The Chess Pit: Recent Episodes
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Phil is joined by WIM Natasha Regan and Matt Ball, co-authors of 'Zwischenzug!', a new course on Chessable. Find out how much looking at the little in-between bits has been inspired by other games, and how much it's inspired them in their own chess.
Natasha on twitter
Matt on twitter
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Phil is joined by England performance coach, snooker fan, and token Frenchman Benji Portheault to round off our series on the 2023 World Chess Championship. Please also see below for details of Benji's new mindfulness series for tournament players:
Isabelle Choko
Benji's new course
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Phil and Robin offer a brief summary of the latest two games of Ding Liren vs Ian Nepomniachtchi, and then go into detail of the context this World Championship can be placed in, and what it means for chess going forward.
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This time Phil and Robin are joined by Dan Gallagher to dissect the middle tranche of games in the 2023 World Chess Championship. How exciting has it been, gang!
Dan's twitter is @BishopPair.
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Phil and Robin are back to give you their thoughts on Games 1-4 of the 2023 World Chess Championship between Ian Nepomiachtchi and Ding Liren. Come back next week for Games 5-9!
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Our late-night recordings are often tired and always somewhat beligerent. This one is no different! We pay tribute to Mike Basman, espouse the delights of Chess 960, and argue whether dragons exist.
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The guys are back with more of the usual. The usual, in this case, being everything BC (Before Cheating). So expect a smattering of chess alongside a helping of romance, nostalgia, geography and etiquette.
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Phil and Robin add to the dodgy chess journalism going round at the moment by giving an update to The Drama/The Beef/THAT. We promise we'll talk about something else soon but for now, here you go.
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For the brand new Season 4, Jon and Phil are joined by new semi-regular panellist Rhys Cumming to discuss the Carlsen-Niemann furore, what it says about the modern game, and why chess seemingly always seems to eat itself.
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Well, then. Magnus Carlsen has confirmed that he won't be retaining his World Championship crown in 2023. Phil and Robin round up the Candidates in the knowledge that the top two now qualify for a title match, and ask what Magnus's abdication means for chess.
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Jon and Robin are joined by Dan Gallagher to review Rounds 7-9 of the Candidates in Madrid, where everything appears to be falling into place for Ian Nepomniachtchi to repeat.
You can find Dan's twitter here!
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Phil and Robin are fresh from Round 1 of the Pimlico Open as the world takes a breather from the Candidates. Hear what all three guys think of Rounds 4-6 as we approach the halfway stage. Can Nepo do it again?
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Hear what Jon, Phil & Robin made of the first three days of the Candidates in Madrid, with particular focus on Hikaru Nakamura who's certainly helping worldwide popcorn sales.
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Our candidates preview special is live! We give in-depth assessments of each player's chances, as well as wondering whether the extreme heat in Madrid will have an effect.
This week, Jon and Robin spend a lot of time talking about age, Jon moving back to London and Robin's ongoing travails at the board.
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This week Robin and Phil quite simply want you to join a (good) chess club! Hear about their own experiences and follow their advice of what to look out for, and what to avoid.
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This week the guys discuss how they could tutor a child in the ways of chess righteousness, while also offering adults tips on their first serious tournament games. A full lifespan in one episode! Also includes curry etiquette. You lucky people.
Here's part two of Martin Justesen's chess boom substack we talk about: https://saychess.substack.com/p/is-the-chess-twitch-boom-over-looking?s=r
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This week the guys plumb new depths of dorkery while wondering whether the chess boom is diminishing. Silly questions are back, and the Rookbusters clues might be somewhat familiar...
Here's the article by Martin Justesen that we discuss.
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This week Robin is a reasonably-established adult, while Phil and Jon are both nervous about football. We discuss the Candidates qualification process, being accused of being elitist, and the demographics of our listenership.
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0:00 Intro
3:40 Phil has a quiz
5:01 Online chess as a gateway drug
14:11 Robin played a tournament
22:15 Mandatory women's/girls' boards in national league teams
34:37 Phil has quiz answers
This week Robin has seven friends, Jon misses composing crosswords, and Phil seemingly casts aspersions on great mathematicians. The guys ponder encouraging female participation from the bottom up, and declare themselves to be far too busy for online chess.
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0:00 Intro
7:37 Phil has a quiz
8:30 Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding
15:44 Player pronunciations
19:52 Russian Exodus
32:56 Robin has a tournament
51:22 Phil has quiz answers
The guys are back together for the first time in a month and get straight down to it with the nonsense this week including Spanish restaurants, triple jumping, and boring names for pets. We also build on our visit from the chessfeels podcast to pep Robin up for his tournament this week.
