Perpetual Chess Podcast

• EP 434- GM Mauricio Flores Rios: The Acclaimed Chess Structures Author on How to Approach Different Chess Imbalances, Chess & A.I., and The Missing Ingredient in Freestyle Chess

  GM Mauricio Flores Rios' first book, Chess Structures, is a modern classic which is seemingly recommended on a weekly basis on Perpetual Chess. After nine years of work, Mauricio has recently released its follow-up, Chess Imbalances: A GM Guide. Like Chess Structures, it is a highly instructive book with a beautiful selection of games and useful guidelines to aid one's chess decision-making. Mauricio joined me to discuss the making of the book, and to expound on some of the advice from the book that I found to be most helpful. This included discussions of bishop pairs, bishop vs. knights, and how to change your approach in a game when losing. We also discussed Magnus Carlsen, freestyle chess, and the impact of machine learning on chess. Mauricio is a statistician by trade, who recently launched a chess instruction site called ChessMind A.I., so he was particularly insightful on this topic. There is always lots to learn from chatting with (and reading) GM Rios, and this conversation was quite informative. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Prior interview with Mauricio- Episode 109: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/1/15/episode-109-gm-mauricio-flores For our forthcoming video companion to this interview, keep an eye on the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@perpetualchesspodcast9143 0:00- You can sign up for a free one-week membership to Chessmood using this link: Chessmood.com/Ben Check out the YouTube video with Mauricio showing me games from Chess Imbalances here: 4:30- Mauricio joins the show! We dive right into discussing the vision behind GM Flores Rios’ much anticipated book, Chess Imbalances.   Mentioned :  Free preview of the book from Quality Chess here: https://qualitychess.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Chess-Imbalances-070x-Excerpt.pdf 11:00- Mauricio explains the guideline  “Quantity is more important than quality.”  14:00- Why did Mauricio select a lot of games from Magnus Carlsen?  15:00- Will Chess Imbalances be on Chessable?  19:00- What made the bishop vs. knight chapter especially challenging to write?  23:00- Mauricio’s advice for evaluating trading bishop’s vs. knights  25:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 26:00- What does it mean to switch from “from objective mode to survival mode” in a game? Mentioned: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Learn from the Legends  35:00- What is Maurice’s next chess project?  Mentioned: Chessmind AI  39:00- How close are we to having an A.I. model that can clearly explain chess games? 41:00- Are humans near the peak of how good they can be at chess? What about engines? 43:00- Does Mauricio like Chess960? Mentioned: GM Kenneth Rogoff interview with NM Tyler Cowen: https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/kenneth-rogoff/ 47:00- Will Mauricio’s kid(s) play chess?  Thanks to Mauricio for joining me! You can reach him via email at: Mauricio.a.flores.math at gmail dot com Here is the link for Chess Imbalances: A GM Guide, including a free sample: https://www.newinchess.com/chess-imbalances If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• EP 433- GM Kenneth Rogoff: From the World Juniors to the World Bank. Dr. Rogoff on His Remarkable Transition from Top Young Chess Talent to Renowned Economist.

