Perpetual Chess Podcast

GM Simon Williams returns to Perpetual Chess for the first time in several years. Simon is one of chess's most recognizable personalities, known as the Ginger GM through his work as a streamer, commentator, author and Chessable creator. He is also an accomplished tournament player, having shared first in the 2010 London Chess Classic and finished second in the 2004 British Championship.

Simon joined me for a wide-ranging conversation covering both chess and life. We discussed:

• His candid reflections on becoming involved with a pension company that later collapsed, the mistakes he made, and how he has worked to move forward

• His new role helping revitalize Chesspublishing.com, and why he believes its archive of opening analysis remains an underappreciated resource

• How modern opening preparation has changed, and why Simon increasingly relies on offbeat ideas to avoid preparation battles

• His love of creative, attacking chess and the memorable games he has played at the Reykjavik Open

We also discussed the Stonewall Dutch, rising British star Bodhana Sivanandan, the losses of IM Adam Hunt and GM Jonathan Hawkins, and even Simon's thoughts on Las Vegas.

As always, it was great catching up with Simon, and I am glad to see him creating chess content again.

 

00:00 The 2026 Reykjavik Open and Simon’s flair for the dramatic chess game 

Check out Simon’s epic queen sacrifice in this article by NM Anthony Levin:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/2023-reykjavik-open-williams-sacrifices-queen#:~:text=Williams%27%20Brilliancy,he%20played%20the%20interesting%205.

04:45 How Simon has adapted his approach to openings in the engine age 

Mentioned: Simon’s game vs. Bodhana Sivanadan

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=3124933

07:35 Playing Against Younger Opponents

10:38 The State of British Chess

13:32 Exploring the Stonewall Dutch

Mentioned: Bronstein’s famous blunder- 

https://www.chess.com/blog/ThummimS/the-1951-world-chess-championship

16:32 The Impact of Computer Analysis

19:39 Experiences playing against legends at the 2025 European Club Cup

22:26 Simon’s Involvement with Chess Publishing

More background info here:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/simon-williams-ordered-to-pay-back-900-000-to-pension-scheme

26:30 Innovative Chess Solutions

28:11 Lessons learned from working for a pension firm that went bankrupt. 

35:42 Navigating Financial Mistakes

40:17 The Importance of Chess in Life

44:48 Content Creation and Future Projects

Keep an eye out for The Ginger and The Bear podcast!

48:54 Remembering IM Adam Hunt and GM Jonathan Hawkins 

50:00- How to keep up with GM Simon Williams

Suggestions for Chesspublishing.com 

https://www.chesspublishing.com/contact

X:

https://x.com/ginger_gm?lang=en

YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/gingergm

Disclosure: Some links in this description are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, Perpetual Chess may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

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Jordan Himelfarb is an award-winning editor for the Toronto Star and an avid games player who became fascinated by elite chess during the pandemic. That fascination eventually led to his excellent new book,  Interregnum : Inside the Grueling and Glamourous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess, a detailed and highly readable chronicle of the 2024 FIDE Candidates cycle.

Jordan traveled to events including the World Cup, Grand Swiss, Candidates Tournament and World Championship match, gathering revealing first-hand reflections from many of the game’s top players along the way.

We discuss:


Why the Candidates cycle makes for such compelling sports drama


The emotional and physical toll of professional chess


Which players and personal stories resonated with him most


Ding Liren, Fabiano Caruana, Gukesh and the shifting generational landscape in chess


The controversies, chaos and unforgettable moments of the 2024 cycle

I recommend Jordan’s book to anyone looking for “bedtime chess reading”, and this was a really fun conversation.

00:00 Project Origins, Jordan’s Chess and Games Background

03:48 The Structure and Narrative of the Book

07:01 Experiences at Major Chess Events

09:54 Challenges and Insights in Reporting

12:46 The Physical and Mental Toll of Chess

15:58 Gender Dynamics in Chess

19:00- Patreon mailbag question: Which Candidates’ story resonated with Jordan the most? 

22:16 The Weight of the Crown: Mental Health in Chess

23:40 Compelling Stories of Chess Players

25:30 The Agony and Ecstasy of Chess

30:07 The Relentless Grind of Chess Tournaments

31:09 Drama and Controversy in the Chess World

36:20 Expectations and Surprises in the Candidates Cycle

38:13 The Future of Young Chess Players

39:54 Personal Reflections on Chess

40:00- Thanks to Jordan for joining me, here is where to get the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Interregnum-Inside-Grueling-Glamorous-Battle/dp/1639369910

Audiobook:

https://www.amazon.com/Interregnum-Inside-Grueling-Glamorous-Battle/dp/B0GCPR89VZ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0

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Paulo SantAnna is living the dream of many adult chess improvers. The retired software engineer has spent the past several years devoting serious time and energy to improving his game, and the results have been impressive. When Paulo rekindled his interest in tournament chess, his FIDE rating had fallen to a recent low of 1850. Through years of hard study, travel, disciplined training, and resilience, he recently reached a new high over 2100 FIDE in his mid-50s!

We discuss:


The moment Paulo decided to get serious about improvement


The mistakes he made early in his comeback


How he structures his training


Study recommendations and practical advice for adult improvers


Physical fitness, tournament selection, and maintaining motivation

I found Paulo’s story inspiring, and it offers hope for the rest of us,  if we only could get rid of these pesky jobs.

0:00 Intro 

More on the Adult Improver series here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover

Thanks to those who keep the show running!

Patreon 

Check out Chessiverse.com (discount code- ‘Perpetual30’)

4:00 Paulo’s chess comeback story begins

Check out Paulo’s FIDE history here:

https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2027402

6:00 Why his rating rebounded after moving to Europe

8:00 Retirement, Spain trips, and dedicating serious time to chess

11:00 Studying 35 hours a week

13:00 The dangers of doing too much

More about the Chessdojo  here (use code “Ben” at checkout to save 10%) :

https://www.chessdojo.club/signup

17:00 Calculation training and daily routines

20:00 Openings, Chessable streaks, and training structure

23:00 Online blitz, model games, and coaching

25:00 How much he studies versus other adult improvers

27:00 Avoiding burnout and keeping motivation

29:00 Brazilian chess streamers and coaches

Paulo has worked with: GM Rafael Leitao, GM Andres Rodriguez,GM Diego Flores, GM Lenderman, GM Izoria, GM Eugene Perelshteyn,GM Raven Sturt,  IM Jorge Bobadilla

31:00 Working with top trainers like Eugene Perelshteyn and Axel Bachmann

33:00 Blindfold training with GM Roven Vogel

36:00 What mattered most for improvement

38:00 Hiding online repertoires and preparation

40:00 Sparring games and training partners

41:00 His breakthrough tournaments

42:00 Tournament prep philosophy

46:00 Fitness, stamina, and nutrition for chess

49:00 Chess scenes in New York and California

52:00 Senior tournaments and future plans

54:00 Favorite chess books and resources

Mentioned: Postional Play by GM Jacob Aagaard, Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky 

57:00 Advice for busy adult improvers

58:00 Rating goals and pursuit of FM

1:00:00 Why adults struggle to improve

1:03:00 Final thoughts

1:04:00- Thanks to Paulo for sharing his story! You can reach him at:

psantann at gmail.dot.com

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GM Ivan Sokolov is a former top-15 player who won major tournaments across multiple decades and became national champion of both Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. In classical chess, he scored memorable wins against Kasparov, Kramnik and Anand.

In recent years, Ivan has become equally respected as a trainer and author. Most notably, he worked with the gold medal-winning Uzbek team at the 2022 Chess Olympiad, including GMs Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Given Sindarov’s recent success, Ivan reflects on how his game has evolved and why it was clear to him that Sindarov was both supremely talented and, at the time, somewhat unprofessional in his approach.

Ivan recently released a new Chessable course, Self-Improvement for Advanced Players. We discuss chess improvement for professionals and amateurs alike, the proper role of a trainer in a player’s development, preparation in the Kasparov era versus today, and memories from his legendary career. This  includes reflections on his close friendship with the late GM Jan Timman.

It is always an honor to hear GM Sokolov’s stories and perspectives.

00:00 Introduction to Ivan Sokolov

Prior interview with GM Ivan Sokolov:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm2slrqqW7s&t=209s

02:21 Insights on the Uzbek National Team

Interview with Chessbase India

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnN00uNrBEQ&t=588s

09:10 Assessing Grandmaster Sinderov's Potential

12:57 The Importance of Chess History

15:56 The Role of a Trainer

19:28 Experiences Against Chess Legends

22:09 Preparing for Kasparov vs. Modern Players

28:18 The Future of Chess: Classical vs. Chess 960

32:10 Insights from Ivan’s course. 

36:22 Memories of the 2012 World Open and other tournaments in the US

Mentioned: Sokolov vs. Shirov 1999

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1010044

40:05 Talent vs. Hard Work in Chess

42:06 Remembering Grandmaster Yantum

46:40 Current Projects and Future Plans

50:00- Thanks to GM Sokolov for joining me! Here is how to keep up with him:

X:

https://x.com/GMSokolovIvan

Chessable Courses: 

https://www.chessable.com/author/IvanSokolov/

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IM Greg Shahade has long been well known in the chess world as a three-time national scholastic champion and the founder of the Pro Chess League and the US Chess School. Recently, however, he reached a much broader audience with an impressive run on the syndicated trivia show Jeopardy!.

Greg amassed over $75,000 in winnings, dethroning 31-time champion Jamie Ding along the way. He joined me after what he described as “the craziest week of his life” to discuss:


The approach to adult learning that helped him go from trivia novice to Jeopardy! champion in just a few years


Behind-the-scenes insights from the recording process, plus his reflections on his controversial on-stage mannerisms


How his background in chess (and poker) shaped his strategy and decision-making under pressure

There isn’t a ton of chess discussion in this episode, but Greg’s approach to learning and performance has clear applications across many domains.

00:00 Introduction 

Check out our sponsors, Chessiverse.com , and you can use code Perpetual30 to save 30% on premium feature and/or IM John Bartholomew’s Complete Scandinavian Course. 

Chessiverse.com

03:00- Greg Shahade joins the show, we begin by discussing adult learning and Greg’s late start to trivia. 

Mentioned: Learned League 

Thinking Sideways by Jennifer Shahade 

Ducksters 

07:43 Building Knowledge Structures

10:03 The Role of Intense Study

12:54 Flashcards and Review Techniques

15:43 Betting Strategies on Jeopardy

18:45 Reflections on the Jeopardy Experience

You can review questions Greg faced here:

https://www.j-archive.com/showseason.php?season=42

25:00-  Patreon mailbag question- Why does Greg know so little about current events? What is his approach to daily double hunting?

30:44 Daily Double Strategies and Insights

36:57 Patreon mailbag question- Why is Greg so expressive when playing Jeopardy?

42:16 Physicality and Focus in Jeopardy

49:25 Behind the Scenes of Jeopardy

52:40 Facing the Champion: Mental Strategies

55:11 The Weight of Anticipation: Media and Public Perception

57:02 Navigating Fame: Love, Hate, and Public Reaction

59:50 Preparing for the Tournament of Champions

01:03:51 Chess and Jeopardy: Cross-Disciplinary Insights

01:07:20 Reflections on Study Techniques and Memory

01:11:20 Final Thoughts: The Game and Its Emotional Toll

Thanks to Greg for joining me at a busy time. Follow him here:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/gregshahade/?hl=en

X: 

https://x.com/GregShahade

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