In the spirit of this week's Rookbusters, you can find Robin's lichess account for correspondence games here.
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Jon and Phil are joined by chess analytics human and resident Frenchman Benji Portheault to discuss chess on film, snooker, and whether Phil's French Rookbusters are better than Robin's English ones.
32:19 Rookbusters
This week Phil is still yanking around the US of A, so Robin and Jon welcome a couple of very special guests: JJ and Julia of the chessfeels podcast.
We kick off with some nonsense about names before talking about the psychology of chess. Julia gives Robin some chess therapy and… just how good are Robin’s Rookbusters?
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This week Phil is yanking around the US of A, Jon is hibernating during football's international break, but Robin is here in his cave to hold the fort. He's joined by his good pal Jim Stevenson to talk about Jim's new Chessable course on Alexander Tolush, a little-known (by Jon at any rate) Soviet Grandmaster. Enjoy!
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This week Phil has been to the seaside, Robin has been in a moving van, and Jon has simply stayed at home. Hear the guys discuss the latest FIDE sanctions against Sergey Karjakin, the latest from the Grand Prix, and... what is the English Chess Capital of the World?
0:00 Intro
4:43 Phil has a quiz and feedback
11:32 Grand Prix
19:01 The Batman
25:07 Robin's on a drawing streak
36:17 Phil has quiz answers
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When we heard that Jennifer Shahade would be in London to promote her new book 'Chess Queens', we jumped at the opportunity to get the whole gang in the studio to record an episode with her. So here it is!
In the studio again! With Jen!
You can find a beautiful hardback copy of Chess Queens here!
Jennifer's website contains details of all her projects and socials, including her very active Twitter.
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You can find Nate's twitter here and his Zwischenzugsubstack here
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0:00 Intro
6:07 Phil has a quiz and the news
15:07 The Chess Pit guide to (not) succeeding in 2022
58:25 Phil has a quiz answer
Danny Gormally's article
https://theabysmaldepthsofchess.blogspot.com/
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If you'd also like to see the guys' faces, go here!
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If you'd also like to see Jon and Phil's faces, go here!
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If you'd also like to see Jon and Phil's faces, go here!
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If you would like to see Phil and Robin's faces too, you can do so here!
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If you'd also like to see the guys' faces, go here!
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0:00 Intro
2:04 The news
4:10 Phil has a quiz
12:22 World Rapid & Blitz preview
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If you want to see the guys' faces, go here! And you can find David on twitter here and here.
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If you want to see Robin and Phil's fine faces as well, go here!
With the World Chess Championship all but over as Ian Nepomniachtchi blunders again, the boys are back to talk Game 9, what this means for the match as a whole and what we should expect from the next few games.
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With Nepomniachtchi's capitulation in Game Eight, Jon and Robin spend some time breaking it down and thinking about the impact it will have on the World Chess Championship going forward.
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After yesterday's Game 6 drama, everyone expected a quieter (and shorter) game today. And so it transpired: a short and snappy draw carries us over the halfway point in the World Chess Championship.
Jon and Robin cover Game 7 in this episode before debriefing Game 6 in a little more depth. Enjoy!
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WE HAVE A DECISIVE GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS! Jon and Robin give you a whistlestop review of the sixth game of the World Chess Championship and pep you up ready to go again tomorrow.
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It's the second Rest Day of the World Chess Championship but that's not stopping us! Jon is joined by a couple of very special guests to talk about the action so far. Benji Portheault and Dan Gallagher are both chess coaches and luminaries of the chess world. Listen to their thoughts on the WCC narratives, the availability of high-level punditry, sports washing, the "solutions" to draws and much, much more!
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If you'd also like to see Jon, Dan and Benji's faces, here you go!
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If you'd also like to see Phil and Robin's faces, here you go!
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If you want to see our faces as well as hear our voices, go here!
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If you want to see our faces as well as hear our voices, here you go!
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If you like a bit of video with your audio, you can also rewatch the live stream of this episode here.
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0:00 Intro
1:34 What is the World Chess Championship?
11:45 History of the World Chess Championship
41:38 Magnus
47:39 Nepo
56:05 Predictions
1:01:30 Coverage options
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0:00 Intro
4:05 Hugh's Views
8:55 Phil has a quiz
13:28 Motiva and the Women's World Chess Championship
42:07 Christory (Gaprindashvili)
48:35 Phil has quiz answers
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Here's the previous episode Robin did with us on adult improvement: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/board-next-to-him-adult-improvement-special-robin-sarfas/id1497308386?i=1000506056898
This week Jon brings back the Gregorian chanting first heard in Episode 5, Phil parades his knowledge of Thomas the Tank Engine, and Chris celebrates Mr Philidor.