  Dr. Kenneth Rogoff has undoubtedly had one of the highest-profile and most interesting careers of any Grandmaster working outside of chess. He is an author and Harvard professor who was once singled-out by none other than Bobby Fischer, as a player who had shown remarkable chess improvement. As a young chess star, Dr. Rogoff actually dropped out of high school to move to Europe and pursue chess professionally, but by age 18 he had returned to the U.S. and enrolled at Yale. He would remain active in chess for many more years, but his top priority gradually switched from chess to academics, and he eventually quit chess entirely (save for an exhibition game against Magnus Carlsen in 2012) Dr. Rogoff still loves chess and thinks about it all the time, but economics turned out to be the right decision for him, as he has become a distinguished professor who has worked as the Chief Economist at the World Bank, and has met 8 different U.S. Presidents in his life. His new book, Our Dollar, Your Problem,intersperses occasional lessons from his chess career while providing a modern history of the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency. This interview focuses primarily on Dr. Rogoff’s chess career, but those interested in his reflections on the global economy should stay tuned until the end of the interview, and should definitely check out his new book. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  Recorded on April 3, 2025.  0:02- We dive into GM Rogoff’s chess upbringing, and his interactions with Bobby Fischer  Mentioned: NM Eric Marchand, IM Sal Matera , GM Rogoff’s chess biography: https://rogoff.scholars.harvard.edu//pages/biography Bobby Fischer article mentioning GM Rogoff: https://rogoff.scholars.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum5901/files/rogoff/files/fischer69.pdf Karpov-Ulf Andersson 1969 ADD IMAGE  https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1019420 11:00- How did Dr. Rogoff gain hundreds of rating points in his early teens? 21:00- Was it hard to switch from the meritocratic chess world to academia?  25:00- What led to Dr. Rogoff dropping out of high school at age 16 to pursue chess? What was life like as an American teenager living alone in Europe in 1969?  Mentioned: Muppets in Moscow by Natasha Rogoff  26:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 32:30- Why did Dr. Rogoff make a U-turn and go to Yale University after dropping out of high school? 34:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Dr. Rogoff ever daydream about what a professional chess life might have looked like? 37:00- Why did Dr. Rogoff quit chess “Cold turkey”?  Mentioned: Carlsen-Rogoff 2012 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1690691 40:00- Does Dr. Rogoff have a favorite chess memory? Who were his favorite players?  Mentioned: Kasparov, Peter Thiel, Arkady Dvorkovich ,Reshevsky-Rogoff 1978, IM Kim Commons, Lev Aronian   Larsen-Rogoff 1968 Fischer-Spassky 1975 53:00- What is the origin of the phrase “Our Dollar, Your Problem”? (The title of Dr. Rogoff’s new book 58:00- What can regular people do to prepare for volatile markets? 1:00:00- Patreon mailbag question: Is the US debt load sustainable? What does Dr. Rogoff think of Ray Dalio’s writing?  1:05:00- Dr. Rogoff has met 8 presidents and many more world leaders- do any experiences stand out?  1:08:00- What does Dr. Rogoff think of the future of crypto-currencies?  Mentioned: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari Thanks to Dr. Rogoff for joining me! You can get his new book here.  Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• EP 432- NM Dana Mackenzie: The 5 Steps to Becoming a Chess Master & Other Chess Stories and Advice

  NM Dana Mackenzie is a former math professor turned science writer who has maintained a passion for chess throughout his life and career changes.He is a USCF Life Master and was the 2 time state champion of North Carolina.  Dana had a long running and popular chess blog which has now been turned into a book Did You Come Here to Play Chess or Have Fun? The book features plenty of chess improvement advice, with a particular emphasis on what Dana thinks is required to become a master level player. Dana is very familiar with the ups and downs of an active player, as he achieved a peak rating of USCF 2257, eventually fell below 2100, and then had to revamp his game in his 50s in order to get back to 2200!.  Dana also shares some fun stories from his chess career. These include amusing or noteworthy anecdotes about GM Jesse Kraai, a young GM Hans Niemann and a funny story involving a prominent grandmaster offering a “psychological draw offer.” . All in all, there is a lot to learn, and to enjoy from Dana’s book and from our conversation. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 00:00- Introduction to Dana McKenzie Read about Dana’s history of pursuing tenure here: https://danamackenzie.com/about/the-tenure-chase-papers/tenure-chase-part-1-prehistory/ 04:00- Becoming a Chess Master: Core Beliefs and Steps Mentioned: IM Jeremy Silman’s How to Reassess Your Chess  07:00- Developing Strengths and Eliminating Weaknesses 11:00- The Importance of Community in Chess 14:00- Navigating Age and Chess Performance 16:00- Strategic Thinking and Questions for Improvement 19:00- Are chess tactics necessary to make it to the master level? 22:00- Can going to chess parties help your chess?  24:00- After losing over 100 points in his 40s, Dana managed to gain them back and get back over 2200. What changes did he make to his game? Mentioned:  Dana’s USCF Rating History:https://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=10277604 Episode 346 with NM Todd Bryant  Can Adults Improve at Chess? By NM Todd Bryant https://www.chess.com/article/view/can-adults-improve-at-chess 30:00- Dana shares a few examples of his suggested “10 questions for schematic thinking.”  Mentioned: GM Robert Hess, GM Jonathan Rowson, GM Jesse Kraai  36:00- Dana’s advice for finding a chess community, and the underrated value of chess parties!  Mentioned: NM Mike Splane,  FM Craig Mar  43:00- Dana tells a funny story involving Grandmasters and a “psychological draw offer.”  Mentioned: GM Walter Browne, GM Sergey Kudrin https://danamackenzie.com/blog/?p=3209 52:00- Dana’s encounter with a young Hans Niemann Mentioned: Read more about “The Troitsky Line” here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_knights_endgame 58:00- What Dana learned from GM Jesse Kraai Mentioned: Read more about Nezhmetdinov’s famous queen sacrifice in this article by NM Sam Copeland: https://www.chess.com/blog/SamCopeland/nezhmetdinovs-immortal-queen-sacrifice-best-of-the-60s-nezhmetdinov-vs-chernikov-1962 Thanks to Dana for joining me! You can check out his blog and webiste here: https://danamackenzie.com/ And get his book here: https://www.newinchess.com/did-you-come-here-to-play-chess-or-to-have-fun If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess?redirect=true Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• EP 431- GM Mihail Marin:The Award-Winning Author shares Chess Wisdom from Across the Generations

  GM Mihail Marin is a prolific and popular author, trainer, and 3-time Romanian national champion. He has made numerous contributions to the chess canon but is probably best known for the book Learn from the Legends, published in 2005, which received high praise from GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Jeremy Silman, and many others. In 2025, its much-anticipated sequel, Learn from the Legends 2: Chess Heroes at Their Best has finally been released. GM Marin joined me to discuss: The different format chosen for this sequel compared to the original Things to know about each of the players featured in Mihail's new book: GMs Stein, Keres, Bronstein, Portisch, and Polugaevsky His own rise up the chess ranks Why chess was a uniquely appealing profession in Communist Romania  GM Marin has accumulated a litany of stories from a life among the world's top players, and it is always a pleasure to speak with him! Timestamps of topics discussed are below." Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Be sure to check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/   If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Prior Interview- Episode 316 https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2023/2/7/ep-316-gm-mihail-marin-the-renowned-author-and-trainer-on-learning-from-larsen-tal-polgar-and-other-legends 0:00- What was Mihail Marin’s approach to chess improvement as an up and coming player? Mentioned: Karpov-Unzicker 1975 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067846 Also mentioned: GM Florin Gheorghiu, GM Mihai Suba . Psakhis-Marin 2000 17:00- Mihail shares a little bit about each player covered in Learn from the Legends 2, including Stein, Polugaevsky, Bronstein, Keres and Portisch  Mentioned: Korchnoi-Portisch Candidates Match 1983 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=93347 Also mentioned: Bronstein’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice  Keres-Benko 1962 (adjourned on move 41) https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1072970 GM Jan Timman’s Curacao 1962: The Battle That Shook the Chess World https://www.amazon.com/Curacao-1962-Battle-Minds-Shook/dp/9056911392 34:00- In the modern chess age is it still possible to have a distinct chess style? Mentioned: Spassky Fischer, game 8, move 15: https://lichess.org/study/FeAwvrlI/nNPKlIqp Spassky-Polgar 1993- https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=1762744 45:00- Is Mihail following the Freestyle Chess Tour? 53:00- Is Mihail following the Women’s World Championship? 54:00- How is Mihail preparing for his imminent tournament?  