Why studies are the most important part of Jan’s chess life these days

49:00 – Will endgame studies inevitably become more complicated?

51:40 – Will solving studies make you a better player?

53:41 – Outro

The World Cup started almost two weeks ago and will end on 27 November. There’s a lot at stake in Goa, as the top three finishers will qualify for the Candidates tournament in Cyprus next year (28 March-15 April).

There’s also an attractive prize-fund, with the winner taking home $120,000.

Loek had just returned from Goa, where he was the coach of Dutch GM Max Warmerdam and there was a lot to talk about. For instance, about the brutality of the knock-out system. After 4 rounds no fewer than 8(!) of the top 10 seeds have been eliminated, including the top-seed, World Champion Gukesh.

Was it wise for Gukesh to take part? And how regrettable is the elimination of Vincent Keymer, who has been playing such great chess this year? And what about Ian Nepomniachtchi, seeded 12th? Did he have a point when he complained that the conditions in Goa were not as they should have been?

If you want to hear Loek’s thoughts, you should not miss this episode of the New In Chess Podcast.

Or if you’d like to hear his views on a couple of other issues. Such as FIDE’s belated action against Vladimir Kramnik because of the pain and damage his obsessive ‘anti-cheating’ crusade has caused.

Or Loek’s role in the upcoming Global Chess League in Mumbai, where he will once again captain the defending champions’ team, the Triveni Continental Kings.

0:00 - Intro

2:05 - Coaching max Warmerdam at the World Cup 

7:36 - Nepo’s early knockout from the tournament and subsequent complaints about the accommodations

12:55 - Why have so many top seeds been knocked out of the World Cup already?

19:00 - Gukesh partaking in the World Cup despite not playing for a Candidates’ spot

24:54 - AD BREAK 

25:26 - Anish Giri's performance 

28:10 - Bluebaum, Donchenko and other German players 

32:00 - Nodirbek’s performance 

34:29 - Hans Niemann’s defeat against Lorenzo Lodici

40:06 - Jose Martinez 

43:05 - AD BREAK

44:08 - At this point, who does Loek think is the favourite to win the tournament?

47:55 - FIDE’s much belated action against Vladimir Kramnik 

50:46 - Working for Kramnik 

54:48 - AD BREAK

55:28 - Loek’s involvement in the Global Chess League 

Alvis was born in Riga, like his compatriot Misha Tal. And this was not all they shared in common. Like Tal, Vitolins was known for his brilliant sacrificial play. Before executing a speculative sacrifice, Tal would even say: "Let's play like Vitolins!" However, due to some personal hardships, Alvis never reached the title of grandmaster. He also did not play many international tournaments; however, in Latvia, he shone, winning several championships. He was also known for his contributions to the poisoned pawn variation of the Sicilian, which was extremely popular during that time.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

A hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Born in 1983, Ruslan embarked on his chess career as one of the most astonishing prodigies in history. When he was 12, he won the U18 European Championship, when he was 14, he became the youngest grandmaster in the world, the youngest ever at that time.

When he was 18, he won the FIDE World Championship by defeating his countryman Vasyl Ivanchuk in the final of the 2002 knock-out championship.

There are many reasons to have Ruslan on the New In Chess podcast, but the main reason this time is the victory earlier this week of the Ukrainian national team, with Ruslan on first board, at the European Team Championships in Batumi.

A victory that made his country proud in incredibly difficult times, as Ukraine continues to suffer day in day out after Russia’s brutal invasion three years ago.

Ruslan spoke from his home in the vicinity of Bilbao, the Basque city in the north of Spain where he settled some thirteen years ago and where he lives with his wife Ines and their two kids.

The conversation focused not only on the European Championship, but also about the situation in Ukraine, for those who remained and for those who are scattered around Europe.

And you’ll get to know more about the stars of the winning team, 16-year-old former prodigy Ihor Samunenkov from Kyiv, who excelled at the bottom board with a 2714 performance, and the amazing 36-year-old Igor Kovalenko, who interrupted a stay of more than two years at the war front to divert his mind at the chess board.

Igor Kovalenko contributed heavily to the team’s success with a 2827 performance and impressed and inspired his team mates with his optimism and fighting spirit before he returned to the front again to defend his country.

And there’s more, such as Pono’s view on FIDE’s half-hearted attitude towards his world title and his advice to chess prodigies. Don’t miss it!

0:00 - Intro 

2:36 – Ukraine’s emotional victory at the European Team Championships

5:05 – What were Ruslan’s expectations of the tournament, being that Ukraine was the 9th seed?

7:44 – How difficult was it to get the Ukrainian team together?

9:20 – Igor Kovalenko’s fantastic performance while also fighting in the war with Russia

18:13 – What role does the war play in Ruslan’s life?

21:26 – AD BREAK

22:00 – How complicated is it for Ruslan to have a Russian FIDE president?

24:30 – The composition of the Ukrainian team

30:25 – Ihor Samunenkov

35:25 – Ruslan celebrating his 42nd birthday on the rest day of the tournament

42:20 – Where was Vasyl Ivanchuk?

46:07 – AD BREAK

46:40 – How does this European victory compare to Ruslan’s two Olympiad wins?

50:50 – Becoming “best friends” with Garry Kasparov after finishing second behind him in Linnares

53:30 – The match with Kasparov that never took place

55:22 – FIDE’s weird attitude towards Ruslan’s world title reign

59:28 – What are Ruslan’s current chess ambitions?

1:04:00 – Does the life of a chess prodigy look much different than in Ruslan’s time?

1:05:34 – AD BREAK

1:06:35 – What does Ruslan do in his free time now?

1:11:08 – Ruslan calls upon the people of the world to support Ukraine

Alvis was born in Riga, like his compatriot Misha Tal. And this was not all they shared in common. Like Tal, Vitolins was known for his brilliant sacrificial play. Before executing a speculative sacrifice, Tal would even say: "Let's play like Vitolins!" However, due to some personal hardships, Alvis never reached the title of grandmaster. He also did not play many international tournaments; however, in Latvia, he shone, winning several championships. He was also known for his contributions to the poisoned pawn variation of the Sicilian, which was extremely popular during that time. 

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

A hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Erwin has been a chess professional for some twenty years now. Among his most notable successes are victories in the Reykjavik Open in 2015 and in the Dutch Championship in 2022.

Erwin loves to play in tournaments – that remains his biggest passion - but his chess activities expand into other areas as well. He’s a prolific writer, has made popular courses for Chessable, and is a highly respected trainer. In that role, he has been on Veselin Topalov’s world championship team and has worked with Anish Giri for many years.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Erwin talks about all things chess, from the current wave of Indian players to his own experience working with champions.

0:00 – Intro

1:55 – Welcome Erwin!

2:05 – Previewing the upcoming European Team Championship

4:00 – How Erwin has maintained his passion for chess

10:53 – Erwin’s strong performance in this year’s Tata Steel Tournament

17:40 – Going from commentator to participant in Malmö

19:25 – The eccentricities of Vasyl Ivanchuk

24:00 – The incredible talent of Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus

26:45 – AD BREAK

27:19 – Faustino Oro

31:40 – How computer chess continues to evolve

36:25 – Freestyle

37:42 – The indefatigable new generation of Indian players

41:20 – Working closely with Veselin Topalov

46:40 – AD BREAK

47:20 – The Topalov – Kramnik controversy

50:15 – Cheating

52:45 – Working closely with Anish Giri

58:01 – AD BREAK

59:01 – The FIDE Grand Swiss

59:25 – The impressive play of Matthias Bluebaum

1:02:29 – Hikaru’s rating strategy

1:04:35 – The World Cup

1:07:49 – Thank you Erwin!

1:08:02 – Outro

Jon, as he's commonly known, is a three-time British Champion and a two-time Candidate for the World Championship. In the Candidates, he has won matches against Nigel Short and Yasser Seirawan.

He was also successful with the English national team, as they twice finished second in the Olympiad, in Dubai in 1986 and in Thessaloniki in 1988, while finishing third in Novi Sad in 1990.

At the peak of his career Jon was a world top 10 player, his highest spot being number 5 in 1988. In 1987, he beat Garry Kasparov in a televised rapid game and then went on to win the event.

Jon has authored several acclaimed books and over the years he’s written literally hundreds and hundreds of chess columns. He was the chess columnist for The Independent and still is the chess columnist for the Observer. He also has a regular column on ChessBase. Besides writing about chess, Jon enjoys teaching students of all levels.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Jon Speelman takes a closer look at the main protagonists in the FIDE Grand Swiss and comments on their performances. In the process, he shares many memories from his own career at the highest level.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

0:00 – Intro

5:25 – Anish’s unbeaten performance at the FIDE Grand Swiss

6:35 – Keymer’s performance and final game against Bluebaum

8:56 – Bluebaum’s strength in open tournaments

9:40 – Jon’s own experience playing long tournaments

12:00 – Mishra’s performance and his future in chess

17:48 – Gukesh’s current reign as World Champion

20:38 – Jon’s expectations going into the Grand Swiss event

22:35 – The strong performances of Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum

24:47 – AD BREAK

25:26 – How does Jon feel about the way qualifications for the Candidates tournament are set up?

27:50 – Andy Woodward’s performance and his prowess at solving chess puzzles

32:25 – Did Jon practice tactics a lot during his playing career?

33:55 – Jon’s work as a trainer

36:30 – How did Jon go about writing chess books in the pre-engine era?

44:30 – Drunken Tal stories

48:37 – AD BREAK

49:47 – Previewing the Candidates Tournament

51:50 – Hikaru’s unorthodox approach to reaching the Candidates

58:06 – Jon’s wish list for the Candidates Tournament

59:41 – Hans Niemann’s performance

1:03:18 – How does Jon feel about freestyle?

1:09:00 – Music

1:11:54 - Outro 

Picking up where the last episode left off, the second half of the story focuses on Koblenz's contributions to chess beyond his mentorship of Mikhail Tal. He co-founded a chess magazine in Latvia, directed the chess club of Riga, and authored several books. What drove his passion for chess is what he himself described as creativity. It was this creativity that sustained his passion for chess well into his seventies, radiating a "joie de vivre" that his friends described as contagious. 

The story also goes deeper into Koblenz's national and ethnic identity. Born to a Jewish family in Latvia (later part of the Soviet Union) and fluent in German as well as Russian and Yiddish, Koblenz was described as belonging everywhere and nowhere. The fall of the Soviet Union shook him, as did the death of his most famous pupil Tal not long after. Nevertheless, his relentless energy and passion for chess never left him. As Genna jokes: had Koblenz been stranded on a deserted island, within a few years there would be chess tournaments, schools and booklets of his combinations.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

A hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

A four-time Latvian national champion, Alexander Koblenz (1916-1993) is best known as the coach of another, more famous Latvian: the eighth World Chess Champion, Mikhail Tal. Born into a prosperous Jewish family, Koblenz discovered at an early age that his profession would deviate from the well-trodden path laid out for him by his parents. At the age of nineteen, he began writing his first chess book, a hobby he would maintain for the rest of his life. There was also tremendous hardship: his mother and sister perished in World War II, and the annexation of Latvia by the Soviet Union brought its own set of challenges.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast! 

This episode is the second in a two-part story about late Soviet grandmaster Semyon Abramovich Furman (1920-1978). As the formative influence in the career of future World Champion Anatoly Karpov, Furman's own skills as a grandmaster have not always received the attention they deserve. At the age of 56, only eleven years after becoming grandmaster and a year before his death, he finished third in the Bad Leuterberg tournament of 1977, which was won by Karpov.

He also had many other interests. When bridge became popular in the 1960s, "Syoma" became obsessed with it. He was also an avid radio listener, a sometimes frowned-upon activity in the totalitarian former Soviet Union. But amongst all of his hobbies, chess always remained number one. And even after some of his pupils overtook him, Furman continued to be a coaching influence to them. Despite passing away a few months before the 1978 Karpov-Korchnoi match, his extensive work with both players made him a looming presence over the match. As Karpov later said: "I owe everything in chess to Furman."

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

A hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Willy Hendriks’s debut Move First, Think Later was an instant success. In a highly original and witty manner, the book looks at the sense and nonsense of methods to improve in chess. The book won the 2012 ECF Book of the Year Award and was runner-up in the 2012 ChessCafe.com Book of the Year competition.

In the meantime, Hendriks has written three more books, page turners that challenge the traditional view of chess history.

All three have met with wide acclaim. First there was On the Origin of Good Moves (2020), which was followed by The Ink War, Romanticism versus Modernity in Chess (2022), starring William Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort, and most recently, The Philosopher and the Housewife (2025), a riveting tale about Tarrasch, Nimzowitsch and the evolution of chess expertise.