This week the boys discuss monkeys at the North Pole, chess dynasties, and pay tribute to Evgeny Sveshnikov. May also contain a special guest for the quiz...
Chris and Phil are joined by our webmaster, Michael Meadows, for a romp through cuttlefish, bad chess websites, and theology. Jon also makes a pleasing guest appearance.
The gang's back together as the discussions this week include chess neologisms, psychotropic drugs, and... yep... cheating.
This week Jon and Phil are joined by London club player Benji Portheault, who happily mucks in with the regular nonsense, but also brings news of a recent visit to a legendary French player.
Chris and Phil are joined by International Master Lorin D'Costa, who is well placed as founder of She Plays To Win and captain of the England Women's Team to discuss the current and future state of girls' chess.
Jon and Phil are joined by Jenny Long, who is bursting with chess and was one of the organisers of the ChessFest satellite event in Liverpool.
Jon & Phil are joined by FM Tim Wall, who not only plugs this weekend's ChessFest but also reveals his prowess, or otherwise, at sheep rituals.
Fresh from football almost coming home, the guys are here for a twilight recording. Phil gets boisterous, Jon gets sleepy, and Chris celebrates underwhelming headlines.
England are doing well at football, so the boys decide to bring chess home instead. They also set up a Lonely Hearts Chess Agency and celebrate Ulf Andersson.
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0:00 Intro
4:54 Hugh's views
8:58 Phil has a quiz
20:04 Chess improvement vs life
30:03 Christory (Caro-Kann)
38:22 Fighting Index
43:30 Jon has a silly question
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0:00 Intro
5:42 Hugh's Views
13:34 Phil has a quiz
20:19 Introduction to chess tournaments
50:24 Christory (Gamesters)
57:21 Jon has a silly question
58:58 Phil has quiz answers
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0:00 Intro
8:14 Hugh's views
12:35 The news (European Hybrid Qualifiers, Gibraltar Women's Grand Prix)
20:31 Phil has a quiz
22:18 Norway Chess
27:17 The Baader Meinhof Phenomenon
30:30 Returning to over-the-board chess
38:44 Christory (Cannibal Chess)
47:06 Phil has a quiz answer
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0:00 Intro
3:33 Hugh's Views
7:12 Phil has a quiz and feedback
20:48 European Super League
22:50 Christory (Professional Chess Association)
34:23 Candidates update
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Jonathan's book Contemplating Comedy can be found here!
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0:00 Intro
8:31 Hugh's views
13:23 Phil has a quiz and feedback 23:57 Christory (Smyslov's longevity)
35:57 Training against chess computers
43:41 Jon has a silly question
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0:00 Intro
6:21 Hugh's views
10:03 Phil has a quiz
21:00 Online chess servers
31:04 Music
36:23 Christory (Cheltenham Chess Club)
40:29 Jon has a silly question
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0:00 Intro
6:05 Hugh's views
9:05 Phil has a quiz
14:57 Mutual Bongcloud
18:28 Levy Rozman vs Indonesia
24:50 Champions League Swiss System
33:07 Christory (Aron Nimzowitsch)
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0:00 Cold open
0:06 Intro
4:10 YouTube recommendations
10:17 Hugh's views
13:22 Phil has a quiz
15:42 Chess puzzles
27:15 Christory (Vera Menchik)
37:48 Jon has a silly question
43:35 Phil has a quiz answer
This week Chris's dog is pining, Jon has a heavy visitor, and Phil has a problem with carbs. May also include actual white hot chess content.
This week the guys discuss the effect PogChamps might have on the future of chess, and try to inflict the world's largest roundabout on the Isle of Man.
This week we ponder chess in a velodrome, celebrate South American Grandmasters, and ask whether the Dubai World Championship match is just another case of 'sportwashing'.
The unholy trio of Chris, Jon & Phil are reunited for a waltz through the latest happenings in the chess world, but not before they've solved naming Chris's dog and the age-old question of how many elite players you can fit in a Mini.
Everything gets a bit meta this week as we have Ben Johnson of the Perpetual Chess Podcast round for tea. Hear about his life and career, and his favourite moments from hosting.
This week Jon is a polyglot, Chris celebrates an important British player from the 19th century, and Phil wonders whether Tony the Tiger is Catholic.
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Robin Sarfas is an adult who has made some big strides with his game recently. He takes Phil's place this week as Jon and Chris grill Robin on his methodology and experiences. But Phil still manages to get his oar in with a quiz from afar, and everyone manages to butcher it.
0:00 Intro
5:28 Hugh's views
11:06 Phil has a quiz from afar
14:25 Robin has a quiz suggestion
15:57 Wijk aan Zee update
23:21 Adult improvement
41:11 Christory (Peter Mark Roget)
46:29 Jon has a silly question
49:19 Phil has a quiz answer from afar
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0:00 Intro
3:16 Hugh's views
7:31 Phil has a quiz and feedback
16:12 Caplin Hastings Online & Wijk aan Zee
23:31 Christory (the longest possible game)
30:21 Chuncling update
38:46 Jon has a silly question
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0:00 Intro
4:30 Hugh's Views
8:31 Phil has a quiz
10:16 Airthings
20:25 Radjabov vs Aronian and Just War Theory
23:03 New Year Chessolutions
28:15 Christory (odds matches)
36:45 Jon has a silly question
40:56 Phil has a quiz answer
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Rachel Syme's chess story starts before World War II, and has taken further positive steps in the last few months by signing up for lessons in the wake of The Queen's Gambit. She joins Phil for a good ol' natter about quaint British place names, the lack of netball in America, and how much she loves her knights.
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Christmas is cancelled in the UK, but The Chess Pit exists in cyberspace, so we can still do a Christmas special! This week Chris reveals his disgusting gravy habits, Jon sings various Christmas-adjacent and non-Christmas-adjacent tunes, and Phil cannot be stopped when it comes to puns.
0:00 Intro
0:40 Chris is furious
2:11 Hugh's goose
7:42 It's quiiiiiizmaaaaas!
11:41 An open letter to lichess
25:28 Winners and losers of 2020
36:20 Christmastory
40:11 Jon has a tinselly question
45:34 Phil has a quiiiiiizmaaaaas answer
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Stephanie Alys was a member of the England Junior Chess Squad and is a recent returner to the game after some time off. She's used that time wisely and has become a leading entrepreneur in the field of sextech. Here she tells Phil and Chris about her personal chess journey!
You can find out more about Stephanie by visiting her website. You can also follow Stephanie on twitter.
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How does chess processing fit within other creative industries? Can it? Should it? Writer, musician, poet, DJ, campaigner, and human, Chris T-T joins us for a lovely chat about his career and chess interest.
You can find Chris's current work, including his latest poetry pamphlet written during the pandemic here: https://bordercrossing.bigcartel.com/
And you can listen to his weekly radio show Folkhampton here: https://www.radioreverb.com/shows/folkhampton/
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We’re privileged to kick off our December interview season by having musician and football writer Philippe Auclair along for a wonderfully detailed chat. Philippe is a chess romantic and has a particular love of Mikhail Tal. He also has plenty to offer on chess aesthetics in both a modern and classical context.
Philippe performs in Louis Philippe & The Night Mail, and their new album Thunderclouds is released on 11 December.
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Phil has a cold, Chris is anticipating getting one, and Jon can’t escape the sound of muntjac deer. But nothing can stop us spending another 50 minutes sweeping the decks for anything even vaguely chess-adjacent.
0:00 Intro 8:59 Hugh’s views 12:08 Phil has a quiz and feedback 24:29 Skilling 29:09 Christory (junior coaches) 39:46 Paddy McCloskey reads the laws of chess 46:15 Jon has a silly question (novelty chess sets)
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Chess is all everyone's talking about, which is causing the guys a problem because, after all, they only talk about chess occasionally. Nevertheless, this week Chris talks about gifted children, Phil gets needled about rooks, and Jon provides a philosophical bent to the chessosphere.
0:00 Intro
0:28 The Queen's Gambit fallout: chess is booming!
11:07 Hugh's Views
16:57 Feedback
27:02 Phil has a quiz
28:20 Chess24's Top 50 players
36:05 Christory (Prodigies) 43:07 Jon has a silly question
46:45 Phil has a quiz answer
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We've been told that we're better when we're tired. So with alarm clocks and coffee at the ready, and with great solemnity, welcome to the chess podcast that talks about chess... sleepily. This week Phil celebrates early-90s dramas, Chris covers the history of the humble combover, and Jon is still enamoured with 'The Queen's Gambit'.
