Perpetual Chess Linkfest #118, April 4, 2025

Empty the dishwasher

Hello again chess fans. Below you can find the latest and greatest recent chess posts on the internet. Enjoy, and have a good weekend- Ben

Chess Improvement

Must-read post from Dr. Nick Vasquez on how to get better at stuff. (Chess visualization in particular.) “What is surprising to me is that focused work broken up into multiple sessions appears to be better than taking the same amount of time in one session. Having come from the “study until it hurts” school of thinking, I can say it never really feels like I’ve done enough.” (Chess in Small Doses)

Black to move and win! Find out GM Ju Wenjun’s quiet crusher in Jen Shahade’s Women’s World Championship warmup

Dr. Benjamin Portheault provides an important reminder- You are not your rating. “Tell a friend you had an excellent position that you messed up in time trouble, and they nod politely and ask you about a TV series. You just had a great tournament? Fantastic. Please bring the trash outside and empty the dishwasher.” (Mindcreaser)

How should you choose an opening repertoire with so many to choose from? FM Andy Lee explores this question (Lit & Chess)

If you were Black would you accept a draw offer in this position? Kevin Lincoln delves deeper into the psychology of a draw offer.

Reviews

Forward Chess offers a brief review of 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know, and its accompanying workbook. As I discussed with Kevin Scull on a recent Perpetual Pod, this is a great book that is a must-have for chess trainers and intermediate-level players. (Forward Chess)

Chess News

GM Tan Zhongyi took the lead in the Women’s World Championship today, the above diagram highlights a key moment.In his annotations for Chess.com GM Rafael Leitao writes “[Black chose} the wrong square. The most important concept in rook endgames is rook activity, on f5, its too passive.”

According to (paywalled) The Financial Times , a venture-capital firm in India is enlisting Vishy Anand and providing financial support to top young Indian chess talents. India’s chess reign is only beginning. (Path to Chess Mastery)

Misc.

GMs Awonder Liang and Razvan Preotu tied for first in the Charlotte Open. “What makes Awonder's games stand out to this author is how noncommittal his opening choices were against lower-rated players. By developing the pieces sensibly while also avoiding mega-theory and rigid structures, he put pressure on his opponents to find plans on their own, often resulting in big time advantages later in the game.” (Chess.com)

FM Tani Adewumi will now be IM Tani Adewumi after crossing the 2400 FIDE rating at 14 years of age. IM Alex Ostrivsky has the details. (Chess Life Online)

GM Garry Kasparov is launching a new initiative dedicated to bi-partisan advocacy for democratic values. Sounds good to me. “At The Next Move, our commitment to you, the reader, is that each criticism will be accompanied by a recommendation.” (The Next Move)

To anyone around New York: Chess in the Schools- A fantastic non-profit is doing a chess/poker fundraiser event on May 1. GM Robert Hess is hosting. I will be there. If it is within your budget and you want to support a life-changing organization, you should go. More info here: Chess in the Schools

Podcasts & Videos

This week’s Perpetual Chess featured a return visit from Chess.com executive, IM Danny Rensch. Danny and I discussed cheating in chess (of course), learning from business mistakes, and how the chess world can (hopefully someday) move beyond telling the same cheating stories in mainstream media. (Perpetual Chess Podcast)