The Life and Times of Chess | Episode 52 | Everything is Everything

[@Agastya26]

For Mr. Ajay Shah: Reason why GM norm tournaments don't happen in India is that India has many strong players but they are under-rated. To get higher rated players from America/Europe or even generally to organise such tournaments would take around INR 30 Crores (I think Sagar Shah had explained this in a video, that's where I am getting my numbers) and we aren't able to raise that much money for just another random tournament.

[@Faith-ej6ve]

Love it when Amit casually starts flexing his 2000 rating...!

[@amitvarma]

It's embarrasingly low, actually. I was better 30 years ago. Now the 2100s just walk all over me.

[@shenoyn]

Such a beautiful conversation! Loved Amit's insights and the deep love that he so evidently has for chess. And Ajay's larger, zoomed out view of chess, and the segue into the more general questions, his ability to simplify complex questions, it's such a delight! Enjoyed this conversation hugely!

[@ritikd225]

42:24 the delay in broadcast was not always there and after the Hans-Carlsen incident it became a huge talking point and some tournaments started delaying the broadcast. Maybe it will become a norm going forward.

[@tubelz]

This discussion brought to mind Shanti Bhavan, the school set up by Abraham George for underprivileged children. It may have around 300 graduates by now. Some of them have been accepted to Stanford, Dartmouth, MIT, Chicago, Duke, etc. How much potential must never get realized in India?

[@OmkarDeshmukh4]

Brilliant episode! Thank you both for all that you do.

[@sanjaysajeev]

The Queen's Gambit its a series around chess. It interesting because of its portray of the tension between USSR and USA.

[@mayankchari4632]

Excellent video! An exhilarating conversation on chess while people paraglide in the background. Truly beautiful work.

[@bharathram51]

Hi Amit and Ajay, Great episkde. Love your content. There was very repetitive use of mylapore circle for chess booming in madras. I dont think the place has any significance to the contribution of chess. In my opinion, it was vishy who opened the gates and not to mention velammal school who has greatly supported these chess GMs like Gukesh, Pragg , vaishali , sethuraman , adhibhan etc. Another important credit in the chess circle needs to go to RB Ramesh who is a GM himself who is a trainer for Pragg. Also on a side note, i listen the episdoe while on my commute. The honking in the background always throws me off , I turn back to see if someone behind me is unhappy . Also happened in thr AMA episode. Hope you guys can fix the background audio noises 😅

[@sameerpathak6539]

Absolutely brilliant !

[@markusknight]

Episode request: First Principles Thinking. I’m sure it would be a masterclass coming from the two of you.

[@ajayshah5705]

May I suggest. Every episode of this is first principles thinking. The best way to get this way of thinking is to actually do it. Pick 5 episodes out of the show that you are interested in, and study them thoroughly. If you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last.

[@Agastya26]

Been waiting for this for such a long time! Wonderful episode as always!

[@jagrutiajaydesai9631]

Hi Amit and Ajay, my favourite episode until now has been Beauty of Finance and I had a request regarding whether you can do similar episode with a bit more focus and sort of a primer on Macroeconomics, specifically from the buy-side practitioner and investor perspective . (Apologies if something like this has already been made as I haven’t listened to every episode) Another episode I’d love to see would be actionable tips to incorporate first principles thinking in your life, figuring out one’s life’s work as soon as possible and improve decision making in general. Thanks!

[@Karthik-e5d]

Make a session on ways (technological/otherwise) to curb low-level corruption at sarkari offices, since it is hard to change human behavior especially "get-things-fastly-through" mindset of the Indian public that has worsened the situation of giving in to paying bribes at the sarkari offices

[@karangulati9693]

Interestingly, since 2018, there have been 285 Grandmasters and 47 Junior Grandmasters (Grandmasters currently younger than 20). Of these, 12% of the Grandmasters are Indian, and 10% are Russian. But among the Junior Grandmasters, 30% are Indian, while only 4% are Russian. There is a notable upcoming shift in the chess epicentre from the former Soviet Union towards India.