Willy Hendriks is interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, who makes no secret of the fact that he is a big fan of his books: ‘But then, of course I am biased. I love chess, I love chess history and I like people with original thoughts and a sense of humour.’

The interview focuses both on Hendriks’s books, and on the article he wrote for the latest issue of New In Chess Magazine, entitled ‘Rewriting Chess History’.

The article is a heartfelt plea to look at chess history with fresh eyes and free ourselves of several misconceived ideas that became generally accepted because they were formulated by such greats as Emanuel Lasker.

So, more than enough to talk about! Enjoy the podcast!

The New In Chess podcast can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and the New In Chess website. To leave a comment go to our socials or e-mail us directly at podcast@newinchess.com.

0:00 – Intro

2:35 – Willy’s scepticism about chess history

6:30 – The story behind Willy’s work “Move First, Think Later”

12:55 – Misconceptions about chess improvement, according to Willy

15:20 – Steinitz, Lasker and the (often misconceived) origins of positional chess

20:40 – Lasker’s chess philosophy and style

25:43 – Why caricatures about chess players persist

27:25 – Richard Réti and the Tarrasch-Nimzowitsch feud

32:00 – AD BREAK

32:32 – Adolf Anderssen and the legacy of great 19th century players

38:10 – Willy’s criticism of historical ratings

44:00 – Zukertort and London 1883

47:40 – Romanticism vs modernism as a corollary to the struggle between chess amateurs and professionals in the late 19th century

53:20 – Willy’s use of wit and humour in his books

55:00 – AD BREAK

55:55 – Willy’s theory that the best way to study the historical development of chess is to look at openings

1:03:35 – What is Willy working on now?

This episode is the first in a two-part story about late Soviet grandmaster Semyon Abramovich Furman (1920-1978). A late bloomer in chess, who became grandmaster at the age of 45(!), Furman gradually made his way to the chess elite after the end of the Second World War. As a trainer, he is best known as a formative figure in the career of World Champion Anatoly Karpov, credited with developing the youngster's enormous talent. He also had other students, among which Genna, who refers to him as "essentially my only trainer".

Furman died in 1978 of cancer, just as Karpov was solidifying his dominance on the world stage. He is remembered as a brilliant mentor and theoretician, whose influence lived on through his students, including Genna.

The hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase in its entirety on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

Commonly known as Vishy, Anand is one of the greatest and most popular world champions in the history of chess, as well as one of its most admired and respected ambassadors. Although no one could blame him if he decided to rest on his laurels, Vishy remains active as a player – and he is still ranked number 13 in the world (2743), which is frankly incredible - but in the past years he has also taken on new roles.

He is Deputy Vice-President of FIDE and he is a partner in the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy in Chennai, where the cream of the highly successful young Indian generation is training and, no doubt, many youngsters whose names we do not yet know.

With a unique career like Anand’s, it’s impossible to do a career-spanning interview. Therefore Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam decided to focus on two particular events: the New Year’s tournament in Reggio Emilia (1991/92), which resulted in a sensational victory, and Anand’s personal favourite: the luxurious Amber rapid and blindfold events, held in Monaco.

0:00 – Intro

1:56 – Where does Vishy keep his countless trophies?

5:29 – Vishy recalls bursting onto the chess scene in the early 90’s, scoring victories over the world’s best

8:44 – Linares, Tilburg and Reggio Emilia 1991

17:49 – Being initially underestimated by the rest of the chess elite

22:35 – Linares 1992

26:16 – AD BREAK

26:48 – The Reggio Emilia tournaments

30:45 – Vishy’s experience of the first Amber chess tournament

40:00 – Joop van Oosterom, the billionaire sponsor of the Amber tournaments

42:30 – Why Kasparov didn’t play in the Amber tournaments

47:30 – Vishy describes finding a sort of refuge at the Amber tournaments

49:20 – AD BREAK

50:19 – “We have to talk about Lubo and John Nunn”

56:43 – Jeroen Piket

58:40 – Ivanchuk’s short-lived retirement

1:00:15 – Does Vishy see a future for blindfold chess?

1:03:15 – Vishy’s affinity for rapid chess

1:05:30 – Vishy’s memories of Reggio Emilia

Tania Sachdev is a two-time Indian Women’s Champion and she was a member of the Indian Women’s team that wrote history at the Budapest Olympiad last year, where they won the gold medals.

Probably most chess fans will know her as one of the most popular online chess commentators in the world. Armed with both the broad knowledge and deep insights of the professional, and the unbridled enthusiasm of the true chess lover, Tania can entertain and speak to audiences of all levels.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Tania Sachdev speaks about her family background, the unwavering support she got from her parents and the unforgettable peaks in her chess career. Naturally, she also speaks about her second career as a commentator that was launched when she was invited to be on the commentary team during the World Championship match between Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen in Chennai in 2013.

What is it that she loves in commentating? Why is she such a wonderful duo with Peter Leko? Why should the players engage more with the media? How can we capture the emotional moments in chess even better? Which are her favourite places on this earth and what has food go to do with it?

Tania loves talking and sharing stories and memories. You don’t want to miss them.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro

2:31 – Welcome Tania!

3:08 – Why Delhi means so much to Tania

5:55 – Getting to travel for her career

8:08 – Tania’s family background

11:02 – Falling in love with chess and entering competitions

16:48 – How did people react to Tania’s strong performances as a young girl?

19:10 – Tania’s oldest chess friends

21:45 – Did Tania have many doubts about pursuing chess professionally?

25:26 – Winning the Women’s Olympiad with India last year

30:23 – AD BREAK

30:55 – Tania’s commentating career

39:30 – How does Tania commentate boring games?

43:42 – The viral Magnus-Gukesh moment at Norway chess

45:32 – Gukesh’s crushing loss to Fabiano Caruana in Norway

48:30 – The evolution of online chess commentary and chess media

56:20 – Tania asks Dirk Jan about chess journalism back in the day versus now

58:40 – What would Tania like to see in terms of improving chess broadcasts?

1:01:41 – AD BREAK

1:02:41 – Tania advocates for the use of heartrate monitors during big tournaments

1:04:27 – Tania’s incredible commentating chemistry with Peter Leko

1:07:25 – Tania’s part in the Freestyle movement

1:15:15 – Tania recommends some Bollywood music to Dirk Jan

1:16:30 – Outro

James Altucher is an investor, a venture capitalist and a firm believer in AI and cryptocurrency. He’s also a bestselling author – you may know his book Choose Yourself – and he has a popular podcast with 50 thousand subscribers, The James Altucher Show. In his podcast, he dives into the world of entrepreneurship, personal development and out-of-the-box thinking. Or, as he puts it himself, he interviews the world’s peak performers in every area of life. 

James has been writing a column for New In Chess Magazine for the past four years, in which he describes his struggle to regain his old chess strength after he returned to our game following a ‘sabbatical’ of more than twenty years. His articles are witty, perceptive and full of humour and insights.

The interview, conducted by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, took place on the day when James was to be a co-commentator next to five-time World Champion Vishy Anand in the Norway Chess studio, a privilege he was thrilled about. With his contagious enthusiasm, he spoke about Anand and the other chess greats he has encountered, from Kasparov, Judit Polgar and Hikaru Nakamura to the legendary Sammy Reshevsky. 

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

0:00 – Intro

1:47 – Welcome James!

3:24 – Where does James’s natural curiosity come from?

5:00 – How James became obsessed with chess

9:15 – James’s memory of the late and great Samuel Reshevsky

10:25 – Did James ever aspire to a pro chess career?

12:52 – James’s hiatus from chess

16:05 – Does chess skill translate into other areas of life?

18:49 – What is James’s biggest achievement in business?

21:11 – James’s writing

30:36 – AD BREAK

31:09 – How The Queen’s Gambit got James back into chess

33:40 – The challenges of improving your chess at a later age

46:24 – What does James find special about chess players?

49:38 – Having chess superstars on his podcast

53:25 – Hikaru Nakamura’s entrepreneurial talent

58:11 – AD BREAK

59:11 – Robert Greene, the laws of power, and James’s next book

1:02:38 – James’s own tournament and writing for New In Chess

1:05:12 – Commentating alongside Vishy Anand

1:05:58 – Outro

Vladimir Gregorievich Zak (1913-1994) was the head coach of the Leningrad Pioneers' Palace, a premier chess institution in the Soviet Union, for forty years. He was known for his classical approach to chess, which emphasised self-analysis and disciplined study. His stall of pupils included several future grandmasters, including Boris Spassky, Viktor Korchnoi, Gata Kamsky, and of course, Genna Sosonko himself.

Despite his limited playing strength, Vladimir Zak has an enduring legacy as a teacher of chess. Genna explains why: a good teacher explains, a great teacher inspires. And Vladimir Zak was a great teacher. 

"The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko-hardcover 

I (Dirk Jan) spoke to David last week, in Prague, the city where he was born 40 years ago and where he still lives. Over the years, we met on many occasions, but for some inexplicable reason we never sat down for a proper interview.

Now we did and to begin with we returned to our first meeting, in 2001 at the European Team Championship in Leon, in the north of Spain, where 16-year-old David was one of the stars as he scored an impressive 7 out of 9. Even if we’d only just met, he kindly showed me three of his games, giving me a first taste of his phenomenal talent.

After this nice memory, David talked with great openness about his upbringing, his loving parents, the crises in his life, his Asperger and the comfort that he finds in religion.

Finally, we spoke about something that has been troubling him for many months now. How he was dragged into Vladimir Kramnik’s troubling crusade against cheating. Although Kramnik claims that he never accused David of any misbehaviour, he did include him in a list of seemingly suspect results. This greatly upset and angered David, who contacted FIDE, explained why in his view Kramnik’s insinuations were ridiculous and insulting, and urged them to undertake action against Kramnik.

So far, nothing has happened. Apart from a short message of support, FIDE’s reaction has been deafening silence.

We sincerely hope they will listen to this podcast and do what they should have done months ago: listen to one of their finest members and care about his well-being.

0:00 – Intro

2:43 – Welcome David!

3:05 – DJ’s first meeting with David in 2001

5:30 – David’s interest in foreign languages

8:05 – Where does David’s politeness come from?

10:15 – How does David cope with his Asperger's?

13:25 – The importance of religion in David’s life

19:05 – Despite his self-proclaimed laziness, how has David achieved such success in chess?

25:12 – Being the #1 Czech player for over 20 years

26:15 – David’s relationship with Thai Dai Van Nguyen

30:22 – How stressful is chess for David?

32:08 – AD BREAK

33:06 – Cheating allegations made by Vladimir Kramnik

46:56 – What did the allegations do to David?

52:05 – What does David expect from FIDE in this situation?

56:15 – AD BREAK

56:55 – Reaction from FIDE

1:10:15 – When is David’s next tournament?

A living chess legend, "The Best of the West" needs no introduction. As one of the world's leading players during the late Soviet era, Jan played and befriended a number of legendary players. Today's conversation centres specifically on two of his late colleagues, both of whom passed away recently: the former World Champion, Boris Spassky, and the father of Icelandic chess, Fridrik Olafsson. 

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam in his own chess library, old chess books and paraphernilia scattered around the area, Jan fondly rememers the lives and careers of his two late friends. 

0:00 – Intro

1:20 – Jan’s first meeting with Boris Spassky

4:05 – Jan’s assessment of Spassky as a person

5:55 – Spassky’s interest in Russian politics and history

8:30 – Spassky’s relationship with Fischer

14:40 – When Spassky was the best player in the world

19:28 – When Spassky fell ill during a match

22:50 – AD BREAK

23:47 – The rivalry with Korchnoi

27:33 – Spassky’s life in the aftermath of the Fischer match

30:52 – Spassky’s game against Kasparov at Linnares 1988

34:05 – The chaotic last years of Spassky’s life

37:38 – Jan’s first meeting with Fridrik Olafsson

43:45 – How strong was Olafsson?

45:46 – Olafsson’s relationship with Fischer

48:30 – Jan tells a drinking story with Fridrik Olafsson

51:24 – AD BREAK

52:03 – Olafsson’s attitude and position within Icelandic society

Kostya is one of the three "senseis" (teachers) at the ChessDojo, an international chess training program that Kostya runs together with fellow Americans GM Jesse Kraai and IM David Pruess. As a player, he is currently embarking on a "European tour", which has included the recent Reykjavik and Grenke tournaments. His next destination is Spain, where he will be attending the Killer Chess training camp organised by Jacob Aagaard.

