Hello again linkfest readers! It’s been a bit of a depressing week in professional chess. (Have I been writing that a lot lately or just thinking it?) GM David Navara, who by all accounts is one of the true gentlemen among the GM class, received the dreaded tag of “interesting” by Vladimir Kramnik. David wrote an impassioned blog post defending himself. (You can read more about Kramnik’s relentless, thinly-veiled accusations of online cheating in this post by Martin Justesen)
There was also a big New York Magazine feature by Jen Wieczner looking back at the Niemann-Carlsen controversy. There may be some paywall issues accessing the article, if so, the TLDR is that there is some insightful background information on Hans Niemann’s difficult teenage years, but neither of the principles come out looking good, or even particularly remorseful for any decisions along the way. Magnus Carlsen disputes some of the reporting, although, as has been true throughout the Niemann saga, it is safe to say that he and his team could have handled the P.R. better.
But guess what, none of that stuff matters if you simply want to get lost in an engrossing game of chess, or read a good chess book. Below you will find links covering the news, the reviews, the improvement advice, the drama, the record-breaking prodigies, etc. Have a good weekend!
Chess Improvement
GM Noël Studer on how to confront fear in chess. “I’ve played way too many games in my career with a fear of losing. Ironically, exactly this fear has cost me so many points. I call this fear Chess anxiety.” (Next Level Chess)
Chess YouTuber and streamer Kamryn Hellman (who I interviewed on Perpetual Chess after she took her online rating from 0 to 2000 in about 5 minutes) has started a substack blog. Please subscribe and eagerly await her next post! (The Little Pawn)
Dr. Benjamin Portheault goes deep on how to develop discipline. “If the pursuit of improvement is who you are and not just what you do, it will be easy to formulate a clear intent.” (Mindcreaser)
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GM Danny Gormally shares some helpful advice for adult amateurs looking to improve. “One thing that strikes me when working with students is how they tend to over-generalise when discussing positions. When grandmasters or master level players looks at a chess position they will first look at variations. It is all about the specific concrete details of the position.” (ECF Blog)
GM Alex Colovic on what he learned from an impromptu analysis session with a World Champion. “This episode taught me a lot. First and foremost, that I am not equally good at understanding all positions and sometimes I can even be pretty horrible.” (GM Alex Colovic’s Blog)
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Books/ Reviews
Martin Justesen is starting an online book club, and they are starting with Silman’s The Amateur’s Mind. (Say Chess)
Jay Roth reviews IM Jovanka Houska’s Chessable Course, Starting Out: Caro-Kann. “Despite my reservations about recommending the Caro-Kann to beginners, for those committed to exploring this defence, this course stands out as exceptionally accessible.” (Making Sense of Chess)
Pro Chess
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Peter Doggers recaps the Sharjah-Masters, where GM Sam Shankland tied for first with GMs Bardiya Daneshvar, Volodar Murzin, and Shamsiddin Vokhidov “At the prehistoric age of 32, I am proud to have represented the old guard successfully and honorably.” - GM Sam Shankland. Peter also touches on the Carlsen-Niemann story, and some recent conversation about the viability of chess as a profession for the non-elite. (Chess.com News)
Leonard Barden with a helpful recap of the uniquely formatted (and terribly-
named) Casablanca Chess Variant Tournament (The Guardian)
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