In this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam talks to Dutch grandmaster Loek van Wely. Loek is a good friend of the NIC podcast and he returns to talk about the chess event that is keeping us glued to our screens these days, the World Cup in Goa, India.
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
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from the Essential Sosonko, a collection of chess portraits and personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week's story is Latvian international master Alvis Vitolins.
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
In this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam interviews Ukrainian grandmaster Ruslan Ponomariov.
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 Vasil 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
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from the Essential Sosonko, a collection of chess portraits and personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week's story is Latvian international master Alvis Vitolins.
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
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Dutch grandmaster Erwin l'Ami.
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.
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
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with British grandmaster Jonathan Speelman.
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
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features the second part of a narration from "The Essential Sosonko", a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week's episode is Latvian chess master and trainer Alexander Koblenz.
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
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from "The Essential Sosonko", a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week's episode is Latvian chess master and trainer Alexander Koblenz.
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 week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from "The Essential Sosonko", a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko.
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
This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Dutch IM Willy Hendriks, one of today’s most entertaining and interesting chess authors.
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 week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from "The Essential Sosonko", a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko.
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!
This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features in interview with Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.
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
This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Indian chess star Tania Sachdev.
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
This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with American chess player and businessman James Altucher.
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
This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits and stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week’s episode is Soviet chess player and coach Vladimir Zak.
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
This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Czech grandmaster David Navara. For more than 20 years, David Navara has been the leading chess player of the Czech Republic. Thirteen times he won the national championship. In 2015, he was ranked number 14 in the world, with a peak rating of 2751.
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 autism?
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?
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Dutch grandmaster Jan Timman.
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. Like last time, Jan was kind enough to invite us to his home in Arnhem, Netherlands to conduct the interview.
Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam in his own chess library, old chess books and materials 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
This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with American International Master Kostya Kavutskiy.
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
This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits and stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week’s episode is Ukrainian grandmaster Efim Geller.
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 episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits and stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko. The subject of this week’s episode is Latvian grandmaster Mikhail Tal.
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