Joining us from Hamurg, Germany, Kostya talks to Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam about the origins of the ChessDojo program, his GM ambitions, meeting Vasyl Ivanchuk and much more. Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro

2:08 – Why Kostya prefers playing in Europe

4:00 – The philosophy behind the Chess Dojo

9:58 – How did Kostya transition from playing to teaching?

11:25 – Drawing inspiration from Mark Dvorestky

12:55 – The Dojo’s online training plan

16:20 – If a player outgrows his teacher, can the teacher still be of use?

18:00 – Running into Dojo fans around the world

21:35 – How Kostya finds his training material

23:00 – Why Kostya does not necessarily think new books are better than the older ones

28:10 – Meeting Vasil Ivanchuk in Reykjavik

37:08 – AD BREAK

38:05 – The value of post-mortem analysis

41:00 – What eleven hours of analysis with Vasil Ivanchuk feels like

49:00 – Grenke

50:50 – The future of freestyle chess

54:40 – Did Kostya analyse the freestyle games from Grenke?

57:00 – Kostya’s trip to Spain to train with Jacob Aagaard

58:20 – AD BREAK

59:00 – Kostya’s quest to become a grandmaster

1:01:50 – Has teaching made Kostya a better player?

1:05:10 – Kostya’s bet with Dirk Jan

Efim Petrovich Geller (1925-1998) was a two-time Soviet chess champion and a six-time Candidate for the World Chess Championship. During the twenty-year period in which he was recognized as being a world top ten player, he faced ten different world champions, scoring victories against eight of them and even coming out with a positive overall score (+39-36=131). A natural attacking player who became more well-rounded as his career progressed, Geller was also known as an opening expert, contributing significantly to the emergence of the King's Indian Defence in top-level play. He was active as a coach, aiding future world champions Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov in their respective world championship match preparations. Genna, who ran into Geller several times over the years, paints a compelling portrait of the somewhat "underappreciated-by-history" grandmaster.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

This week's narration, which is the final part of a six-part series, examines the final phase of Tal's life. As his physical ailments mounted, Tal never "slowed down" his hedonistic lifestyle. Money was tight in his final years, but he never stopped relying on chess for his income, ultimately living off simuls and exhibitions. However, this did not diminish the legendary, near-mythical status that he achieved during his heyday. 

A hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Bessel is one of the founders of SWIFT, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which provides the main messaging network through which international payments are initiated. In the 1980's, Bessel organised the first SWIFT chess tournaments, which significantly raised the standards for chess professionalism. He befriended several of the world's strongest players, including Garry Kasparov. Together with them, he would go on to found the Grandmaster Association (GMA), an organisation aimed at creating "a high-quality environment for chess and to promote professional chess by grandmasters". Although the GMA would eventually disappear, Bessel kept his interest in chess while remaining active in other fields, such as film production and pro cycling. 

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam during the Prague Chess Festival, Bessel retells the story of the origins of the GMA, his relationship with Kasparov, and numerous anecdotes involving the greatest chess players of all time. 

0:00 – Intro

2:44 – Welcome Bessel!

4:26 – How Bessel became involved in chess

8:42 – The first SWIFT tournament

13:45 – The origins of the Grandmaster Association (GMA)

19:50 – Lubomir Kavalek, dawn of a “golden era”

24:50 – Start of the conflict between GMA and FIDE

30:30 – Kasparov’s vision for the GMA

32:12 – AD BREAK

32:52 – Kasparov breaks away from the GMA

41:16 – Bessel’s appreciation for chess players

44:44 – Bessel’s favourite: Misha Tal

46:50 – Bessel tells a Bobby Fischer story

54:21 – AD BREAK

55:19 – The Magnus vs FIDE conflict

58:10 – Chess vs cycling

1:01:30 – Bessel’s candidacy for FIDE president

1:04:10 – Bessel doesn’t see a leader in the chess world

1:05:35 – Outro

Peter Leko was extremely successful as a player. As a young kid of only 14 years, four months and 22 days, he became a grandmaster in 1994. This achievement made him the youngest grandmaster in the world at the time, breaking the old record of Judit Polgar. Peter rapidly grew into a world-class player and ultimately challenged for the world title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2004. This proved to be both a high in Leko’s career and a traumatic moment, as he was leading by one point going into the last game and dramatically lost that game, allowing Kramnik to retain the title. In 2025, Peter is no longer an active player and devotes himself to commentary and coaching, with Vincent Keymer as his most notable pupil.

In a lively and engaging conversation with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Peter speaks about his years as a chess prodigy, his greatest successes, the Kramnik match, freestyle and much more. Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

0:00 – Intro

2:45 – Welcome Peter!

4:04 – Difference between top level chess now versus in Peter’s prime

6:36 – Becoming the then-youngest grandmaster of all time at age 14, first encounters with Kasparov and Korchnoi

12:58 – Peter’s first Wijk aan Zee tournament in 1992, first games with Vishy Anand

16:48 – First big victories

20:51 – The “Adorjan years”

26:02 – Peter’s flawless memory

28:50 – Music

32:40 – How the Hungarian government persuaded Peter to play in the Olympiad

38:02 – Preparing for the Olympiad

47:19 – AD BREAK

47:50 – Peter’s World Championship match against Kramnik

57:15 – Aftermath of the Kramnik match

1:00:47 – Retirement

1:04:30 – Peter’s relationship with Vincent Keymer

1:09:00 – Commentary

1:14:21 – AD BREAK

1:15:14 – How does Peter prepare himself for commentary?

1:17:40 – Freestyle and Peter’s problem with FIDE time controls

1:24:30 – Peter’s relationship with Bobby Fischer

1:27:50 – Vincent Keymer’s fantastic Freestyle performance

1:30:00 – Why top players are gravitating towards Freestyle

1:39:27 – Outro

This week's narration, which is the fifth in a six-part series, chronicles the "second surge" of Tal's career, where he achieved over-the-board success despite having lost some of his trademark aggression. It also delves deeper into Tal's personality off-the-board. A mild-mannered freethinker, Tal was wary of the totalitarian Soviet regime of which he was a part, and always sought to maintain his independence without ruffling too many feathers "at home".

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, this week’s episode about Mikhail Tal is different from the two-part “My Misha” series from May of last year. Instead of an active participant, Genna is more of a background figure this time. However, this does not make his retelling of Tal’s stories any less vivid.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

Matthew Sadler is a two-time British Champion, a streamer, an expert in chess engines, a successful author and, as he is no longer a professional player – after all, he has a fulltime job in IT - he is often called the world’s strongest amateur. One of Matthew’s latest interests is humans taking on engines that give their opponents odds. Would you like to play an engine with an extra knight? Or rather with an extra queen? You’d be surprised how much you’d learn from those games, as Matthew explains with his contagious enthusiasm.

He also looks at the recent Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee, won by an impressive Praggnanandhaa, and the first leg of the new Freestyle Grand Slam that took place in Weissenhaus. While Vincent Keymer stunned Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana to claim the $200,000 first prize, the event also led to heated chess-political discussions around the globe.

0:00 – Intro

2:16 – Matthew’s fascination with recent odds games played by chess engine Leela

9:02 – Has Matthew been following Freestyle chess?

17:08 – Tata Steel

22:37 – Which recent books have especially impressed Matthew?

29:36 – The erosion of strategic principles in favor of pure calculation in the computer era

36:14 – AD BREAK

36:45 – Matthew’s love for historical chess books

39:25 – The legacy of lesser-known players like Efim Bogoljubow, David Janowski and Frank Marshall

45:00 – Matthew’s love for Zukertort and dislike for Steinitz

46:55 – The GOAT debate and why Matthew thinks the “Big Three” debate is unfair

53:24 – AD BREAK

54:21 – How modern chess does not require “classic chess education”

55:53 – The influence of Kasparov’s “modern” opening preparation

57:48 – Matthew previews the year 2025 and his expectations for Gukesh, Pragg, Keymer and Nodirbek

1:05:00 – The Gideon Ståhlberg biography

1:07:06 - Outro 

One of our return guests, Loek needs no introduction for our regular listeners. An eight-time Dutch national champion, Loek had his career peak in 2001, when he made it to the world top 10 with a rating of 2714. Besides his own achievements on the chess board, Loek is a successful coach, who has worked with stars like Gata Kamsky, Vladimir Kramnik (2007), Veselin Topalov, and more recently with the Italian national team and Dutch grandmaster Max Warmerdam.

With an incredible 25 appearances in the Masters group, Loek is the most experienced Tata Steel Chess Tournament player alive. Interviewed by Dirk Jan Ten Geuzendam, he looks back on the performances of several top players at this year’s event, while also recalling several legendary Wijk aan Zee moments and traditions.

0:00 – Intro

2:23 – Why Loek is the ultimate Wijk aan Zee expert

8:38 – Differences between Wijk aan Zee now versus in the past

10:50 – Loek guesses Wijk aan Zee record holders

12:20 – Loek reflects on his own best and worst Wijk aan Zee experiences

15:42 – “Handshake-gate”

19:23 – AD BREAK

19:55 – Loek’s favourite Wijk aan Zee tournament

28:02 – Why players often go on losing streaks in Wijk aan Zee

29:35 – Gukesh’s performance

35:16 – Caruana’s performance

38:10 – Erigaisi’s performance

42:47 – Pragg’s performance

44:54 – Are tiebreaks a satisfactory way to decide the winner of the tournament?

49:07 – The tiebreaks between Gukesh and Pragg

50:43 – The crazy last round of this year’s event

55:03 – AD BREAK

56:04 – Should Pragg consider this win a milestone in his career?

57:14 – The Challengers group

1:00:27 – The famous Wijk aan Zee football match

1:07:37 – Outro

With his fierce attacking style, “The Magician from Riga” dethroned reigning World Champion Botvinnik to claim the World Chess Championship in 1960. Widely acclaimed as a genius, Mischa’s tactical play would produce numerous brilliancies, as well as a 95-game unbeaten streak, a record that would stand for over forty years.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, this week’s episode about Mikhail Tal is different from the two-part “My Misha” series from May of this year. Instead of an active participant, Genna is more of a background figure this time. However, this does not make his retelling of Tal’s stories any less vivid.

A physical copy of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko-hardcover   

On the eve of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Jorden talks to Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam about his preparation for ‘the Wimbledon of chess’ and his adventures in earlier editions of this world-class event. Most notably, the 2021 edition that Jorden sensationally won ahead of a daunting field that included Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and Anish Giri.

As they look ahead to the 87th(!) edition of ‘Wijk aan Zee’, Jorden also gives his take on two news stories that got worldwide attention during the World Rapid & Blitz Championship in New York that he recently played in: ‘Jeansgate’, the scandal that erupted when Magnus Carlsen was fined for wearing jeans, and the controversial end of the Blitz championship, when Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi decided to share the title and the world chess federation FIDE went along in this breaking of the rules.

Jorden was born into a family with a rich chess tradition. At the end of the 19th century, his great-great-grandfather Arnold van Foreest was Dutch champion, and so was the brother of his great-great grandfather, Dirk van Foreest.

Interestingly, Jorden’s younger brother Lucas has been Dutch champion as well. And yes, Jorden himself has also been Dutch champion as he won the title when he was only 17 years old, one year after he had become a grandmaster.

Jorden, who is 25 now, has been U-10 Open Dutch Youth Champion in 2010, U-14 European Youth Champion in 2013, and only a month ago he won the European Blitz Championship in Skopje.

As said, Jorden’s biggest triumph so far was his win in the 2021 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, where he defeated Anish Giri in a hectic blitz tiebreak.

Jorden is not only a former winner of this epic tournament, it’s also one of his favourite tournaments. He truly knows the village of Wijk aan Zee inside out, as he has been playing there from a very early age.

If you are looking forward to the Tata Steel Chess Tournament as much as we are, you should not miss this highly entertaining conversation with Jorden van Foreest. If you are slowly but surely getting into the mood for two weeks of great chess, you will definitely enjoy this episode of the New In Chess podcast!

0:00 – Intro

2:50 – What is Jorden’s state of mind with Tata Steel right around the corner?

7:37 – When Jorden won the tournament in 2021, how did he prepare?

10:21 – Cold showers

13:15 – Jorden being one of the older players in his group at 25

14:05 – How Jorden’s life and career changed after his 2021 win

15:18 – Working for Magnus in the runup to his World Championship match with Nepo

21:46 – How does Jorden prepare for his thirteen opponents in Wijk aan Zee?

24:27 – Does Jorden follow the same “modern” approach to opening preparation?

26:44 – Does Jorden get affected by his opponents’ presence?

29:13 – AD BREAK

29:45 – Does Jorden prepare differently in such an exceptionally strong field?

33:10 – Why did Jorden participate in the rapid and blitz World Championship in New York?