0:00 Intro
7:18 Hugh's Views
12:16 'The Queen's Gambit' feedback
22:46 Phil has a quiz
25:28 Magnus Carlsen Champions Tour
31:14 Christory (Mikhail Tal)
36:57 Anna-Marie Müller reads the laws of chess
41:00 Jon has a silly question
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0:00 Cold open (Five Guys)
0:23 Intro
4:58 Hugh's Views
8:10 Phil has a quiz and a plea for feedback
11:00 Patrycja Waszczuk
15:06 Politics in chess
26:49 The Queen's Gambit
38:55 Christory (Arpad Elo)
45:13 Phil has a quiz answer
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0:00 Intro
1:34 Hugh's Views 6:34 Phil has a quiz and feedback
8:54 The Queen's Gambit
22:17 Christory (Zurich 1953)
31:00 Jon has a silly question
36:28 Phil has a quiz answer
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What links The Walking Dead, the linguistic properties of the letter Y, and Taoism? Why, this episode of course. There's also a healthy amount of actual chess chat for once including the 1993 World Championship, draw offer etiquette, and the distant opposition.
0:00 Intro
7:09 Hugh's Views
8:09 Phil has a quiz and feedback
11:55 The News (Aronian goes to war, Candidates, Firouzja losing)
19:01 The Queen's Gambit on Netflix
21:00 Christory (Short vs Kasparov, 1993)
32:40 Martin Justesen reads the laws of chess
35:11 Jon doesn't have a silly question
38:35 Phil has a quiz answer
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The sorry tale of Isa Kasimi dominates proceedings this week, despite Jon's protests, but what can be done about game integrity when the world governing body doesn't seem to care? In more cheerful news, the guys cover the stalemate rule, try to fix the perfect dinner party, and discuss streaking.
0:00 Intro
1:35 Hugh's Views
4:31 Phil has a quiz and feedback
9:15 Isa Kasimi
31:18 Christory (Magnus Carlsen's unbeaten streak)
41:36 Stalemate
45:08 Jon has a silly question
49:23 Phil has a quiz answer
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No longer will Jon have to mention his draw against a 13-year-old in every single episode. Because Jon is now a chess winner! This week we also delve into the important topic of chess and mental health, but there's also room for Olympic boxers, Grand Theft Auto, and horse marathons.
0:00 Intro
0:28 Jon won a game!
8:05 Hugh's Views
11:29 Phil has a quiz and feedback
19:41 Altibox Norway Chess
25:07 Chess and mental health
41:18 Christory (National Chess Day... ish)
46:39 Jon has a silly question
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Why did Britpop die? When did chess hustling start being a thing? Is Toy Story 3 a good allegory for how children's chess books can be useful for adults? These are august questions, but it's October now, so we only partially answer them.
0:00 Intro
3:01 Hugh's views
10:18 Phil has a quiz and feedback
20:38 White vs Black = Home vs Away?
26:05 Children's chess books for adults
30:49 Christory (Chess hustlers)
41:20 Jon has a silly question
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This week we discuss the evolutionary prowess of pandas, devote some more time to the mechanisms of adult chess improvement, and cancel some things. And what on earth is the Bongcloud Attack?
0:00 Intro
4:22 Hugh's views
9:06 Phil has a quiz and feedback
14:59 HeurChristics (more adult improvement)
33:05 Bongcloud Attack
38:24 Cancel culture (plea for feedback)
39:41 Jon has a silly question
50:57 Phil has a quiz answer
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We've had a makeover at Chess Pit Towers and we hope you like our new artwork, provided by Frankie Mitchell (https://www.redbubble.com/people/madebyfrankie/shop)! This week we discuss post-apocalyptic stories and fighter pilots, round up the Chess 9LX tournament, and ask what the worst tournament performance of all time is. We're also inviting your feedback for any chess superstitions you may or may not have...
0:00 Intro
3:37 Hugh's views
5:49 Phil has a quiz and feedback
12:56 Plagiarism
14:24 Chess 9LX and Kasparov premoving
20:39 Superstitions
30:36 Christory (The worst tournament performances)
38:53 Plea for feedback
41:20 Jon has a silly question (The Rule of Six)
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The guys moan about being plagiarised, but introduce the classic new game 'Chessplayer or Cheese', probably shortly to be stolen. Christory celebrates the mid 80s and the rescheduled Candidates gets some early analysis.
0:00 Intro
4:55 Hugh's Views
9:27 Phil has a quiz and feedback
20:01 Candidates restart
26:34 Christory (A State of Mind)
30:28 Cesar Rossetti reads the laws of chess
34:55 Jon has a silly question
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The boys get all indecisive this week in tribute to the governing body of chess. Expect disconnections and a big ol' love-in. We also pay tribute to Wolfgang Uhlmann and try to rename the game.
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For the first time in five weeks, our virtual studio has Chris, Jon and Phil in it. They celebrate their reunion by pondering whether wolves should be reintroduced into the British countryside, whether elite chess has become somewhat homogeneous during the lockdown, and whether chess obsession can have dangerous side-effects.
