Afleveringen
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This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Danish grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen.
Today’s interview reaches you once again from Oslo, where the 14th edition of Norway Chess ended in a stunning victory for Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa.
‘Pragg’ sensationally won his last four games and on the final day he leapfrogged Wesley So to pip the American at the post.
In the Norway Chess Women’s tournament, first place had already been secured in the penultimate round by the new star of women’s chess, Bibisara Assaubayeva from Kazakhstan.
This year Norway Chess moved from Stavanger, its home for thirteen years, to the Norwegian capital Oslo. There, in the heart of the city, the spectacular Deichman library was the venue.
In this second episode from Oslo, New In Chess editor-in-chief Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam talks to an old friend of the podcast, international grandmaster and five-time Danish champion Peter Heine Nielsen. Of course, these days we know Peter best as the trainer of the world’s number one player, Magnus Carlsen.
As Dirk Jan interviews Peter, he looks back on a wonderfully successful Norway Chess that for two weeks got enormous international exposure and created tremendous interest in Oslo. The entire tournament was once again broadcast live on Norwegian television and also had two separate live broadcasts from the venue by Norway Chess and Chess.com.
Of course, a good part of the conversation focuses on Magnus Carlsen, who lost an unusual number of games – he had to resign both his games against Pragg after compelling fights -and only finished in fourth place, having one of the worst results in his career.
Peter also talks about the special format of Norway Chess, the unforgiving time control, and try to come up with an explanation for Magnus’s poor performance.
And, not unimportantly, about golf, a passion of both Magnus and Peter. During the tournament they played a lot of golf to clear their minds amid the tension of the chess. Peter loves to talk and philosophize about chess and you will not get bored listening to his lively stories and insights. Enjoy!
0:00 – Intro
2:10 – How did Peter experience the tournament in Oslo?
10:05 – The unique format and time control of Norway Chess
15:20 – Pragg’s performance
20:42 – AD BREAK
21:22 – Pragg beating Magnus twice
26:20 – Magnus’s Armageddon games
27:58 – Wesley So’s performance
29:40 – Firouzja’s injury
35:18 – Magnus’s win against Gukesh in the last round
37:01 – What is Peter’s explanation for Magnus’s disappointing performance?
47:29 – Golf
55:56 – AD BREAK
56:28 – The Total Chess World Championship Tour
1:01:12 – Will Magnus continue playing classical chess?
1:04:25 – How long will Magnus stay world #1 for?
1:09:35 – Outro
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features in interview with Norwegian grandmaster Simen Agdestein.
Today’s podcast reaches you from Oslo, where the 14th edition of Norway Chess started earlier this week and is in full swing now. Yesterday, while walking around at the venue, the spectacular Deichman library in the heart of the city, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam ran into Simen Agdestein, Norway’s strongest grandmaster before Magnus Carlsen and Magnus’s first trainer.
Simen is famous for his remarkable double career. He was not only the country's best chess player for many years, he was also a gifted footballer who played on the national team of Norway on eight occasions.
Simen first appeared on the New In Chess podcast almost exactly two years ago, and talked about the book that Atle Grønn had written about his remarkable double career, Games and Goals.
And chess and football, as of late these two have been more connected it seems than ever. Many famous footballers claim that there passion for chess helps them on the pitch, and Norway’s biggest star, Erling Haaland, is one of the main investors in Norway Chess’s new venture, Total Chess, a new cycle of tournaments that will start with a pilot edition coming November and then see a first Total Chess World Championship consisting of four tournaments worldwide next year.
Simen is a natural storyteller, who always speaks his mind. About chess and about football. And much more. Don’t miss it!
0:00 – Intro
2:33 – How the growth of chess in Norway has affected Simen
4:10 – Discovering Magnus Carlsen
9:33 – Why do strong players prefer not to play important matches in their own country?
13:40 – Simen’s school
24:34 – AD BREAK
25:33 – This year’s edition of Norway Chess
31:03 – Magnus’s performance
35:20 – Time controls at the tournament
40:20 – Erling Haaland
47:23 – AD BREAK
47:56 – Simen’s personal ambitions at the moment
52:57 – Who’s going to win Norway Chess?
56:28 – Outro
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Dutch grandmaster Erwin l'Ami.
Erwin is an old friend of the New In Chess Podcast. The Dutch Champion in 2022, among his other notable results are his victories in the 2015 Reykjavik Open and in the Rabat Blitz that same year, where he was even too quick for specialists like Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Alexey Shirov.
While Erwin continues to love playing competitive chess in tournaments and club leagues, he has expanded his chess activities in various chess directions over the past years. He’s been working as a trainer for stars such as Veselin Topalov and Anish Giri, and he’s been producing training courses and writing books.
It was in his capacity as a writer that Erwin was invited this time, as together with Dutch GM Paul van der Sterren, he has just authored a new book on Max Euwe, who sensationally robbed Alexander Alekhine of his world title back in 1935. The title of the book is Max Euwe World Champion!, with an exclam, and it looks in detail at the brief reign of Euwe, who lost the chess crown again to the same Alekhine in 1937.
The book is a heartfelt reappraisal of Euwe, who has often been described as a lesser champion. A champion who won the title by some sort of luck. In their fine book, the authors demonstrate convincingly that in spite of such reservations, Euwe truly was the best chess player in the world, or among the very best, in those years.
Erwin talks to Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam about his special interest in Max Euwe, how the book came about, and the remarkable qualities of the fifth World Champion; about the sensation he caused when, as the underdog, he defeated the great Alexander Alekhine in 1935; about his achievements in his years as champion, and why he lost the title again in 1937.
In the second half of the podcast, we talk about Max Euwe’s celebrated successor in the Netherlands, Jan Timman, who died three months ago, on February 18.
