Perpetual Chess Podcast

International Master and Woman Grandmaster Anna Rudolf is an engaging and informative chess announcer and presenter. In our talk Anna candidly discusses her nervous beginnings in front of the camera and what she did to make herself a better presenter. We also discuss the chess culture in her native Hungary, her transition from primarily playing chess to promoting it, and what it's like to work with Judit Polgar. This was an inspiring and fun talk. Please have a listen. You can reach Anna on Facebook or twitter here, and watch her videos on chess24. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was an honor to talk to GM Peter Svidler about some of his many interests. Naturally, we talk about his illustrious chess career and his near-term tournament plans. Other topics of interest include poker, hearthstone, Norm Macdonald, Radio Jan and Russian chess. This interview was a treat for me so I hope listeners enjoy it as much as I did. Watch Peter’s videos and broadcasts on chess24.com and follow him on twitter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10-year-old Christopher Yoo has been making lots of headlines lately in the chess world. He recently became the youngest USCF master in history and has also been entertaining the chess masses with his enthusiastic Pro Chess League Commentary. Christopher and his father, Young-Kyu, joined me to tell us the secrets of Christopher's early successes and his plans for upcoming tournaments. You'll want to stay tuned until the end when Christopher unveils his singing talents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27-year-old GM Alex Lenderman has won prestigious tournaments ranging from the World Open to the World Youth Championship, but he still feels like his chess has room to improve. We talk about why that is the case, his plans for 2017, and of course, we dig deep on his unforgettable experience coaching the gold medal winning US Olympiad Team. We also talk intuition vs. calculation in chess, as it relates to his interesting game in London vs GM Simon Williams. The Topalov Master Class that Alex references is here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin Bordi, (Blitzstream on YouTube) has quickly become the most popular chess YouTuber in France thanks to his entertaining and informative videos. In this podcast, we talk about how he built his following. Bordi lived in Moscow for 10 years, and he shares some of his observations about chess in Russia. Other topics include the Cannes team of the Pro Chess League, poker. the NFL and what he teaches his chess students. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Finegold has been a fixture on the American chess scene for decades. In this entertaining interview, Ben reflects on his time as resident Grandmaster at the St. Louis chess club and opines on America's young chess talents. Ben also discusses his recent move to Atlanta and reveals his plan to open a chess center in his new hometown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25-year-old GM Sam Shankland is already one of United States' best chess players and he hopes to achieve even greater heights in the chess world. In this interview, we discuss his Chess Olympiad successes, his study habits, his plans for 2017 and his interests away from the board. It was an honor to talk to Sam, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GM Jon Ludvig Hammer shares what it's like to be a top-level player in chess-crazed Norway. We also discuss the highs and lows of his playing career, and we're privileged to hear his first-hand perspective on what separates Magnus Carlsen from other grandmasters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IM Sielecki (Chess Explained on youtube) started competing in chess at the relatively late age of 13 and only recently turned chess teaching into a career. In this interview, Sielecki shares freely about the beginnings of his chess playing life in central Germany and traces the growth of his hugely popular and informative Youtube channel, which is nearing 25,000 subscribers. Christof also discusses his chess philosophy and shares practical ideas of how to improve one's results. Follow him on twitter @chessexplained See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Williams (aka the Ginger GM) is an entertaining and original chess player, educator and personality. In this fun interview we discuss his background, the chess culture in England, and detail his transition from primarily playing chess to teaching chess online. We also talk about his travels, both to international chess tournaments and to local British pubs. To find more about him go to gingergm.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh from earning his 3rd and final IM norm, Kostya joins the podcast to tell us about his initial introduction to chess as a young kid in Los Angeles, and then about the event that rekindled his interest in chess as a teenager. We then discuss his ascendant career which encompasses playing, teaching and writing about chess. You can read Kostya's writing on chess.com and in Chess Life and follow him here on twitter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While only 23, Nazi Paikidze has already achieved a great deal in chess including recently winning the US Women's championship. We talk about this experience as well as the Olympiad, and her journey from Georgia to Moscow to Las Vegas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In addition to being the funniest person in Germany, Jan Gustafsson is a pretty good chess player. He was once among the 100 highest rated players in the world and is widely respected for his vast opening knowledge. He also co-founded the popular chess site chess24.com and frequently announces grandmaster tournaments where he provides both humor and insight into top level games. In this interview, we talk about his chess career, new fatherhood, and of course about American pop culture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg Shahade is an innovative and dedicated chess player, teacher and promoter. He is best known for founding the US chess school, the New York Masters, and the US chess league (now the pro chess league). In this episode, we talk about these projects and others, as well as his sometimes controversial ideas to further popularize chess. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm Ben Johnson and I welcome you to the Perpetual Chess podcast. In this quick-hitter I explain why I created this podcast and what my goals are for it. I hope you enjoy it. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices