Renowned trainer GM R.B. Ramesh on chess improvement and training + TONS of book recommendations

Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh is the author of the highly regarded book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making, and was the 2002 British Chess Champion, but these days he is best known as one of the top chess trainers in the world! He has served as the coach of the Indian National Team many times, and in recent years has been the trainer of the teenage super-talent, GM Praggnanandhaa, among many others. In our conversation we talk about topics ranging from how Ramesh finds and keeps track of material for his students, to how to fight chess slumps, to a list of his many favorite chess books,plus lots more! Please tune in and enjoy. Hyperlinks can be found at:
www.perpetualchesspod.com/new...
0:00- We begin by discussing R.B. Ramesh’s current whereabouts. He is conducting a training camp for talented young Indian chess players with GM Vishal Sareen and IM Dejan Bojkov. Ramesh shares the sorts of material and themes he often emphasizes in these types of camps, including the advice he gives to students who get upset by losing games.
In this segment Ramesh answer a question from a Patreon supporter of the podcast about how trainers organize their teaching materials.
Mentioned: Chessbase 15
21:30- Are there any traits GM Ramesh has noticed in his most accomplished students, such as GM Praggnanandhaa?
31:00- When GM Jacob Aagard was a guest on Perpetual Chess, he discussed an upcoming chess camp he would be teaching with GM Ramesh. GM Ramesh provides us with some details about the camp.
Mentioned: GM Sam Shankland, GM Ivan Salgado Lopez,
34:00- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh for advice about how to think about and persevere during periods of stagnation in one’s chess development.
46:30- GM Ramesh talks about his own chess playing career, was he discouraged in the period when it took him 8 years to go from IM to GM?
Mentioned: GM Anand, GM Sasrikan
Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of GM Ramesh’s insightful 3 part 2017 interview with Niklesh Jain on Chessbase India
50:30- Another supporter of the podcast asks GM Ramesh whether he thinks the competition amongst players in India is particularly fierce. From here we transition to a more general conversation about support for chess in India.
Mentioned: IM Sagar Shah, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Harikrishna, IM Tania Sachdev , GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Aravind Chithambaram, GM Nihal Sarin gets an endorsement with a milk company, GM Koneru Humpy
1:01- Chess books! Get ready! No surprise that a renowned trainer like GM Ramesh has a long list of recommended books. :)
Mentioned: My 60 Most Memorable Games, Zurich International, The Art of Attack, The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Judgement and Planning in Chess, Fire on Board, The Works of Mark Dvoretsky, The Works of GM Jacob Aagard, Secrets of Practical of Chess, Winning Pawn Structures (out of print), Think like a Grandmaster, Endgame Strategy, The Works of Boris Gelfand, Dynamic Chess Strategy, Theory and Practice of Chess Endings, Imagination in Chess, Perfect Your Chess, Its Only Me by Tony Miles, The Yusopov Series, Fundamental Chess Endings, Timman On the Attack, Creative Chess by Amatzia Avni, Improve Your Chess Now by GM Jonathan Tisdall,
1:11- At his ChessGurukul Academy GM Ramesh sometimes teaches yoga and meditation to his students. How have they responded to it?
Mentioned: The Grandmaster Diet: How to lose Weight While Barely Moving , GM Praggnanandhaa
1:15- We conclude with a brief discussion of GM Ramesh’s excellent book, Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making, and an exciting tease for another book project that GM Ramesh is planning. You can keep up with GM R.B. Ramesh via Facebook and Twitter.
If you would like to help support the podcast, you can do so here:
/ perpetualchess

[@tahaceen]

GM RB Ramesh is probably the Alex Ferguson of the Chess world. Such a great honor to listen to this gem of a talk.

[@Ojalalluevapronto]

41:50 best part

[@slowlearnerschessclub7983]

I thought playing Blindfolded would be hard, but try using a board and pieces but without one side of pieces, then move to only pawns, and then just the board, and finally without board or pieces. You'll be surprised how easy it is. But you'll always have to concentrate more to keep the position in your head, but you will be able to play at least one game in your head.

[@srikanthtupurani6316]

Playing blindfold helps in improving the calculating ability in chess. Calculating ability and piece development are very important skills to become a good chess players.

[@JOHNSMITH-nc4rd]

so true! about parents

[@seop1721]

One psychological issue is to conflate personal identity with chess, so that one’s rating is deemed reflective of one’s self. What needs to happen is to separate the self from the results and one’s rating. If learning is seen as the goal, so that one’s goals are internalised, it would help. Confidence and self-esteem are problems of personal evaluation being based on the wrong things. These are classic cognitive therapy insights. I think chess players need skilled therapists/psychologists/sports psychologists. As many trainees are young, such skills need to be taught early.

[@ramprasadshendge3897]

Incredeble RB

[@Gandhar1012]

Gr8 talk

[@TheMaestromMephisto]

just a piece of advice, when tagging 1hr timestamps make sure you include the last seconds dont just put 1:11 instead of 1:11:07 totally different times

[@slowlearnerschessclub7983]

Nice show!

[@ReddyReddy-yn5uf]

I like because it deal with psychological

[@JOHNSMITH-nc4rd]

I do disagree that %50 should be spent on analysing positions.. first u should study tactics and endgames and openiings..once mastered then do other things

[@EEEBA1]

It could take many many years to master that. I think the key is to do the combination of all of it. Good Luck.

[@GoodKnightChess]

Imagine arguing with a coach and recommending beginners "study and master openings" instead.

[@srikanthtupurani6316]

How much time it will take for a begginer to be able to play blindfold. Assuming that he spends 8 hours on chess everyday.

[@srikanthtupurani6316]

@Siddhant Satao my question is how much time a chess player needs to spend to be comfortable thinking about moves without looking at the board. We need to spend sometime to develop that intuition for things.

[@srikanthtupurani6316]

Unless we play a good amount of chess we cannot master it. A person who has played less than 90 games cannot see some moves. My question is how many chess games one has to play to be comfortable with the chess board and to be able to think about the chess moves without looking at the board. We can see in chess interviews after the chess game. Some great chess players they talk about their game as if the chess board is in front of them. When I think about how they are so comfortable talking about their game without looking at the chess board. I feel surprised. It is very difficult.

[@GodChessBible]

You should ask each guest their spiritual beliefs and what they believe happens when someone dies. Thanks for the interviews Ben.

[@stanleytime9193]

Why?