0:00 Intro
4:13 Hugh's views
10:13 Phil has a quiz and feedback
12:46 Kavala and playing kids
23:19 Jon has a silly question
40:10 Christory (Peter Winston)
48:24 Phil has a quiz answer
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Kanwal Bhatia has been part of the England Women's chess team since 2008 and has had a career in machine learning. Here she tells Phil about both and they thrash out some potential ways to develop the women's and girls' game, where Kanwal is particularly well-placed to make some judgements.
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Thom Lawrence is the CTO of StatsBomb, who are definitely Big Data, whatever they claim to the contrary. Thom is also a decent chess player and heavily invested in the general chess culture. This week he joins Phil and Jon for a chat about analytics, solid perfumes, and the various moods of Magnus Carlsen.
0:00 Intro
5:40 Hugh's views
8:21 Phil has a quiz
10:44 Let's talk to Thom
51:52 Phil has a quiz answer
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The Hastings International Chess Congress has been going since 1895 and is one of the most famous tournaments in the world. But financial issues are commonplace with such a large undertaking. John Ashworth, CEO of Caplin Systems, came in as a sort of 'white knight' to help save the tournament. We talk to him about his life in and outside chess and the challenges he's faced as a sponsor.
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The boys are on holiday so this week Chris interviews Li Wu, who's part of the PokerStars online integrity team. Analytics and machine-learning crop up in addition to what you'd expect on (wait for it...) online cheating in both chess and poker.
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How should chess market itself? Should it focus on the elements of the game or directly target particular groups of people? In addition to this very important discussion, the boys parrot Adam Ant, discuss tortoises, and determine how good Napoleon was at chess.
0:00 Intro
4:26 Hugh's views
6:27 How fast is a horse?
10:37 Humiliation feedback
15:32 Phil has a quiz
16:01 Classism
35:20 Christory (Napoleon)
42:22 Biel
46:27 Plea for feedback
48:36 Jon has a silly question
51:01 Phil has a quiz answer
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Is 23° the ideal temperature? Is Sir Paul McCartney more significant than Alexander Fleming? Can chess professionals be compared to front line doctors? Nobody wanted these questions to be asked but the guys answer them anyway.
0:00 Intro
3:07 Hugh's views
7:17 Feedback
12:00 Phil has a quiz
13:38 Chess in the sporting commentary world
20:33 Magnus Carlsen Tour: Legends of Chess
22:43 Christory (rating deficits)
31:59 The NHChess
41:42 Plea for feedback
44:02 Jon has a silly question
48:28 Phil has a quiz answer
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The main thrust of this week's episode is the relationship between online chess and over-the-board chess, both in the practicalities of each and, more sombrely, the cheating potential of each. Nevertheless, Pierce Brosnan still manages to get savaged while Ennio Morricone is paid a hearty tribute.
0:00 Intro
6:08 Hugh's views
9:57 Phil has a quiz
14:12 Online cheating / 'cheating' in serious competitions, and its real-life impact
23:45 Online vs real-life approaches
33:18 Christory (Ennio Morricone)
38:37 Chess statues feedback
40:41 Jon has a silly question
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The boys get over their recipe choices and non-linear film opinions to bring you an entire episode focused on adult learning and improvement.
0:00 Intro
4:09 Hugh's views
7:23 Disreputable feedback 11:29 Feedback plea
13:10 Adult improvement
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It's 90 degrees in the south of England and the guys are sticky as hell. Will they make it through the recording without the fog of dehydration setting in?
0:00 Intro
2:28 Hugh's Views
4:39 Phil has a quiz
6:07 Stopped play feedback
10:21 Grand Prix
18:01 Christory (Chess during wartime)
26:35 Raluca Laic reads the laws of chess
31:15 Jon has a silly question
37:13 Mailbag
39:51 Phil has a quiz answer
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After last week's space travel, Mercury gets a visit this time around. The guys also query how many hockey rinks there are in Qatar, and Jon displays an unwelcome hatred of boats.
0:00 Intro
1:15 Hugh's Views
3:30 Phil has a quiz
4:27 Feedback
11:21 Legends of Chess
14:40 Mr Dodgy Invitational
18:35 POGchess
21:53 Christory (Firouzja) which becomes Jonstory (Iran)
31:24 ... stopped play
34:22 Jon has a stupid question
37:23 Phil has a quiz answer
40:01 Lichess simul
Also mentioned:
Michael Adams
Maurice Ashley
Donald Trump
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Tony Miles
Agadmator
Tryfon Gavriel
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
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Welcome to... The Kes Pit? Other birds of prey are optional, but the boys are happy to swoop down upon the scraps of conversation on offer. Phil has a local quiz for local people, Chris goes into orbit, and Jon rubs shoulders with royalty.