Link to the Antwerp interview with Timman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0WTfRRzVsU
0:00 – Intro
2:35 – Has Erwin’s appreciation of Max Euwe as a player changed throughout the years?
9:21 – Why is Euwe so underappreciated by chess history?
15:45 – How strong was Euwe actually?
19:55 – The Lasker feud
23:05 – Euwe’s “modern” emphasis on opening preparation and physical preparation
27:06 – AD BREAK
28:05 – The historic 1936 Nottingham tournament
32:33 – Euwe as FIDE president
34:49 – While doing his analyses for this book, did Erwin discover any new things about Euwe?
42:50 – Euwe’s loss in the Alekhine rematch
49:21 – Dirk Jan tells his own personal Euwe story
50:32 – AD BREAK
51:08 – Erwin’s friendship with Jan Timman
56:30 – Jan Timman’s incredible memory
1:00:08 – Timman’s incredible career
1:03:49 – Erwin recalls an old interview with Jan (Link in description!)
1:11:23 – Outro
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with American international master John Donaldson.
The first time John appeared on the podcast, he was invited as the captain of the American team, on the eve of the 2024 Budapest Olympiad. This time, he talks about his latest book on what may safely be called his hero, Bobby Fischer. John has written a lot about Fischer and in 2022 he published his magnum opus "Bobby Fischer And His World", a thick book of 644 pages bringing together an enormous amount of material about the 11th World Champion.
His latest work is called "Inside The Mind of Bobby Fischer". In a voluminous book of 400 pages, John revisits everything he could find that Fischer has written as a chess analyst. Which means that he not only presents annotated games from Fischer’s very first book, Bobby Fischer’s Games of Chess, but also all the columns he wrote for Boys’ Life, a magazine for the boy scouts of American, and his columns in Chess Life. And there is much more that anyone interested in Fischer would like to see or revisit.
So, if you are looking for a sneak peek or a few teasers of John Donaldson’s fascinating new book, then this podcast is a good place to start!
0:00 – Intro
2:20 – What inspired John to write a new Fischer book?
14:26 – Fischer’s incredible dedication and discipline as a teenager
18:02 – Fischer’s mother Regina
26:25 – Fischer’s lost games
40:50 – AD BREAK
41:23 – The value of Fischer memorabilia
1:01:03 – AD BREAK
1:02:05 – How did John go about analysing Bobby’s old annotations?
1:08:10 - Dimitrije Bjelica
1:11:05 – Is John contemplating a next book about Fischer?
1:17:38 – Outro
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with grandmaster Anish Giri.
Today’s podcast once again reaches you from Paphos, in Cyprus, where at the luxurious Cap Saint Georges hotel the Candidates tournament has come to an end after two weeks of excitement and captivating chess. Anish was one of the pretournament favourites and one of the absolute stars of the 2026 Candidates, but in the end he, too, had to bow to the exceptional performance of the winner, twenty-year-old Javokhir Sindarov from Uzbekistan.
Together with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Anish talks about his mixed feelings and looks back on the Candidates tournament from his perspective.
0:00 – Intro
1:32 – Does Anish have mixed feelings at the end of this tournament?
5:35 – Not beating Wei Yi in the twelfth round
8:40 – Is Anish “not dangerous enough”?
14:35 – Fabiano Caruana’s performance
20:11 – AD BREAK
20:44 – The switch from increment to non-increment play
29:18 – Javokhir Sindarov
33:27 – Erdogmus
37:00 – The hidden coach: Roman Vidonyak
39:25 – Anish’s theory about Javokhir’s rise
45:33 – Modern chess training and coaching
58:30 – AD BREAK
59:50 – Untold: Chess Mates
1:02:20 – Anish’s venture with ChessMonitor
1:08:08 – Outro
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with grandmaster Boris Gelfand.
Today’s interview reaches you from Paphos, in Cyprus, on a rest day of the Candidates tournament, after ten of the fourteen rounds have been played. With four rounds to go it looks like Uzbek star Javokhir Sindarov is heading for first place and a World Championship match against World Champion Gukesh from India at the end of this year.
Boris has himself successfully played in the Candidates, won Interzonals and a World Cup and was the Challenger of Vishy Anand in the World Championship match in Moscow in 2012. Together with Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Boris reflects on his own participation in the Candidates tournament and the unique pressures of playing at such high stakes.
0:10 - Intro
2:47 - Boris reflects on his own experiences at the Candidates Tournament
14:48 – AD BREAK
15:19 – Qualifying for the World Championship in 2012
23:50 – The difficulty of dedicating one’s self completely to one chess tournament
27:51 – Jakovhir Sindarov’s performance
34:56 – How did Boris psychologically deal with losing his lead over Anand in 2012?
35:43 – AD BREAK
36:42 – Boris thinks Fabiano has taken too many risks in this tournament
38:34 – Boris’s current chess life
40:38 – Outro
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Danish-Scottish grandmaster Jacob Aagaard.
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
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Hungarian grandmaster Judit Polgár.
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
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with chess grandmaster Jonathan Tisdall.
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
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This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an emergency interview with Wijk aan Zee veteran Loek van Wely!
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
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In this year’s first episode of the New In Chess Podcast, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam interviews Peter Svidler. It’s a special moment, as two years ago, Peter was the first guest in the inaugural episode of the podcast. We are delighted that he’s returning.
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?
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In this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam talks to English grandmaster Matthew Sadler.
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
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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 Ghenna Sosonko. The subject of this week's story is Russian grandmaster Anatoly Lutikov (1933-1989).
"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!
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In this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam talks to Dutch grandmaster Jan Timman. Jan returns to the podcast to talk about his latest book, Timman’s Studies, an impressive volume of 455 pages in which he presents his collected endgame studies and explains how they originated.
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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 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
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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
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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.
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
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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
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