Perpetual Chess Linkfest #124, May 30, 2025

Reflecting Strength

Hi everyone, I am back from a one-week hiatus, and man did I have a lot of chess articles to wade through! Before I share the highlights, a quick programming note- I have moved some special offers from quality chess sites to the bottom of this newsletter, and they will live there in subsequent editions as well. (Although the offers themselves may change.) You should check them out! OK, on to this week’s links, have a good weekend! - Ben

Chess Improvement

Kamryn Hellman is pursuing a masters degree in Creative Writing & Literature and compares the skills it requires with those that are helpful for chess improvement. “At large tournaments, or on popular livestreams, or even in coaching sessions—anywhere that invites amateurs to submit their games for a master to review—I’m surprised how often players submit a game they won rather than a game they lost. I always wonder what these players are expecting to achieve.” (The Little Pawn)

If there is one thing chess players love, its photo shoots! Via Chess Reddit Photo taken at Norway Chess, where Magnus leads after 4 rounds.

Great post from GM Hovhannes Gabuzyhan on the pernicious effects of rating obsession. He writes, “My coach, GM Tigran Nalbandyan told me, ‘"Listen, rating is just a number. It’s just a measure of your strength — nothing more. If you are strong enough to reach 2,500, you will make it. And if you’re not there yet, no worries — you’ll get there. The rating doesn’t give you strength, it only reflects it."‘ (Chess.com Blog)

NM Matt Gross argues convincingly that one is better served practicing complex exercises rather than simply tactics one. For example, White only has one winning move here. It is quite nuanced, but Matt explains the answer.

GM Noel Studer on the value of “doing nothing” in a game. “You don’t need to “create” something spectacular in every game, especially not at the club level. What you need is, consistency, patience, and moves that are simply “good enough” (Next Level Chess)

How might one statistically support the supposition that Magnus is a superior endgame player to his 2800+ peers? Julian at the Chess Engine Lab found some ways.

Like a lot of people, Dr. Nick Vasquez rediscovered chess around the pandemic. 5 years later, he looks back at all that he is learned. Great post, as always! (Chess in Small Doses)

What is Black’s best move here? Do you #knowyourclassics? Jen Shahade looks at this classic Fischer brilliancy, as well as a few other smothered mate themed tactics.

Substack SuperGM Nate Solon was featured in Chess.com’s Coaches Corner. “The big challenge with chess improvement is, out of the nearly infinite chess topics, how do you know where to focus your energy? I believe mistakes are the best clues about what you need to work on” (Chess.com Blog)

White to move and win here, but Nakamura actually resigned against Carlsen! This got FM Andy Lee thinking about when to trust your opponent.

NM Dan Heisman writes about the difference between a “thought process error” and a “thought content error”. (Chess.com Blog)

Books

The Forward Chess e-reading app has a new feature that lets you search its entire book catalog for specific positions. Pretty cool. NM Han Schut provides more details. (LiChess Blog)

In view of GM Vlastimil Hort’s recent passing, GM Gregory Serper looks back at the classic, challenging chess exercise book that Hort co-wrote, The Best Move.

A Path to Chess Mastery Reviews the book Bologan’s Caro Kann. (A Path to Chess Mastery)

Chess News

Top French Pro GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is leading the Grand Chess Tour. He wrote about his recent successes on his blog.

Alot of you may have seen this, but GM David Navara recently wrote about the heavy psychological damage caused by unsubstantiated cheating accusations that were levied against him by GM Kramnik. This was tough to read, as GM Navara is a true gentleman. (LiChess Blog)

Grandmasters are just like us! GM Anna Muzychuk played 45… Qxe2 in this position in an Armageddon game against Vaishali. What minor detail did she overlook? Find out in Shahid Ahmed’s latest roundup of the women’s Norway Chess event for Chessbase.com.

Podcasts and Videos

Recent Perpetual Chess #1- Adult Improver Torkil Jara Bårdsgjerde on How some Innocent Workplace Trash Talk Turned Him into a Chess Obsessive. Five Years Later, he has gone from beginner to FIDE 1800, and considers chess a lifelong passion. This one has gotten good feedback. (Perpetual Chess Podcast)

This clip from The Sjaksnakk podcast surfaced on Chess Reddit, with Magnus telling the story of the only classical game he has played with a bad hangover. Its amusing. (Chess Reddit)

Recent Perpetual Chess #2- IM Alex Ostrovskiy is an NYC based trainer and frequent commentator on Hikaru’s channel. We talked about chess improvement, a recent Europe chess tour, and his childhood friendship with IM Levy Rozman. (Perpetual Chess Podcast)

Misc.

The Musical “Chess” is Returning to Broadway (Tarjei Svensen for Chess.com)

Improve Your Chess and Support this Newsletter!

This newsletter is committed to staying free, or dying trying, but one way to help support it (and your chess!) is to sign up for special offers using the following links. A portion of any generated revenue would then go to help sustain this newsletter:

Chessdojo- Great chess community for dedicated improvers, helps you get study recs and training partners. Use- the code “Ben40” at checkout for a discount on your first month of membership.

https://www.chessdojo.club/signup

Chessmood- Chessmood features a chess video library with Grandmaster taught opening, middlegame and endgame videos. It also features game analysis and opening explorer tools, and has game-changing chess AI tools on the way.

Chessmood Free one Week Trial-

Chessmood.com/Ben

Chess.com-

Tons of unlocked features and videos, use the following link for a free one-week trail, or you can also use the link when renewing your already existing premium membership:

http://go.chess.com/Perpetual