0:00 Intro?
0:33 Intro
1:30 Hugh's Views
4:23 Phil has feedback and a quiz
9:15 Chuncling
12:13 Loopholes in the Laws
17:09 Christory (Chess in Space)
25:23 Beating Grandmasters
31:30 Grandmasterly birthdays
34:28 Jon has a silly question
41:17 Phil has a quiz answer
Also mentioned:
The Duke of Cambridge
The Duchess of Cambridge
Mr Dodgy
Jan Gustafsson
Fabien Libiszewski
Simon Williams
Bogdan Lalic
Vitaly Sevastyanov
Anatoly Karpov
Sergey Karjakin
Emory Tate
Jonathan Hawkins
Richard Palliser
Jeffery Xiong Sachin Tendulkar
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Nobody really wants to hear about Chris's memory, Jon's artistry, or Phil's waistline. But we're afraid that's what's on offer this week alongside the standard mixture of whimsy and vaguely-chess-related mutterings.
0:00 Intro 1:27 Hugh's Views 6:22 Phil has a quiz 8:58 Lindores Abbey 13:17 Braveheart? 16:05 Christory (Barden) 20:48 Multitalented chessplayers 27:17 Devangi Patankar reads the laws of chess 36:55 Jon has a sensible question 45:49 Phil has a quiz answer
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The guys return with one giant citation. Women's chess gets covered in depth as well as another undercelebrated master. Our erstwhile Rules feature also makes a triumphant return.
0:00 Intro
3:05 Hugh's Views
4:03 Feedback
8:58 Phil has a quiz
11:57 Tom Stafford and David Smerdon study
20:54 Scotch the French Bulldog reads the laws of chess
29:04 Christory (Günther Möhring, and the Suffragette movement)
35:06 Jon has a stupid question
40:37 Phil has a quiz answer
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Have you ever tried to outwit a machine? In our experience it doesn't normally work out so well. This week the guys detail several examples of such foolhardiness together with how to pronounce Russian names, and how to improve chess for women.
0:00 Intro
2:04 Hugh's Views
5:30 Phil has a quiz
6:48 Steinitz Memorials
14:12 Simuls
20:17 Computers in tournaments
26:01 Christory (Kieseritzky)
33:30 Chess cameos
43:29 Phil has a quiz answer
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With summer fast approaching, the normal plethora of topics feel the heat of the guys' gaze. The Steinitz Memorial Tournament, starting Sunday, receives a mini-preview, and we hear a little about the man himself, whose birthday was the day of this episode's release. The quiz has a sporting theme once again, and can Jon actually have a silly enough question for once?
0:00 Intro
3:11 Hugh's Views
6:32 Phil has a quiz
9:18 Carlsen Invitational round-up
13:39 Beef
16:24 Steinitz Memorial preview
20:11 Choosing a chess coach
28:27 Christory (Wilhelm Steinitz)
35:09 Jon has a stupid question
38:24 Phil has a quiz answer
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Lockdown isn't yet taking its toll on the guy's energy levels! The longest episode for several weeks contains lots of irreverence, including diversions towards nylon, communists and Cambodia.
0:00 Intro
1:09 Sweatpants
3:28 An appeal for feedback and a stream update
5:38 Hugh's Views
6:37 Phil has a quiz
7:54 Rating plateaus and ego
14:09 Online cheating and 'online cheating'
24:30 Don't have children
27:59 Christory (William Winter)
33:30 Jon has a stupid question
37:41 Phil has a quiz answer
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Tony Miles (1955-2001) was Britain's first chess Grandmaster and was a unique individual in many respects. Here the guys pay tribute in their own inimitable way.
0:00 Intro
0:25 We have a new theme tune
3:49 Carlsen Invitational
6:14 Phil has a quiz
7:20 Tony Miles
30:15 Phil has a quiz answer
32:44 Christory (Chess the musical)
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The Carlsen Invitational is underway and this week's episode has an appropriately international and linguistic theme. Jon still manages to shoehorn in his draw against a 13-year-old from ten weeks ago, mind.
0:00 Intro
1:54 Feedback
2:22 Warp Records
3:56 Phil has a quiz
4:53 Carlsen Invitational
10:00 Mopping up some loose ends from Episode 12
12:09 Christory (Emanuel Lasker)
17:32 Online tournaments
19:10 Sophie Stromback reads the laws of chess
21:57 Chess in other languages
27:35 Chess openings as shops
30:48 Phil has a quiz answer
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Faced with not being able to get into the studio to give the fans what they want, the guys scale the building to reach the top floor and pump out an episode containing the normal nonsense. Jon sings a bit and also gets accused of fancying an animated pig.