36:00 – Jorden’s history of good performances in Wijk aan Zee

38:29 – Jorden tells a funny Daniil Dubov story

39:48 – “Jeansgate” and how other top players responded to it

47:18 – How does Jorden feel about the prize-sharing situation between Magnus and Nepo?

49:55 – How does Jorden plan to work with his brother Lucas in Wijk aan Zee?

52:48 – AD BREAK

53:50 – The special atmosphere in Wijk aan Zee during Tata Steel

57:50 – How is Jorden preparing for the upcoming qualification cycle for the Candidates’ Tournament?

1:00:23 – Jorden’s view on freestyle chess

1:03:45 – Are there any opponents in Wijk aan Zee that Jorden is especially excited to play against?

1:08:13 – Outro

Jacob returns to the podcast after his last interview last year, in which he was interviewed about legendary Russian trainer Mark Dvoretsky, in his words ‘the biggest authority in my adult life’.

This time host Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam invited him to talk about what 2025 will bring us (yes, Wijk aan Zee coming soon!) and to look back on two major events at the end of 2024: the World Championship match won by Gukesh in Singapore, and the Rapid & Blitz World Championship in New York (in other words, Magnus Carlsen’s jeans and the uproar after Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi decided to share the world blitz title).

When Jacob Aagaard appeared on the podcast for the first time, he was introduced as ‘a grandmaster, a prolific and successful writer, a publisher of chess books at Quality Chess, and a top coach who has worked with many big names that we know and no doubt various that have remained a secret.’

Not long after that talk, it became publicly known that Jacob Aagaard had acquired the publishing houses New In Chess and Everyman Chess. Together with Quality Chess, they are now the New In Chess Group.

And so, before they go on to discuss the issues above, Dirk Jan and Jacob talk about this remarkable merger; how it came about and what the plans are.

0:00 – Intro

2:00 – Jacob’s acquisition of New In Chess and Everyman Chess

20:56 – Are we in a “golden age” of chess publishing?

23:25 – Jacob’s training camp in Singapore during the beginning of the Ding-Gukesh match

26:00 – Does Jacob agree with the overall criticism that the match was not played at a high enough level?

30:57 – Jacob’s Twitter/X opinions are his views, not his publishers’!

32:12 – Dirk Jan’s countless fights with Kasparov over content published under the New In Chess banner

32:41 – AD BREAK

33:20 – Jacob’s “no losers” approach to his acquisition of New In Chess and Everyman

35:25 – Why this match was not “unworthy” of the World Championship, according to Jacob

37:55 – Was the criticism expressed by Magnus on his Take Take Take platform too harsh?

41:10 – Magnus’s greatness is a “package deal”

42:53 – Gukesh’s team, Gajewski’s influence

44:50 – How important is mental coaching during a chess match?

55:43 – The jeans situation

1:01:20 – The underlying conflict between classical and freestyle chess

1:04:53 – The title sharing situation between Magnus and Nepo

1:06:39 – AD BREAK

1:08:28 – Is a shared world title acceptable?

1:14:07 – Jacob’s predictions for Tata Steel

1:20:59 – Outro

With his fierce attacking style, “The Magician from Riga” dethroned reigning World Champion Botvinnik to claim the World Chess Championship in 1960. Widely acclaimed as a genius, Mischa’s tactical play would produce numerous brilliancies, as well as a 95-game unbeaten streak, a record that would stand for over forty years.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, this week’s episode about Mikhail Tal is different from the two-part “My Misha” series from May of this year. Instead of an active participant, Genna is more of a background figure this time. However, this does not make his retelling of Tal’s stories any less vivid.

A physical copy of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko-hardcover 

Peter is a chess journalist from The Netherlands and the director of News & Events for Chess.com. In his book, The Chess Revolution, Understanding the Power of an Ancient Game in the Digital Age, Peter writes about the historical and sociological importance of chess through the ages and, in the second part, about the incredible boom the game has seen in the past years thanks to the pandemic and the success of the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit. In the process he writes about the success story of Chess.com, including its early beginnings and how it managed to attract millions of new fans to the game.

Peter has followed the chess revolution, of which has himself been a part, firsthand, and he believes that the future looks bright. If you are interested in recent developments in chess or want to find out if The Chess Revolution is a book that will appeal to you, you should not miss this episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

"The Chess Revolution" can be purchased in full on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-chess-revolution 

0:00 – Intro

2:02 – The manifestation of the “chess revolution” in the Ding-Gukesh World Championship match

4:03 – Extensive media coverage of the World Championship, Peter Leko’s tremendous commentary

7:50 – The current “Indian era”

9:11 – Chess.com’s history and eventual dominance of the worldwide chess scene

16:30 – Peter’s personal history as a chess journalist and “chess vlogger”

20:14 – AD BREAK

20:54 – Peter’s successful short videos

24:20 – What inspired Peter’s book, “The Chess Revolution: Understanding the Power of an Ancient Game in the Digital Age”

29:21 – Chess’s assimilation into short video culture and pop culture in general

32:43 – Chessboxing and the “Ding Chilling” meme

36:53 – The Queen’s Gambit Netflix series

42:20 – AD BREAK

43:26 – Mainstream media attention for chess during the pandemic, the new wave of chess content creators on social media

49:18 – Peter’s hate-love relationship with chess

52:29 – The very earliest beginnings of chess.com and its fruitful cooperation with content creators and streamers

1:04:58 – What does Peter think the future of chess looks like?

1:10:48 – Outro

With his fierce attacking style, “The Magician from Riga” dethroned reigning World Champion Botvinnik to claim the World Chess Championship in 1960. Widely acclaimed as a genius, Mischa’s tactical play would produce numerous brilliancies, as well as a 95-game unbeaten streak, a record that would stand for over forty years.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, this week’s episode about Mikhail Tal is different from the two-part “My Misha” series from May of this year. Instead of an active participant, Genna is more of a background figure this time. However, this does not make his retelling of Tal’s stories any less vivid.

With his fierce attacking style, “The Magician from Riga” dethroned reigning World Champion Botvinnik to claim the World Chess Championship in 1960. Widely acclaimed as a genius, Mischa’s tactical play would produce numerous brilliancies, as well as a 95-game unbeaten streak, a record that would stand for over forty years.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, this week’s episode about Mikhail Tal is different from the two-part “My Misha” series from May of this year. Instead of an active participant, Genna is more of a background figure this time. However, this does not make his retelling of Tal’s stories any less vivid.

Daniil, currently rated 2693, earned the grandmaster title in 2011, a few weeks before he turned 15. His biggest success to date was his win in the Rapid World Championship of 2018, ahead of Carlsen, Mamedyarov and Nakamura. Daniil is not only a perfect guest because of his perceptive views and thoughts on chess, but also because of the fact that on two occasions he was one of Magnus Carlsen’s seconds in a world championship match: in 2018, when Carlsen defeated Caruana in London, and in 2021, when Carlsen defeated Nepomniachtchi in Dubai.

With five classical games to go, the World Championship match between Ding Liren and Gukesh D is tied at 4.5-4.5, and Daniil has followed the event closely. Remarkably, Daniil is not surprised at all that Ding Liren is playing much better than the pundits feared and he explains why. Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam immediately after the draw in Game 9, Daniil gives his take on what we’ve seen so far and what we can expect from the remaining games between Ding and Gukesh. He also shares memories and behind-the-scenes stories of the matches when he worked for Magnus Carlsen, and gives a sharp analysis of how the current world championship cycle is an economically bad idea for most chess professionals. In short, an episode you should not miss!

0:00 – Intro

1:30 – Welcome Daniil!

1:59 – Is Daniil surprised by the turn of events in the World Championship match between Ding and Gukesh?

5:36 – Daniil’s recollection of Ding’s world title victory against Nepomniachtchi last year

8:00 – Ding’s mental health issues

11:40 – The difference between a match and a tournament

14:27 – What is Daniil’s take on Magnus’s statement that the world title should not be decided in a classical match format?

17:20 – Will a 2800-player be able to maintain his rating in open tournaments?

19:50 – Ding’s current level and overall playing style compared to Gukesh and Magnus

25:02 – AD BREAK

26:00 – The Chinese and Indian ways of playing chess

29:50 – The Indian way of “learning through playing” as opposed to learning from chess books

31:13 – Why do Ding and Gukesh have guys like Rapport and Gajewski on their respective teams?

33:04 – Daniil’s experience coming up as a player in an era where engines where not as strong as they are now

37:24 – Daniil’s experience working with Magnus

40:55 – Does Magnus display the same “clarity” in his play that Fischer demonstrated?

42:52 – Why a modern coach should do more than just present lines

47:00 – How did Daniil befriend Magnus, and Magnus’s sense of humour

50:50 – AD BREAK

51:29 – Friendships among chess teams

55:59 – The Balenciaga sweater

57:36 – What is Daniil’s prediction for the rest of the World Championship?

1:02:22 – Why Daniil finds it “weird” to see top players like Magnus and Hikaru doing daily recaps of the World Championship match

1:06:34 – Liverpool vs Manchester City and Daniil’s love of other sports

1:08:28 – Weird press conference questions

1:13:53 – Should the World Championship match continue to exist in its current format?

Machgielis “Max” Euwe was a chess grandmaster, mathematician, author and administrator, who became the fifth World Chess Champion in 1935, when he defeated Alexander Alekhine. After losing the title two years later, he would continue to play with the world’s best for many more years before retiring in 1953. After retiring as a player, he would later serve as FIDE president starting in 1970. In this capacity, he presided over the famous Fischer-Spassky of 1972 and had to navigate many other chess “situations” of the time, such as the defection of Viktor Korchnoi from the USSR and attempts by Soviet officials to remove him from power.

Genna, a fellow native of The Netherlands, met Max Euwe around the time of the 1972 World Championship match, and the two remained in touch until Euwe’s death in 1981. When Viktor Korchnoi enlisted Euwe’s help in applying for political asylum in The Netherlands in 1976, Genna facilitated communications between the two chess greats. Over four decades later, Genna’s story paints a picture of Max Euwe as both a friend and a historical chess figure.

Max Euwe, for all of his chess accomplishments on- and off the board, was a man with many hobbies. A “workaholic” before that term existed, he made sure to meticulously schedule his day so as to leave time, but not too much time, for activities such as music and table tennis. As his wife Caroline recalled: “He hated disorder more than anything in the world.” In this third and final part of the Euwe narration, we learn more about the man behind the legendary administrator and player that is Max Euwe.

Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

"The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko-hardcover 

At the young age of 32, Swayams is already a decorated chess coach, having worked with the Indian national team for several years and coaching their women’s team to gold at this year’s Olympiad. His private coaching practice has also been successful: this year, his mentee Shreyas Royal became the youngest grandmaster in British history.

Interviewed by Jacob Aagaard, Swayams talks about his transition from player to coach, shares his experience with the Indian women's team, and gives three pieces of advice for ambitious players of all levels!

0:00 – Intro

1:54 – Welcome Swayams!

3:55 – Where Swayams and Jacob first met

5:03 – Does Sam Shankland troll Swayams’s online sessions?

5:48 – Jacob tells a (non-child-friendly) Stany story

7:31 – What was Swayams’s role in the Indian’s women’s team at this year’s Olympiad?

9:02 – Swayams explains the difference between coaching men versus women

10:18 – AD BREAK

11:00 – How do Swayams’s days look when his pupils are playing big tournaments?

13:03 – To what does Swayams attribute the current Indian chess boom?

16:17 – Swayams stresses how universally popular chess is and predicts its possible inclusion in future Olympic games

19:30 – The role of petroleum companies in sponsoring Indian chess

21:53 – Swayams’s success coaching Shreyas Royal, who became the youngest British grandmaster in history; multiple-time Indian Women’s Champion Padmini Rout; and Ethan Vaz, a young talent who Swayams regards as the future of Indian chess

24:39 – AD BREAK

25:37 – Swayams gives three pieces of advice for an ambitious chess player trying to improve

28:56 – Outro

Peter is a five-time Danish chess champion, but is primarily known for his highly successful coaching career. From 2007 till 2023, he was continuously coaching the reigning World Champion, working first for Vishy Anand and later for Magnus Carlsen. In this capacity, he was a winning coach in a world championship match a record eight times.

As always, this year’s world title match, which takes place in Singapore between November 25th and December 13th, is eagerly awaited. At the same time, the reigning champion’s lacklustre recent results keep confusing the experts. Ding Liren has dropped to 22nd place in the world rankings and only seems a shadow of the great Ding that not that long ago was the second player in the world behind Magnus Carlsen. In stark contrast, Gukesh has been going from strength to strength. After winning the Candidates tournament in Toronto earlier this year, he led India to gold at the Olympiad in Budapest with a stellar performance on first board.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Peter Heine Nielsen assesses the situation at the start of the match, analyzing Gukesh’s strengths and possible weaknesses and looking for glimpses of hope for Ding Liren.

