New In Chess Podcast

This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Dutch grandmaster Paul van der Sterren.
Paul is a two-time Dutch Champion and between 1982 and 2000, he represented the Netherlands at eight Olympiads. Arguably his most memorable feat on the chess board was his second place in the impressively strong 1993 Biel Interzonal that earned him a spot in the Candidates matches of the World Championship cycle. The match he lost to Gata Kamsky could hardly be called a failure, as Kamsky was at the peak of his powers at the time and defeated none other than Vishy Anand in the next stage of the Candidates.
When Paul ended his professional career in 2001, he became even more active as a writer than he had already been. Besides books on chess openings, he wrote a stunning autobiography that was first published in Dutch in 2011 and was translated into English in 2023. 
That book, entitled In Black and White, won the ECF Book of the Year Award, and is in my opinion easily the most deep-digging autobiography in chess literature. For its frankness and deep soul-searching the book might also have been entitled Open, if that title had not already been taken by Andre Agassi.
Paul also wrote, together with fellow Dutch grandmaster Erwin l’Ami, "Max Euwe, World Champion!", a reappraisal of the fifth World Champion. It’s a marvellous book that argues convincingly, both in Paul’s compelling story and in Erwin’s annotated games, that the Dutchman fully deserves his place in the gallery of World Champions.
Another reason is, that rumour has it that the same authors are preparing a book on another Dutch great, Hein Donner. A book in which they hope to give an honest answer to the question how strong the legendary Donner, who we mainly know from his brilliant writings, really was.
So, if you want to hear great stories about these two giants of Dutch chess, don’t miss this episode of the New In Chess Podcast. You could not hope for a better expert to guide you than Paul van der Sterren.
0:00 – Intro 
2:25 – Paul’s life as retired chess professional
8:50 – Dealing with the highs and lows of being a full-time chess player
12:30 – Paul’s autobiography, “In Black and White”
16:22 – Paul’s Max Euwe biography, co-authored with GM Erwin l’Ami
20:05 – Why Paul considers himself too old to analyse games
21:23 – Paul’s interest in the “human behind the player”
23:10 – What did Paul find out about Max Euwe, the human being?
25:10 – Why Alekhine was a dishonest man
27:25 – AD BREAK
28:00 – Has Euwe’s legacy been impacted by his own modesty and humility?
31:25 – Max Euwe’s double life as a teacher and chess player
35:55 – When Paul personally met Max Euwe as a young player
41:45 – Hein Donner
51:11 – AD BREAK
52:10 – Paul’s personal experience with Donner
59:20 – Being asked by Euwe to revise his earlier works
1:05:03 - Outro

This week's episode of the New In Chess podcast features an interview with Icelandic grandmaster Margeir Petursson.
Margeir first became a national celebrity in Iceland as a chess player. He won the Icelandic championship twice, in 1986 and 1987, and had further successes at home and abroad, winning classics such as the Hastings Premier in 1986 and dozens of strong Opens around the world. He was also a member of the legendary Icelandic national team that finished 5th at the Dubai Olympiad in 1986 and 6th at the Manila Olympiad in 1992. The ‘Golden Team’ that he played on together with Johann Hjartarson, Helgi Olafsson and Jon Arnason.
While many still saw him first and foremost as a chess player, Margeir also embarked on a banking career and founded his own bank, MP Bank (indeed, Margeir Petursson bank!). He became internationally known as the owner of the only Icelandic bank that did not collapse in the big Icelandic banking crisis in 2008. 
Those turbulent days were far from the last time that he had to operate in chaos and crisis. In the following years, Margeir switched his activities to Ukraine where he acquired Bank Lviv, and faced entirely new challenges, particularly when the country was invaded by Russia and became a nation at war.  
Enjoy this week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast!
0:00 – Intro
2:14 – Margeir’s memory of Reykjavik 1972 
9:06 – How Margeir developed his passion for chess
21:46 – AD BREAK
23:27 – Margeir’s decision to pursue chess while working as a banker
28:30 – How did Margeir work on his chess?
35:04 – Why Fischer “pushed” Margeir out of chess
38:50 – Margeir’s banking career 
42:40 – How Margeir ended up in Ukraine
49:55 – AD BREAK
50:54 – Did Margeir’s skill in chess translate to his banking career?
1:05:37 – Outro

This week’s episode of the New In Chess podcast features an inverview with Dutch grandmaster Loek van Wely.
A friend of the podcast, for this edition Loek invited Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam to his home in the south of the Netherlands. Loek is currently in preparations for the Dutch Chess Champiopnship, which starts on Saturday, July 4, in Aalsmeer (for more information check out the website of the Dutch Chess Federation).
Over the years, Loek has won the Dutch Chess Championship 8 times. His first win, in 2000, was the beginning of a unique series of six consecutive victories. Now, 26 years after that first title, he is going to try to win it a 9th time. If he succeeds, that would mean that in the list of all-time greats, he’d catch up with 9-time winner Jan Timman, while moving a little closer to the father of Dutch chess, Max Euwe, who won the title twelve times in a time span of 34 years.
Besides the Dutch Championship, Loek also wanted to talk about Jan Timman, a dear colleague of his and an inspiration for many years, who passed away earlier this year, on February 18, at the age of 74. Jan meant a lot to Loek and he wanted to pay homage to a great player whose books he devoured as a kid and with whom he fought many fierce battles after he had become a grandmaster himself. Loek also reflects on his ambitions as a chess pro, speaks about the stellar career and lasting legacy of Jan Timman, and explains why he has political ambitions in the upcoming presidential elections of the European Chess Union. 
2:23 – The Global Chess League
10:30 – Loeks “worldwide” chess activities in the past month
14:05 – Loek’s preparations for the upcoming Dutch national championship
22:57 – The late Jan Timman’s role in Loek’s chess life
25:08 – Loek’s first games against Timman in the 90’s
32:00 – People’s tendency to overlook Timman’s greatness
33:36 – AD BREAK
34:28 – Timman’s never-ending passion for chess
37:48 – Loek’s favourite Timman memories
39:16 – Loek’s brutal 1998 match against Timman
45:28 – Chess politics and Wadim Rosenstein’s bid for FIDE president 
55:40 – AD BREAK
56:14 – Loek’s view for the future of the chess world
1:03:03 – Loek’s love of winning

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

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