0:00 Cold open: Reaching the top floor
0:45 Intro
1:26 Phil doesn't have a quiz answer or indeed another quiz
3:01 Chess in the time of coronavirus
11:01 Sweet Caroline
12:10 Coordinated drinking
12:31 Sam Shankland's new book and dreams about Mike Basman
18:32 Stolen exhaust pipes
22:36 Sportsmanship
33:29 Christory (Tarrasch) and Our Friend Rick
39:26 Jon has a stupid question
43:02 Phil doesn't have a quiz answer
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Chris is back from his holiday and wants to hide in the corner, but Phil is happy to get close to the mic. Jon's stupid question from Episode 3 gets dealt with properly as Phil and Chris play another nonsense game on air. Somehow, discussion of a chess startup leads to some Gregorian chanting as well. Listen to find out how!
0:00 Intro
1:01 En Passant d'Avignon the game!
4:51 Which football manager is Phil like?
5:16 Phil doesn't have a quiz
8:00 Regium
12:00 Nikita Pearl Waligwa
12:35 A 12-year-old girl reads the laws of chess
18:47 Adjournments and trying to beat Magnus Carlsen
28:00 Jon has a stupid question
31:14 Paco Ŝako
36:23 Chris and Phil finish their game
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Chris is on holiday, and the contract states that there must be at least three people on each episode, so Jon and Phil rope in The Guardian's Chief Sports Correspondent and club chess player Sean Ingle! He talks about his life in chess and journalism, and also gives Jon a game.
0:00 Intro
0:27 The hardest man in Luton
1:10 Jon Mackenzie vs Sean Ingle chess game (https://twitter.com/ChesspitPod/status/1230913955452899333)
1:39 Does Sean like the idea of a chess podcast?
2:19 Leeds United
4:51 Sean's early chess history
6:11 Sporting commentaries and Sean's current work
7:06 How did Sean get into sports journalism?
9:45 Sean's family history in boxing
12:05 Sports 'assistance'
19:25 Individual vs team sport
20:57 Sean at university
23:18 Lennox Lewis and Steve Davis
24:57 Magnus Carlsen playing 5-a-side
29:11 Hull City in the mid-1990s
30:57 Carlsen vs Caruana in The Guardian and other media
46:27 Chess as an e-sport
49:27 Jon and Sean finish their game
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Now that the general format has been settled, the guys are happy to share the blame. Ongoing features from now on include Phil's quiz, a history lesson with Chris, and a stupid question from Jon. The coronavirus is starting to parade its devilry at sea: might it encourage a whole new generation of chess players?
0:00 Cold open: Neville Southall
4:20 Cold open: Phil's record against Wood Green
9:07 Intro
9:30 Phil has a quiz
10:36 Mike Basman
15:02 Chess on a cruise ship
16:31 Shall we do a Tony Miles special? (Update: We did! See Episode 14.)
20:14 Is chess becoming less fun?
28:14 Forfeited for wearing a watch
32:51 Are kids under too much pressure?
35:32 Ways to stop cheating
37:15 Christory (Deep Blue)
41:22 Jon has a stupid question
47:15 Phil has a quiz answer
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They didn't fall out and have returned for a second bite at the podcast cherry! The guys have settled on a name and a theme tune for their chess vehicle but that hasn't stopped their new listeners suggesting alternatives. Will they be minded to change anything?
0:00 Cold open: Greasy pieces
0:47 Cold open: Half Man Half Biscuit
2:13 Intro
2:42 Terminology faux pas
6:22 Phil has a quiz
8:49 The Wingside and the Bingside exhibition game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g8_811xnsc)
13:16 Jon's preparation for the national league
20:59 Irving Wardle reads the laws of chess
24:51 Rating systems
28:15 Jon has a stupid question
32:46 Phil has a quiz answer
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Jon Mackenzie has played chess for a few months. Phil Makepeace and Chris Russell have played chess for over 20 years and even have their own chess coaching business together. The three guys have only met once before recording this pilot episode, so will there be enough chemistry? Will they be able to talk for long enough about chess? Will they fall out? Will they make it out of their secret recording venue alive?
0:00 Cold open: A theme tune?
1:47 Cold open: What's in a name?
3:42 Intro
5:44 Who are Chris, Jon and Phil?
6:56 Daft chess tournament prizes 9:06 Brother-in-laws (brothers-in law?)
10:55 Jon's first competitive games
15:43 Two-hundred-and-thirty moves!
20:42 Being told off for walking
23:32 Why do a chess podcast? 28:50 Finding a chess hero
35:20 Football managers playing chess
37:30 Jon has a stupid question