0:00 – Intro

2:05 – What is Peter expecting from this year’s world championship match?

3:33 – Ding’s physical and mental state

8:40 – Ding’s deterioration over the past year, winning 3 out of 49 classical games

13:47 – Comparing Gukesh’s rise to the rises of Kasparov and Carlsen

16:50 – Ding’s strong competitive mindset, despite his mental health issues

21:02 – AD BREAK

21:35 – How should Ding’s team aid him in his preparation for Singapore?

25:59 – Ding’s friendship with Richard Rapport

31:53 – What will be the role of computer preparation in this match?

37:00 – Could Gukesh’s confidence be his downfall?

40:30 – Could Ding be exaggerating his symptoms to make Gukesh underestimate him?

43:00 – AD BREAK

44:00 – Kasparov’s assertion that this is “not a world championship match at all”

50:22 – Peter’s love of freestyle chess, also known as Chess960 and Fischerandom

56:48 – Developments in chess in China and India

1:06:20 – So, what is Peter’s prediction for the match?

1:09:17 - Outro 

Machgielis “Max” Euwe was the fifth World Chess Champion, a title he held from 1935 until 1937. After retiring as a player, he would later serve as FIDE president starting in 1970. In this capacity, he presided over the famous Fischer-Spassky of 1972 and had to navigate many other chess “situations” of the time, such as the defection of Viktor Korchnoi from the USSR and attempts by Soviet officials to remove him from power.

Genna, a fellow native of The Netherlands, met Max Euwe around the time of the 1972 World Championship match, and the two remained in touch until Euwe’s death in 1981. Genna’s story paints a picture of Max Euwe as a player, friend and historical chess figure all at once. Three weeks ago, Part 1 of Euwe’s story focused on his later career as a chess administrator, including the 1972 World Championship match. This week, Genna delves into Max Euwe, the chess player. 

A hardcopy of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Joel has had a rich chess career: he became the youngest Junior World Champion in history in 1988, holds a lifetime positive score against Garry Kasparov and is, along with Vasily Ivanchuk, the only grandmaster of his generation to have defeated all world champions of his time: Karpov, Kasparov, Kramnik, Khalifman, Anand, Ponomariov, Kasimdzhanov and Topalov. He was also one of Kramnik’s seconds when the Russion sensationally defeated Kasparov for the world title in 2000. Despite his successful chess career, Joel came to the conclusion that he was hungry for new challenges and opted for a career change, going into investment banking.

In a lively conversation with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Lautier speaks about his chess career as well as his career as an investment banker, including the shocking moment in 2022 when the US State Department unjustly put him on the sanctions list after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a dramatic and painful error that was corrected about a year later.

0:00 – Intro

2:10 – Welcome Joel!

3:05 – Becoming the youngest Junior World Champion in history in 1988

4:24 – Meeting his great influence, Bobby Fischer, in 1992

8:52 – Realising upon meeting Fischer that he did not want to remain in chess forever

10:42 – Dropping out of school at 16 to pursue chess, Joel’s father’s influence

13:05 – Joel’s experience being coached by Lev Polugaevsky

16:25 – Joel’s positive score against Kasparov

20:41 – Joel’s spectacular three-queen game against Kasparov

23:49 – The legendary Linnares 1994 tournament

26:23 – AD BREAK

27:02 – Joel’s victory over Kasparov in Amsterdam 1995

33:16 – Joel’s experience as a second for Kramnik in 2000

40:18 – The evening of Kramnik’s victory

42:17 – Joel’s visit to Fischer with Spasski in 1992

47:01 – The start of Joel’s business career and move to Russia

52:48 – AD BREAK

53:47 – Continued business career and eventual move to Barcelona

59:53 – Being incorrectly put on (and later taken off) an American sanctions list after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022

1:06:49 – AD BREAK

1:07:42 – Will Joel be compensated by the American government for their mistake?

1:08:09 – Joel’s talented 13-year old daughter Naomi, whose paintings are displayed at various exhibitions in Europe

1:14:26 – Outro

Loek van Wely can look back on a rich career as a player. He won the Dutch championship 8 times and had his career peak in 2001, when he made it to the world top 10 with a rating of 2714. Besides his achievements on the chess board, Loek is a renowned coach, who has worked with stars like Gata Kamsky, Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov. In more recent years he’s been coaching the Italian national team and Dutch grandmaster Max Warmerdam.

If you are new to the Global Chess League, Loek will fill you in as he speaks about the strategies, the players that made the difference and the pros and cons of the remarkable time control (20 minutes per player per game, no increment) that almost inevitably led to wild time scrambles. In a lively conversation with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Loek talks about the innovative format of the Global Chess League and the impact it may have on the chess world. In passing he reveals his ambitions as a coach and gives his take on Vladimir Kramnik’s anti-cheating crusade that continues to fuel heated and widespread discussions online.

0:00 – Intro

2:59 – Loek explains how the Global Chess League works

6:00 – Is there a limit to every team’s financial means?

7:18 – Magnus and Ding’s participation

8:58 – Wei Yi’s participation in Loek’s team and the “point system”

13:43 – How does Loek deal with situations where teammates have strained

relationships, such as between Alexandra Kosteniuk and Valentina Gunina?

17:29 – AD BREAK

18:27 – The format and length of the event

20:27 – The controversial 20+0 time control and Alireza Firouzja’s performance

24:10 – Does the Global Chess League change the chess world?

26:38 – Are the organisers happy with the way the Global Chess League has taken off?

28:27 – What considerations go into Loek’s selection of his players?

30:04 – The bidding process on players like Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura

33:25 – AD BREAK

34:04 – Magnus’s participation?

36:35 – Does the Global Chess League, operated by India, foreshadow Indian dominance on the chess organisation circuit?

40:46 – What does Loek bring to the table as a coach?

43:26 – Does Loek’s own playing strength and activity as a player help him as a coach?

45:35 – What were the crucial moments that contributed to Loek’s team’s victory this year?

47:24 – What did Loek do to make Wei Yi feel comfortable as part of the team?

49:36 – AD BREAK

50:25 – How does Loek see his future in coaching and beyond?

53:56 – Is it always a coach’s dream to work with young talent?

56:30 – Vladimir Kramnik’s controversial cheating allegations

1:05:40 – Outro

Machgielis “Max” Euwe was the fifth World Chess Champion, a title he held from 1935 until 1937. After retiring as a player, he would later serve as FIDE president starting in 1970. In this capacity, he presided over the famous Fischer-Spassky of 1972 and had to navigate many other chess “situations” of the time, such as the defection of Viktor Korchnoi from the USSR and attempts by Soviet officials to remove him from power.

Genna, a fellow native of The Netherlands, met Max Euwe around the time of the 1972 World Championship match, and the two remained in touch until Euwe’s death in 1981. Over four decades later, Genna’s story paints a picture of Max Euwe as both a friend and a historical chess figure.

We invited Alex this week to talk about his new book "Capablanca's Endgame Technique: The Astonishing Chess Logic of the Third World Champion". In his new book, he pays tribute to one of his chess heroes, the Cuban genius who became the third World Champion and is admired by many as one of the greatest natural talents our game has ever seen. Capablanca was famous for his impeccable endgame technique and Alex is convinced that studying his endgames is beneficial for players of all levels. In his book, Alex looks at 15 endgames of Capablanca in great depth. Not with ultradeep variations, but with a lot of verbal explanations, general observations and with lots of exercises in between for the reader. 

In our conversation, Alex explains the underlying ideas and his fascination with the Cuban and much more. An eager talker with a broad knowledge of chess and its history, Alex also speaks about sleeping problems for chess players and his work as a FIDE Fair Play Officer. In this capacity he will be at the World Championship match in Singapore in November between Ding Liren and Gukesh, and he provides great insights in the precautions that will be taken there.

Lots of insights, great suggestions to improve and wonderful stories. Don’t miss this talk with Alex Colovic!

The New In Chess podcast is published every Friday and can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and the New In Chess website.

Alex's book on Capablanca is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/capablanca-s-endgame-technique 

0:00 – Intro

2:32 – What inspired Alex to write about Capablanca?

5:42 – Does Alex notice Capablanca’s influence in his own games?

8:08 – Why Alex thinks it’s valuable to study the old masters

9:51 – What lessons can modern players learn from Capablanca’s play?

18:22 – Does Capablanca deserve to be counted among the greatest of all time?

21:01 – Capablanca’s personality and superstar status

27:38 – Alex’s biggest revelations when studying Capablanca’s legendary endgame play

32:22 – Should done always study with a board and pieces or is this an outdated concept?

37:20 – What other sources on Capablanca does Alex recommend?

41:19 – AD BREAK

42:17 – Emmanuel Lasker’s appraisal of Capablanca’s play

45:32 – Capablanca’s incredibly deep understanding of the game and ranking among the all-time greats

49:20 – AD BREAK

50:53 – Alex’s career in content creation, the importance of sleep

58:44 – Alex’s upcoming projects and work as a FIDE Fair Play Officer

1:04:18 – Outro

As the title of his autobiography, Chess Is My Life, hints at, Korchnoi’s drive, passion and obsession for the game of chess were as strong as they had always been. He simply lived for chess: his energetic spirit never aged, he was often one of the last to leave the playing hall, and during his analysis sessions he worked tirelessly to get to the bottom of things, after one goal and one goal only: the truth.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available in its entirety on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam in Budapest during the Chess Olympiad, Max Dlugy talks about his Chess Max Academy, but the lion’s share of the conversation focuses on his role in Hans Niemann’s career and his view of the cheating story, a story that brought (and continues to bring) near-unprecedented levels of mainstream attention to the chess scene.

Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!

0:00 – Intro

3:38 – Max’s background and the beginning of the Chess Max Academy

19:31 – Max’s first meeting with Hans Niemann

25:21 – Max’s past coaching of Hans

29:18 – AD BREAK

34:51 – The infamous Magnus vs Hans game

36:36 – The “set-up” to implicate Max in the drama involving lawyer Richard Conn

42:55 – Max’s conflict with chess.com, online cheating allegations

46:27 – The Borislav Ivanov story

48:24 – Chess.com leaking Max’s communications “for the sake of public interest”

49:04 – AD BREAK

50:13 – How does the “cheating situation” affect Max these days?

51:30 – Why chess.com is doing a bad job at detecting cheaters

53:39 – Hikaru Nakamura calling out cheaters without good evidence

55:07 – The problem with online accuracy scores and chess.com’s immoral way of obtaining cheating “confessions”

58:15 – Max considering legal action against chess.com

59:51 – Max’s solution to the cheating problem

1:03:04 – How does Max assess the damage done to Hans Niemann as a result of this scandal?

1:06:39 – Vladimir Kramnik’s strange antics and unlikely “partnership” with Hans

1:09:00 – Does Max think Magnus regrets making the cheating allegations?

1:10:16 – Max’s future plans for the Chess Max Academy

1:12:30 – Outro

Continuing where we left off in Episode #33, Sosonko invites us to sit beside him as Olga Clark continues her talk about Capablanca and the time that they spent together both in Europe and in America, punctuated by the actuality of being in the restaurant that she and Capa favoured and used to frequent.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, in “‘I knew Capablanca…’” Sosonko shows us the human sides of Capablanca, effectively portraying the life of a man in whose life, as it appears, chess just happens to have found its place.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available in its entirety on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Tiger talks about creativity, the development of his chess philosophy throughout the years, and how this is reflected in his latest work.

"Tiger's Chaos Theory" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41&q=tigers+chaos+theorhy&cvid=c748d3ce43f94efcaa1629a62b82fa03&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRAAGEAyBggGEAAYQDIGCAcQABhAMgYICBAAGEAyCAgJEOkHGPxV0gEIMzQ3MmowajGoAgCwAgA&FORM=ANNAB1&PC=U531 

0:00 – Intro

1:33 – How did Tiger feel when finally holding the book he’d spent so much time working on?

3:04 - Tiger clarifies at what age he started playing chess and recalls playing with his father

5:02 – Why did his parents pick the name Tiger?

9:11 – How did Tiger’s “Tiger’s Chaos Theory” come about?