Mentioned: Dorfman’s The Method in Chess Petr Izmailov: From Chess Champion of Russia to Enemy of the People https://chess.co.uk/products/petr-izmailov-from-chess-champion-of-russia-to-enemy-of-the-people-nikolai-izmailov 58:00- GM Marin discusses his next projects: a Chessable course, and a forthcoming book about his chess hero,  GM VIktor Korchnoi Mentioned:  1:08:00- Mihail’s recommended European chess tournaments Alicante chess tournament 2025: https://chessnews.info/ix-international-chess-open-easter-2025/ Seville: https://www.modern-chess.com/tournaments?id=1450 1:10:00- Thanks to Mihail for joining me again!  Here is how to keep up with him: Learn From the Legends 2: https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Legends-2-Mihail-Marin/dp/1784832162 Forward Chess: https://forwardchess.com/product/learn-from-the-legends2-chess-heroes-at-their-best Watch here for his forthcoming Chessable course: https://www.chessable.com/author/MihailMarin/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• EP 430: GM Susan Polgar on Perseverance and Empowering the Next Generation

  GM Susan Polgar is a World Chess Hall of Famer and former Women’s World Champion. She is also the holder of numerous records, including being the first female  “triple crown winner” and the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title by norms and rating. She is also an author, and Chessable author. Her latest book,  Rebel Queen: The Cold War, Misogyny and the Making of Grandmaster is a candid and fascinating memoir which looks back at her unusual upbringing, her extraordinary playing career, her life as a wife and mom, and her accomplishments as a groundbreaking university coach. As you might expect, this is a fascinating conversation. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.  Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Be sure to check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/  If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro 0:00- Information about the Chess in the Schools chess/poker fundraiser, hosted by GM Robert Hess on May 1, is here: https://secure.givelively.org/event/chess-in-the-schools-inc/chess-in-the-schools-2nd-annual-charity-poker-tournament 0:02- What are some of the primary lessons of Susan’s new memoir, Rebel Queen?  15:00- GM Polgar tells the story of her famous win over GM Ljuboimir Ljubojevic in 1987.  See the game here: https://susanpolgar.com/portfolio-item/susan-polgar-vs-ljubomir-ljubojevic-1987/ 18:00- What informed the Polgar philosophy of playing the strongest competition, regardless of gender? 21:00- Patreon mailbag question- Did Susan ever consider raising her own children in the way that her parents raised her and her sisters?  26:00- Susan’s memories of young Levy Rozman and Fabiano Caruana playing at her chess center.  Mentioned: photo of Susan with young Levy: https://www.facebook.com/susanpolgarchess/photos/this-was-from-a-million-years-ago-who-is-this-young-chess-superstar-who-used-to-/1202844537877913/?_rdr 30:00- Patreon mailbag question: What still needs to be done to continue to grow women’s chess? Mentioned: Chess Tactics for Champions by Susan Polgar  33:00- Patreon mailbag question: “To what extent does Susan think socialization plays a role in the smaller percentage of women playing chess?”  36:00- Patreon mailbag question:  “Have the barriers that women in chess face changed over the years?” 39:00- Patreon mailbag question: “ What is Susan’s advice for raising the level of play among the girls at a chess club?” Mentioned: GM Susan Polgar’s interview with the Botez sisters  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EctpBjnCU-8 40:00-  Patreon mailbag question: “Does Susan have a favorite Mikhail Tal story?” Photos of Susan’s first encounter with GM Mikhail Tal here: https://x.com/SusanPolgar/status/1855363562073620780 48:00- Was Susan Polgar in touch with GM Bobby Fischer in his final years?  51:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What made Susan decide to begin coaching university chess at Texas Tech?” 54:00- What else is Susan working on now that she is retired from coaching university chess?  58:00- Which factor was the biggest contributor to the success of Susan and her sisters? Here is how to keep up with GM Polgar: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanpolgarchess/?hl=en X: https://x.com/susanpolgar?lang=en Order her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Queen-Misogyny-Making-Grandmaster/dp/153875729X For newer players, you can check out her “Learn Chess the Right Way” Series on Chessable here: https://www.chessable.com/learn-chess-the-right-way-book-1-must-know-checkmates/course/12192/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess?redirect=true Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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