11:18 – Tiger’s database of his own games that impacted the way he played in the future

14:56 – Why Tiger’s book does not propose a “grand theory” of chess

17:21 – The chapter on queen sacrifices

20:30 - Why a good chess player should strive for objectivity

23:10 – Tiger’s use of metaphors and stories in his writing

26:31 – Why Tiger talks to his pieces, and his students should too

29:43 – Tiger’s scepticism towards material

30:41 – Tiger clarifies certain quotes from the book

31:12 – AD BREAK

33:37 – How does this book relate to Tiger’s other passions, like go and music?

38:40 – Tiger’s humble beginnings and relative disregard for money

42:01 – Tiger’s favourite classical music

46:21 – AD BREAK

47:21 – Why Tiger considers chess more of a science than an art, the role of the engine

58:01 – Outro

John has a long history of captaining the American Olympiad team, making his debut in Dubai in 1986 and leading the team to gold in Baku in 2016. This year will be his fifteenth time accompanying the American team to the event, which he describes as arguably the most exciting chess event in the world.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, John looks ahead to this year’s event, analyses each teams’ chances, and shares some Olympiad stories from the past.

0:00 – Intro

1:49 – John explains the significance of the San Francisco Mechanics Institute

5:06 – Why John thinks the Olympiad is the most exciting chess event

7:59 – How did John get his job as the first captain of the US Olympiad team?

13:28 – Was John always the “player-coach”?

15:20 – How does John see his role as captain, and how does this compare to the captain’s role back in the day?

27:05 – AD BREAK

28:03 - This year’s American Olympiad team, the strength of the current playing field and the other frontrunners

32:39 – Netherlands being a remarkable 4th seed in this year’s Olympiad

33:25 – Uzbekistan and Kramnik’s captaincy

36:35 – Norway and Magnus

39:20 – The Olympiad often being a tournament for young stars to break out

40:20 – AD BREAK

40:53 – Last year’s Olympiad in Chennai

41:55 – The many format changes the Olympiad has undergone throughout the years

46:50 – John’s nail-biting experience winning Olympiad gold in 2016

52:18 – What was it like to manage a team of “stars” as John did in 2016?

56:48 – AD BREAK

59:38 – John carrying his passion for reading over to his players

1:02:32 – John’s upcoming book for Bobby Fischer

1:06:59 – Outro

Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player of all time. At the age of 15 years and four months she broke Bobby Fischer’s record to become the youngest grandmaster in history. For more than two decades she competed successfully with the very best and became the first and only woman ever to enter the world top-10. In her career she defeated eleven(!) current or former World Champions in classical or rapid chess.

Judit retired from professional chess in 2014 but continues to be one of the most beloved ambassadors of the game. Judit also organises the Global Chess Festival, which will be held for the tenth time during this year’s Budapest Olympiad.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Judit shares Olympiad memories, speaks about the philosophy of her festival and sketches the outlines of a new title system to erase the difference between Open and Women’s competitions.

0:00 – Intro

2:10 - How are Judits days filled in Budapest with the Olympiad coming up?

5:18 - What makes the Global Chess Festival in Budapest so special?

9:20 - What is Judits motivation for organising the festival?

13:25 - How did Judit react to the news of the Olympiad being held in Budapest?

15:15 - Why the Olympiad is a great place to meet old friends

17:04 - The Olympiad's unique atmosphere and the Bermuda party

19:06 - How does Judit remember her first Olympiad as a young girl?

22:02 - Did Judits success improve the family's relationship with Hungarian authorities?

23:47 - AD BREAK

24:20 - Judits as a pioneer for women players

26:18 - "Polgaria"

30:46 - The adjustment of playing the Olympiad with men

33:27 - What does Judit think of women's events?

37:45 - Judit suggests abolishing women's titles

41:41 - How does Judit reflect on her Olympiad achievements?

45:30 - Bled

46:36 - AD BREAK

47:35 - Judits experiences as Hungarian team captain

55:12 - Who are Judits favorites and dark horses?

1:00:20 - Magnus's participation

1:03:32 - The Chinese team

1:05:38 - Do Judits female mentees have the same passion and discipline for the game as the young men?

1:07:30 - Outro

Interviewed by our brand new host Jacob Aagaard, Vishnu talks about his school, the city of Chennai, and the meteoric rise of Gukesh.

0:00 – Intro

4:10 – Chennai as a chess city

5:42 – The importance of Vishy Anand for the city of Chennai

7:18 – Gukesh’s formative years 

10:40 – Vishnu’s coaching methods with Gukesh

13:15 – What was the role of the engine in their training sessions?

16:13 – AD BREAK

17:06 – What caused the split between Vishnu and Gukesh?

25:10 – Vishnu’s family life and other business ventures

29:30 – Outro

This week’s episode features the first half of the story of legendary World Champion Capablanca. José Raúl Capablanca (1888–1942) was a Cuban chess prodigy who became the third World Chess Champion, reigning from 1921 to 1927. Often referred to as the "Human Chess Machine" due to his exceptional endgame skills and nearly flawless technique, Capablanca is celebrated for his natural talent and intuitive grasp of the game. His crowning achievement was his victory over Emanuel Lasker in 1921, which made him the World Chess Champion. Known for his clarity of play and the ability to exploit the smallest of advantages, Capablanca was unbeaten in tournament play from 1916 to 1924, an unprecedented record. Though he lost the title to Alexander Alekhine in 1927, Capablanca's contributions to chess theory, especially in the endgame, remain highly influential. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest natural talents in the history of chess.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available in its entirety on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

An expert on the Sicilian Defence, Polugaevsky wrote two books on the opening and has one variation named after him. He was one of the strongest chess players of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but had to bow to his nemesis Viktor Korchnoi twice in the Candidates Tournament.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, in “‘I must work, I must work…’” Sosonko shows us the struggles of a world-class player plagued with human features: from excessive awe for his opponents to the bad timing of occasional absent-mindedness.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Paul Morphy (1837-1884) learned chess at a young age and quickly made a name for himself as a prodigious talent. Known for his brilliant, aggressive style and deep understanding of the game, Morphy quickly vanquished all opposition in the United States. At one point, he travelled from his native New Orleans to Europe to seek stronger opposition, but to no avail. When a match with Howard Staunton did not materialise, Morphy, age 22, returned to the United States and promptly retired from chess to start a legal career. He would repeatedly decline invitations to return to competitive chess, even as his law practice failed to pick up steam. In his later years, Morphy developed severe mental illness and died at the young age of 47. His short but brilliant career would earn him the nickname “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess”, which has stuck to this day.

Charles Hertan is not only good at chess and writing, he has also worked as a psychotherapist, which informs much of his understanding of Morphy’s eccentric mind. Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Charles takes us deeper into his writing process and gives his assessment of Paul Morphy as a chess player and human.

“The Real Paul Morphy” is now available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-real-paul-morphy 

Timestamps

0:00 – Intro

1:43 – How did the concept for “The Real Paul Morphy” come about?

2:55 – How good was Morphy in Charles’s estimation?

5:00 – Morphy’s incredible natural talent

10:25 – Morphy’s dominance in the US and first European tournaments

13:01 – AD BREAK

13:53 – Morphy’s gentle personality

17:19 – Why did the match with Howard Staunton fall through, according to Charles?

19:20 – The difficult character of Howard Staunton

24:11 – Frederick Milnes Edge

29:03 – AD BREAK

30:26 – Morphy’s mental illness, comparison with Fischer

35:40 – Morphy’s later years as a psychotic

38:15 – The women’s shoes myth

40:41 – Can we draw a connection between Morphy’s brilliance and madness?

44:00 – Morphy’s disdain for chess as a hobby worthy of pursuing as an occupation

49:40 – AD BREAK

50:12 – Charles’s desire to keep Morphy’s legacy alive

55:20 – The “romantic” label, Charles’s assessment of Morphy, Staunton and Anderssen

58:10 – Morphy’s influence on the game, Wilhelm Steinitz

1:00:10 – Will Charles write about Pillsbury next?

1:02:20 – Outro

This episode is the first of a two-part story about Mikhail Botvinnik. He won the 1948 World Chess Championship tournament and thus became the sixth World Chess Champion, thereby succeeding Alekhine who had died two years prior. He lost and regained the title twice – to Smyslov and Tal respectively – before he was ultimately dethroned by Petrosian in 1963.

In that same year, Botvinnik founded his own chess school, which ensured that the Soviet Union dominated the world of chess for many years to come. The “Soviet School of Chess” has world champions such as Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik among its graduates, as well as many other Grandmasters.

Next to his chess career, Botvinnik was very interested in engineering. He sought to combine the two and became one of the pioneers in the world of computer chess. Thanks to his endeavours on computer chess, Botvinnik was awared an honorary degree in mathematics in 1991, at the age of 80.

In this episode, Sosonko talks of his personal contacts with Botvinnik. He then takes a step back and gives the stage to Botvinnik himself. “The Engineer” talks of his youth in St. Petersburg, his becoming acquainted with the game of chess, and the often difficult relationships with his rivals.

Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast! Remember, you can find us on popular platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, making it convenient for you to browse the chapters and listen to your favourite parts.

The hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase in its entirety on the New In Chess website: 

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko  

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:23 - Genna plays a game with Botvinnik for the Dutch national television

04:43 - “Misha” Botvinnik's visit to Amsterdam in 1989

07:28 - Genna meets with Botvinnik in Moscow in 1988

09:48 - Botvinnik talks about his family

15:25 - Botvinnik learns chess; having to deal with anti-Semitism

17:17 - AD BREAK

17:49 - A 9-year-old Misha becomes interested in Russian literature

20:23 - How Botvinnik met his wife thanks to music

23:13 - Botvinnik remarks on his connections with the Russian composers

26:36 - Botvinnik begins his chess journey

29:04 - Botvinnik's strained relationships with Bronstein, Levenfish, Romanovsky, Petrosian, Smyslov, and Euwe

Miron Sher, together with his wife and son, emigrated from Ukraine to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, New York in 1997. There, he would foster the talent of Robert and, among others, Fabiano Caruana. The book “Dream Moves: Eye-Opening Chess Lessons For Improvers” is a collection of instructive chess materials that Miron gave to his students. Thanks to the tireless work of his wife Alla and son Mikhail, New In Chess is now able to posthumously publish Miron’s work. With hundreds of exercises ranging from easy to very difficult, Dream Moves is both an instructive work for improving players and a sentimental window into the life and teachings of one of chess’s most beloved coaches.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Robert reflects warmly on his personal experiences with Miron as both a coach and a human. He also talks about his career as a commentator and how Miron’s lessons continue to inform his approach to the game.

“Dream Moves: Eye-Opening Chess Lessons for Improvers” is available at a 20% discounted rate in the New In Chess web shop. Click the link below and enter the code “DREAM20” to claim your discount!

https://www.newinchess.com/dream-moves 

0:00 - Intro

1:52 - What Miron Sher meant to Robert and his other students

5:20 - How Miron would teach different students differently

8:56 - Robert's fondest memory of Miron

11:00 - Miron's love of his family

14:33 - "It's very Miron to not speak about his difficulties", the respect Miron earned in the chess community

19:28 - Miron taking early notice of Robert's fighting mentality

21:35 - Robert's part in having the book published after Miron's passing

25:45 - The structure of the book, Miron "tricking" his students and how his teachings continue to inspire Roberts play and commentary

29:00 - The "20% rule" and the "Dream Move"

32:30 - How Miron would incorporate "themes" into his material and the lasting impact on Robert's play

37:13 - AD BREAK

37:45 - How Robert incorporates Miron's teachings into his commentary

42:06 - Does Robert have a favourite event to commentate on?

44:50 - How difficult is it to analyse bullet games in real-time and, conversely, how does Robert keep his commentary interesting during slower-paced classical games?

45:48 - Robert's ideal commentary setup

48:05 - How does Robert see the game of chess develop in the forthcoming years?

52:00 – The lack of statistics as a preparatory tool in chess

53:53 – What does Robert like about chess’s recent development in the mainstream?

58:10 – Outro

Petrosian turned prophylaxis into a trademark of his playing style, which gained him the nickname “Iron Tigran” as well as several tribute books. Refining many defensive and prophylactic ideas, he raised the positional Exchange sacrifice into an art form.

"The Main Thing Is Happiness" focuses on Petrosian's personal background. Born in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, to parents from Armenia, he lived in Moscow for most of his life. This begs the question as to Petrosian's nationality, especially now that the Soviet Union as an entity no longer exists.

Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast! Remember, you can find us on popular platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, making it convenient for you to browse the chapters and listen to your favourite parts.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:17 Petrosian was celebrated

as an Armenian hero

06:33 The reception by the people when Petrosian became World Chess Champion

10:35 "Our Tigran": Petrosian did not belong to just one country

12:31 Petrosian the Polyglot

13:56 AD BREAK

14:29 Petrosian's friendship with composer Arno B

abajanian

15:46 The Armenian-Jewish combination

17:02 Khrushchev's joke and Mikoyan's warning

19:31 How Petrosian's life might have been if he had still been alive today

22:35 Petrosian in anticipation of his demise

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

In addition to his achievements as a player, Hikaru has built up a highly lucrative career as an online chess content creator, streaming live games and providing real-time analyses of top-level games, including his own. With his exciting style of play, extraverted personality and legitimate world-class playing strength, Hikaru has emerged from the 2020’s chess boom as perhaps the biggest voice in online chess, all the while maintaining (and some would say improving) his over-the-board performance.

While participating in the recent Norway Chess tournament, Hikaru sat down with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam for an impromptu podcast. Armed with only a mobile phone and a quiet room, Dirk Jan and Hikaru nonetheless managed to create an engaging piece of chess content that we’re sure the listener will enjoy!

0:00 – Intro

1:34 – How does Hikaru feel about the increasing prevalence of non-classical tournament play, like blitz, rapid and Fischerandom?

3:57 – The importance of sponsors and online viewership to further the growth of chess

6:14 – The start of Hikaru’s streaming career

8:25 – How does Hikaru stay motivated and energetic for his online content?

11:03 – Streaming during big tournaments

13:53 – How does Hikaru cope with losses?

15:15 – How does Hikaru’s newfound wealth affect his play?

19:56 – Why some players get “stuck” in chess

23:23 – Hikaru gives Dirk Jan a proper, YouTube-style introduction

23:35 – Is it hard for Hikaru to recap his own losses?

27:23 – The origins of “Gucci Piano” and “Fiancheeto”

29:27 – AD BREAK

30:05 – How long will the current chess boom last?

32:49 – Does Hikaru ever get too caught up in social media numbers?

34:18 – The relative lack of “big stars” in chess

36:23 – Hikaru’s personal and professional relationship with Magnus

38:22 – Hikaru’s criticism of the classical + Armageddon format used at Norway Chess

40:25 – Why does Hikaru like classical so much?

41:35 – Hikaru’s expectations for up-and-comers like Pragg, Erigaisi and Abdusattorov

46:03 – Fischerandom

47:00 – Indian chess

49:39 – Will Hikaru actually retire at 40?

53:18 – Outro

After announcing his retirement from chess in 2005, Kasparov pursued his political ideals. His fierce opposition of the practices of the Russian political elite has forced him to leave Russia. But his energy and fierceness are nonetheless as strong as they have always been.

With "His Unlimited Struggle" Genna presents a rather belated 55th birthday present to the thirteenth World Chess Champion: Kasparov turned 60 mere months before The Essential Sosonko was released.

Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast! Remember, you can find us on popular platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, making it convenient for you to browse the chapters and listen to your favourite parts.

00:00 - Introduction

01:23 - "The worst of the vices is to be over 55 years old"

05:26 - How Garry became as good as he was

07:39 - Garry set the standard with his dedication to the study and preparation of the opening

09:51 - Sosonko's impressions of "Garik"

11:27 - Garry dominates the world of chess for 15 years

12:45 - Garry retires from chess

13:09 - Going into politics: Garry is forced to leave Russia

14:15 - AD BREAK

14:47 - Chess is only one of Garry's outstanding talents

17:33 - "I won't spare myself": Garry's unlimited struggle

19:45 - Smear campaign in Russia: the chess speaks for itself, and time will tell

25:37 - 10 years of having left Russia

28:01 - Garry's move to the United States

29:17 - "One has to live long..."

Two weeks ago, Atle Grønn appeared on the New In Chess Podcast to discuss “Games and Goals: the Fascinating Chess and Football Careers of Simen Agdestein”, a reflection on Simen’s dual professional careers and influence on the game of chess. Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, this week Simen is here himself to talk about the book, his own career achievements and regrets, as well as the past and future of Norwegian chess.

"Games and Goals" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/games-and-goals 

0:00 – Intro

3:25 – How did “Games and Goals” come about?

7:09 – Becoming the first Norwegian grandmaster

11:55 – Simen’s professional football career and the pressures of combining two high-level sports

19:03 – Simen’s career regrets

22:59 – His knee injury and retirement from football

27:55 – AD BREAK

28:37 – How it feels to play football against all-time greats like Baresi and Maldini

31:03 – Simen’s image in the media and reflections on his football career

37:32 – Being the “clown” of the Norwegian football team

40:18 – Discovering Magnus

43:47 – The Norwegian school of chess

47:37 – Comparing Magnus to the greatest players before him

49:37 – Elham Amar: the next Magnus?

53:15 – Winning the Norwegian championship for the 9th time in 2023

58:01 – Outro

Despite his inactivity as a player, Matthew is far from done with chess. In addition to his own writings (the most notable of which is Game Changer, a game analysis of Google’s AI-powered AlphaZero engine), Matthew also actively reviews the work of other chess authors, from highly technical endgame books to biographies and more personal chess stories. His review column in the New In Chess Magazine is amongst the publication’s most popular rubrics. Interviewed by Dirk-Jan ten Geuzendam, Matthew talks about chess literature, his own personal favorites, and his process for reviewing the work of other authors, among other things.

0:00 – Intro

2:05 – Matthew’s work in IT

5:08 – Why Matthew hasn’t played since COVID

6:47 – The role of (chess and non-chess) literature in Matthew’s upbringing

12:20 – Matthew’s music taste, his brother’s career in music

15:55 – The chess books that molded a young Matthew

21:13 – Why the quality of chess literature has drastically improved

26:20 – How should a chess author explain playing styles of less accessible players?

28:06 – How much time does Matthew spend reading chess books?

32:02 – Top players creating their own material, the effects of the computer age

34:54 – Does reading chess biographies help a player become stronger?

40:13 – AD BREAK

40:45 – Why young players should be wary of old literature

46:01 – Should we replace the “one-to-five-star” system with a rating system?

48:15 – Matthew’s favorite chess book of all time

56:19 – Matthew’s other favorites

59:19 – Where does Matthew think chess literature is headed?

1:00:01 – Writing Game Changer

1:05:03 – Which book still urgently needs to be written?

1:07:32 – Outro

Atle Grønn is Professor of Slavic linguistics at the University of Oslo, but he is also a strong chess player - an International Master - and has written several books on chess. In Norway, he is a familiar face on television as chess expert in the live broadcasts of big chess events by NRK.

Games and Goals is the biography of Simen Agdestein, who not only was the greatest Norwegian chess player before Magnus Carlsen appeared on the scene, but who also - and this can safely be called spectacular - had a successful football career. Agdestein won the Norwegian Chess Championship nine times, while as a footballer he played for the Norwegian national team eight times.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Atle Grønn talks about his new book, the most remarkable double career of Simen Agdestein, the unique approach of ‘the Norwegian school of chess’, Magnus Carlsen, chess biographies in general and much more.

Games and Goals is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/games-and-goals 

0:00 – Intro

2:18 – Why did Atle decide to write the book?

3:51 – How involved was Simen in the writing process?

5:42 – Finding out new things about Simen’s life and childhood

12:50 – How would Atle characterise Simen’s influence on Norwegian chess?

15:46 – Simen’s father

17:11 – Simen’s insistence on privacy as a young player

20:20 – The pressures of combining professional chess and football

26:35 – Could Simen have gone further in chess?

27:56 – Simen’s influence on Magnus

32:26 – AD BREAK

32:58 – What is Simen’s legacy in Norwegian football?

37:02 – How did Simen deal with his career-ending football injury?

38:32 – Discovering Magnus and the “Norwegian school of chess”

43:02 – Simen’s competitive nature

45:24 – Which other chess biographies inspired Atle to write this one?

51:21 – Which other biographies would Atle recommend?

57:12 – Will Atle write Magnus’s biography?

1:00:42 – Outro

Interviewed by Alex Polak, Robby talks about his life as a chess player on the American collegiate circuit, his strong performances in blitz play, and his impression of St. Louis, deemed by many to be the chess capital of the world.

0:00 – Intro

1:01 – What it means to be a student athlete in the world of chess

1:54 – How Robby ended up in St. Louis

3:30 – Chess and academics

7:00 – The collegiate tournament schedule

9:43 – Robby’s strong coaches at SLU

11:03 – St. Louis, the city of chess

13:11 – Robby’s incredibly strong online play

17:53 – Other strong chess universities

23:13 – Robby’s training schedule

24:49 – Experiencing the chess boom while a part of SLU

28:48 – Outro

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, “My Misha” is a retelling of Genna’s twenty-five year friendship with Misha. It is a first-hand account of everything the “Magician from Riga” was known for: his striking appearance, his notoriously unhealthy lifestyle, his complicated family dynamics, but most importantly: his deep love of chess.

The hard-copy of the entire "The Essential Sosonko" is available on the New In Chess Website: 

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

0:00 – Intro

1:15 – Misha’s victory in the 1959 Candidates Tournament

1:52 – Misha’s early reputation as a reckless player

2:53 – Stories of Misha’s first meeting with Mikhail Botvinnik

3:47 – Genna’s experience analysing openings with Misha

5:34 – Misha’s deep love of chess, especially blitz

6:55 – Misha’s very complicated family

10:16 – Misha’s simple and lazy lifestyle

11:57 – Alcohol

13:36 – Misha’s talent on the piano despite his physical deformity, his love of football

15:23 – Misha’s poor health, addiction

16:40 – AD BREAK

17:19 – Misha’s imposing appearance, piercing eyes, and mental strength

20:03 – Genna’s personal Misha stories

27:35 – Witnessing Misha’s declining health, Misha’s last tournaments

30:14 – Genna’s last letter from Misha

32:26 - Outro 

A five-time Danish champion, Peter Heine Nielsen is primarily known for his highly successful coaching career. From 2007 till 2023, he continuously coached World Champions Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen. In that capacity he was a winning coach in a World Championship match a record eight times.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Peter Heine Nielsen looks back on the Candidates tournament in Toronto that ended earlier this week. The sensational winner was 17-year-old Gukesh from India who will now challenge World Champion Ding Liren in a match for the world title. That match is scheduled to take place in November. The exact dates and place have not yet been announced.

Nielsen shares his views of Gukesh and also speaks extensively about the three favourites – Caruana, Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi – that were pipped at the post by the youngster in one of the most exciting last rounds ever.

0:00 - Intro

1:33 - How did Peter follow the Candidates, now that Magnus is not involved in the cycle?

5:53 - Peter's expectations before the event vs reality

7:36 - The dramatic final round

11:58 - Peter's criticism of the 8-player, 14-round format

18:18 - Peter unfavourably compares Magnus's experience winning World Championship matches with winning big tournaments, like Tata Steel

19:41 - How special winning the World Cup was for Magnus

21:34 - Gukesh's impressive performance and mindset

30:09 - How Peter has seen chess become more of a sport, the evolving role of opening preparation

33:30 - Is the "middlegame-focused"-approach

34:58 - AD BREAK

35:41 - Fabiano's devastating result, his playing strength and status as the unofficial #2 in the world

41:39 - Nepo's performance

44:33 - Hikaru's impressive performance, media career

51:09 - Gukesh's strength and potential, chances against Ding

55:37 - Ding's state of mind following World Championship win, lackluster performances

1:00:07 - Peter tells the world not to count out Ding

1:01:16 - Magnus's reaction to Gukesh's win

1:03:07 - Alireza

1:06:48 - Future games between Gukesh and Magnus

1:11:20 - Outro

Interviewed by Remmelt Otten, Regan and Ball expand on the concept of the zwischenzug and draw parallels with various other strategy games, like go and shogi, and introduce concepts from those games that may even be interesting for chess players to learn. "Zwischenzug!" will be available on the New In Chess website soon:

https://www.newinchess.com/zwischenzug 

00:06 – Intro

02:14 – How Matt and Natasha met

02:53 – Why name the course “Zwischenzug”?

04:09 – How did the idea to write the book come about?

05:13 – How does one become an official FIDE coach?

07:05 – Why should people buy the book instead of using some online course?

08:33 – How should a student use the book?

09:43 – How the online "pre-move" makes people forget about in-between moves

11:25 – The beauty of the zwischenzug move

12:48 – How common are zwischenzugs?

14:01 – The unbelievable amount of zwischenzugs that occurred in the Ding-Nepo match

16:10 – Natasha and Matt coming up with new phrases to describe specific zwischenzug situations

18:29 – AD BREAK

19:11 – Matt gives the listener a visualisation exercise

22:34 – Natasha's affinity for abstract games such as go and shogi

25:39 – Natasha carrying over phrases from go into chess

25:57 – “Tenuki"

27:10 – “Aji”

30:50 – Natasha and Matt's participation in the European Senior Team Championship, using Puzzle Rush in preparation

36:12 – What books do Natasha and Matt recommend for chess improvement?

38:14 – Outro

0:00 – Intro

1:35 – Anish’s experience following the Candidates so far

2:57 – Alireza-Gukesh (round 7)

6:25 – Nepo’s performance so far, games against Pragg and Hikaru

14:13 – How many points does Anish think the winner will need?

16:18 – Fabiano’s performance so far

20:52 – Gukesh’s play

23:03 – Pragg’s crazy combinations

28:32 – Vidit-Pragg (round 3)

32:29 – Could this be Pragg’s tournament?

34:20 – Vidit’s play thus far, his early win against Hikaru

37:20 – Vidit’s “meditation”, other top players’ rituals before games

43:24 – AD BREAK

44:04 – Hikaru jumping right to YouTube after a game, even a loss

48:30 – Anish’s dislike of post-game press conferences, his preference for Hikaru’s approach

52:32 – Alireza’s tournament

58:33 – Who does Anish favour, halfway through the tournament

1:06:23 – The Women’s Candidates Tournament

Jacob Aagaard is a GM - he was the British Champion in 2007 – but is best known as a prolific and award-winning chess writer, the founder of Quality Chess publishers, and a top coach who has worked with many big names we know and no doubt various that have remained a secret.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Jacob Aagaard shares memories of Mark Dvoretsky (1947-2016), the legendary coach and writer, who was a dear friend of his and a great inspiration.

The occasion is the publication of the book "Chess Coach, The profound and lasting Influence of Mark Dvoretsky by New In Chess", a tribute to Dvoretsky compiled by Vladimir Barsky that first appeared in Russian.

Aagaard has called Dvoretsky ‘the biggest authority in my adult life’ and considers Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manuel simply ‘the best chess book ever written’. In a one-hour interview he explains why that is and treats the listeners to many wonderful stories about one of the most influential writers and coaches chess has ever seen.

He also provides advice how to read Dvoretsky’s (and his close associate Jussupow’s) books, while also speaking about his own acclaimed books that would not have been written without the inspiration of a great example and their interaction.

"Chess Coach" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website: 

https://www.newinchess.com/chess-coach

0:00 – Intro

2:16 – What Mark Dvoretsky meant to Jacob during his adult life

4:30 – Jacob clarifies that two of his chess awards are now defunct and emphasizes Dvoretsky’s legacy

6:47 – Jacob’s first meeting with Dvoretsky, attending the Dvoretsky school as a kid

11:19 – How the relationship between Kasparov and Dvoretsky soured

15:51 – Life as a young Dvoretsky pupil

18:28 – Dvoretsky’s strong personal convictions

19:59 – Jacob recalls Mark Taimanov getting arrested in the Soviet Union after his loss to Fischer

21:20 – How wealth and fame affected Dvoretsky, him refusing to charge money from his strongest pupils

26:19 – Jacob rebuffing a request to coach a national team

27:50 – Why Jacob chose to end his coaching relationship with Nodirbek Abdusattorov

32:30 – The mental toughness required to become world champion

34:30 – The complex characters of Karpov and Kasparov

38:39 – Insights about Dvoretsky from his wife Inna

40:17 – Jacob shares a personal story about Dvoretsky

43:42 – AD BREAK

44:15 – Dvoretsky knowing even the most obscure books

44:55 – Why Dvoretsky’s “Endgame Manual” is the greatest chess book ever written

49:35 – Jacob’s book “Practical Chess Defence”

52:30 – Are Dvoretsky’s books accessible to beginners?

53:30 – Being proud to publish books containing Dvoretsky’s lessons

56:48 – Outro

A prodigy, Anish achieved the grandmaster title at the age of 14 and steadily grew into one the world’s leading players, eventually joining the select group of grandmasters to have breached the 2800-barrier. Among his finest victories is last year’s Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee.

Anish is also one of the most many-sided players around. His online presence has brought him hundreds of thousands of followers, he has produced highly successful Chessable courses and he is, of course, a contributing editor to New In Chess magazine.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Anish looks ahead to the Candidates tournament that will kick off on April 3rd in Toronto. Providing great insights, he assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the eight Candidates and speaks openly about his expectations and personal favourites. Anish’s expert analysis is a must-hear treat for everyone who is looking forward to one of the greatest chess events of 2024.

00:00 – Intro

01:40 – Anish’s upcoming tournament schedule

02:44 – The unprofessional way FIDE tournaments are scheduled

08:16 – How Anish feels about the events that led to him missing the Candidates tournament

16:00 – Anish will make predictions for each Candidate

16:28 – Abasov

20:37 – Why Anish likes the dynamic of having one weaker player in a strong tournament

22:51 – Vidit

28:08 – Gukesh

29:51 – AD BREAK

30:30 – Pragg

35:47 – Nepo

37:53 – Will Russian and Indian Candidates feel pressure from their governments to perform well?

40:55 – Alireza

46:30 – Hikaru

53:17 – Fabiano

57:18 – How would have the best chances against Ding?

1:01:11 – Anish’s personal favourite to win the tournament

1:02:10 – Having grown closer to Fabiano

1:04:10 – How closely will Anish follow the event?

1:05:43 – Anish stresses that his predications may vary according to his mood

1:06:47 – Outro

In addition to his authorship, Thomas has had 30 years of experience as a coach and draws heavily from his coaching experience when structuring his material. Perhaps surprisingly, he has found that a game does not have to be played at grandmaster level to be educational. “What Would You Play” draws lessons from games played at all levels, including by a very young Magnus Carlsen, popular online streamer and influencer Alexandra Botez, and Thomas himself.

Interviewed by Alex Polak, Thomas talks about chess post-COVID, gives his view on what it takes to become a better player, and previews his future publications with New In Chess.

Thomas's most recent work "What Would You Play" is available on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/what-would-you-play 

To purchase "World Chess Champion Strategy for Club Players", visit https://www.newinchess.com/world-chess-champion-strategy-training-for-club-players 
 

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Loek talks about his career highlights, his political years and his adventures as a second for the prodigious Gata Kamsky (and his father Rustam!), as well as the demanding Vladimir Kramnik. He also gives his take on the way chess preparation has evolved, and who he expects to do well in the upcoming Candidates tournament.

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:16 – 01:40 Being excited about the podcast

00:01:41 – 02:52 Playing in the German cup, experiencing some fatigue

00:02:53 – 04:40 His fondest (chess) career memories

00:04:41 – 05:24 Turning his prize money into a BMW 5-series , crashing it

00:05:25 – 07:54 Winning numerous open tournaments, eight Dutch championships

07:55 – 10:30 Getting deported from the United States for having the wrong visa

10:31 – 12:00 When and why he got the nickname King Loek, being one of the first online chess players

12:01 – 14:00 His character, challenging himself, rivalries with other players

14:01 – 16:55 Dirk Jan witnessing his bloody football matches with Magnus in Wijk aan Zee

16:56 – 18:02 Loek’s love of placing bets

18:03 – 23:56 His remarkable career switch into politics

23:57 – 27:27 Joining the controversial Forum For Democracy party, leaving because of the weird conspiracy theories of some of its members

27:28 – 30:15 Where does Loek stand politically?

30:16 – 32:14 Similarities and differences between chess and politics

32:15 – 34:31 Does Loek have any regrets about his political career?

34:32 – 35:04 AD BREAK

35:05 – 40:51 Being a second for Gata Kamsky in preparation for the latter’s 1996 World Championship match against Anatoly Karpov, Gata’s crazy father Rustam

40:52 – 45:52 Seconding for Kramnik and Topalov, Loek’s expertise with early engines such as Rybka and Fritz

45:53 – 53:30 His predictions for the 2024 Candidates tournament, the evolution of engine analysis and preparation, not seeing Pragg’s potential early on

53:31 – Outro

In today's reading, Sosonko takes us along the path of his own personal history against the background of the geopolitical situation in Europe and Russia in the second half of the 20th century, and provides insight into the reasons why he took up the pen to write his chronicles. 

"The Essential Sosonko" is available in full on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko-hardcover 

A talented player in his youth, Sergey studied under former World Champion Vasily Smyslov along the likes of Vladimir Kramnik. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he won the U-18 world title and later emigrated to the Netherlands, where he would win multiple national championships as well as a European Championship in 2008. Sergey's dominance in tournament play culminated in a baffling 110-game unbeaten streak, a feat surpassed by only some of the greatest players of all time.

Sergey's book, “Rock Solid Chess”, has got unanimous praise from critics, including the very best players in the world, for its novel insights. Sergey describes his chapter on opposite-coloured bishops as a personal favourite. Additionally, the book takes a different approach to engine analysis: where some annotators would be happy to call a -0.05 evaluation a dead draw, “Rock Solid Chess” tries to look beyond the horizon of the silicon brain to find hidden winning chances in “drawn” positions.

Together with Remmelt Otten, Sergey discusses his writings, his playing career, and his life in The Netherlands.  

"Rock Solid Chess" is available in the New In Chess webshop: https://www.newinchess.com/rock-solid-chess 

Today's reading centres around Alexander Alekhine. In the first half of the 20th century, Alekhine twice became World Chess Champion, but these were hardly the only interesting events in his life. His turbulent relationship with alcohol, women, his competitors, and the Russian political establishment made him a controversial figure during his lifetime, as well as after his death under mysterious circumstances in 1946. 

Narrated by Nick Murphy, please enjoy today's episode of the New In Chess Podcast: Alexander Alekhine: The Paris Years.

The Essential Sosonko-collection is available in its entirety on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko

Together with Remmelt Otten, Ivan discusses his playing and coaching career, his greatest victory, the careers of Alireza and Pragg, and much more.

Ivan's most recent release, "Winning Chess Middlegames: An Essential Guide to 1.e4 Pawn Structures", is available on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/winning-chess-middlegames-e4-structures  

Today's reading centres around Tony Miles. Miles, the first Englishman to achieve the grandmaster title, came close to reaching the pinnacle of the chess world in the 1970's and 1980's, scoring victories over former world champions such as Smyslov, Spassky and Tal. He was also seen as a controversial figure; he clashed with chess authorities and his fellow players, and famously beat then-World Champion Karpov with the move 1...a6, a decision that drew allegations of unsportsmanlike behaviour despite its success. While these incidents may have made Miles a divisive figure in the chess world, his life story is all the more interesting for it. Narrated by Nick Murphy, this episode of the New In Chess Podcast features Sosonko's first-hand account of the life and career of Tony Miles.

The full version of The Essential Sosonko is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

Ramesh is best known as the trainer of Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, popularly known as Pragg, and his sister Vaishali. Under Ramesh’s guidance, Pragg would eventually become, for a time, the highest-rated Indian player in the world, a position previously occupied by Vishy Anand for over three decades. But Ramesh’s influence on Indian chess extends beyond the performances of one player. As its number of grandmasters has grown from 1 in 1988 to 84 in 2024, Ramesh has played a continuous role in chess’s incredible rise in India.

Together with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Ramesh talks about Pragg’s win over World Champion Ding Liren in Wijk aan Zee, his relationship with Vishy Anand, and his coaching philosophy.

Ramesh's work "Improve Your Chess Calculation" is available on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/improve-your-chess-calculation 

Davorin's books are available in the New In Chess webshop:

- "Ding Liren's Best Games: A Chess Biography of the World Champion":

 https://www.newinchess.com/ding-liren-best-chess-games

- "How to Study Chess on your Own":

https://www.newinchess.com/how-to-study-chess-on-your-own 

- "Beyond Material":

https://www.newinchess.com/beyond-material 

Davorin's coaching page can be accessed here:

https://lichess.org/coach/GrandmasterThinking  

Together with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Peter will preview the upcoming Tata Steel Chess Tournament, while also giving his opinion on recent developments in the 2024 Candidates' cycle, Chess960, and the next generation of chess superstars, among other things.  

Het schaken is Paul altijd blijven boeien. Na zijn actieve carrière als speler bracht Paul meerdere boeken uit, waaronder zijn autobiografie, "In Black and White", en "Mindful Chess: The Spiritual Journey of a Professional Chess Player", waarin Paul verder ingaat op zijn spirituele zoektocht op en naast het schaakbord. 

Meer informatie over de New In Chess Podcast: https://www.newinchess.com/podcast 

Het volledige New In Chess-assortiment aan schaakboeken: https://www.newinchess.com/more-to-explore/books-new-in-chess 

Paul's biografie, "In Black and White": https://www.newinchess.com/in-black-and-white