[@ajayshah5705]

This is huge! Here is a conjecture. The higher up you go, the less it can work on pure nature. Nurture becomes more important in the journey to super GM.

[@karangulati9693]

I sense it’s a mix of both. 8 of the 10 countries with the most GMs have multiple Super GMs (Ukraine and Spain are exceptions). This supports the nurture and cluster argument (also a previous Everything is Everything episode). However, despite few GMs overall, Iran and Azerbaijan also have multiple Super GMs. There may be something special about these individuals.

[@sharad539]

Talking about chess in the hotspot of adventure sports, quite a contrast! or maybe that is why the chair is so precariously placed.

[@amitvarma]

In the National Junior Championship in 1993 at Vijaywada, I wanted to avoid an opponent's opening prep and started with 1. b4. (The Orangutan Opening, much favoured by Sokolsky.) My opponent came to the board 20 mins late, looked at the board and started laughing. I was crushed -- and then crushed. At least in Bir you're attached to a paragliding wing when you jump off a mountain.

[@abhithakur88]

Big fan of Ajay's shirts 🫠

[@aishwaryprabalpandey2384]

Wonderful conversation.....if we could get a 4-5 hour podcast on chess ,would be great.

[@aviraltripathi9232]

The backdrop suggests you guys are on your way to the fellowship council at Rivendell

[@amitvarma]

Petition to rename Ajay to Elvish Shah.

[@aviraltripathi9232]

@@amitvarma Yesss!! as he is among the wisest which fits the description.

[@nipunos5404]

Great episode . At some point would you consider taking a bit about the Kerala model of development and how much of it is attributable to the land reforms in the 1950s to 1970s. Such go against the grain of markets doesn’t it

[@yogeshchayal]

Hi Amit Sir. Hope you are doing well. Been a follower since IVM days but not really in touch with podcast nowadays. So just wondering, Is the podcasts still active or have you started of your own Because i see no mention of IVM Also it would be a great idea if you can do an episode with your best recommendation of books and movies (separately discussing in details) which has a great impact on your life or in general you would suggest people to give at least a read or watch that can help a person in different phases of there life for making better decisions overall

[@amitvarma]

I only started out partnering with IVM, and have had nothing to do with them for the last five years. I've recommended books and films in almost every episode I've done, of both The Seen and the Unseen & Everything is Everything.

[@muralineel]

No mention in chapter 6 of the polgar sisters as an experiment and challenge by their father? Anand’s second, GMJonathan Rowson has a chapter in his book, Moves that Matter, about women chess players.

[@Agastya26]

Comment for Mr. Ajay Shah: The number of GMs in our country has some government role as well. Many players like Vidit are employees in a government company like ONGC, so a percentage of their expenses are covered and players are able to sustain themselves and make a living playing chess.

[@prakharsingh4815]

Listening

[@vishwasnegi5184]

I wonder If I would have been happier if it was 64th episode or now that it is earlier.

[@Touristtt4028]

Finally 👀

[@user-um4di5qm8p]

Amit ji ! Please do at least one live match commentary with Sagar Shah for Gukesh Finals!!! 🙏 Wanna see "The Seen and the Unseen moves in Gukesh vs Ding"🔥

[@nerdlearner0403]

Bombastic location 😦

[@khwaab4284]

Please do an episode on bade ghulam Ali Khan.. You even cut my question in ask me section... Explore nikhil banerjee aamir khan ahmed jaan thirkwa... Please amit

[@Archis_Anupam]

Finally chess!

[@rrameshreddy]

What location is this?

[@WellbowledSaqqi]

Vidit Gujarati is based out of Nashik not Nagpur

[@ud1976]

58:33 this factoid seems dubious

[@leanderbarreto980]

What's up with the background noise😂

[@govindarajanprakash5260]

Funny how Amit innocently asks if there are chess circles in Mylapore. Maybe there are. But I don't know if he is aware that it is probably just the usual alias/pejorative used for Tamil Brahmins.

[@ajayshah5705]

maps.app.goo.gl/XAnHZnpnWkaJ3zWq9

[@govindarajanprakash5260]

@@ajayshah5705 Yeah Mylapore is a place that I'm aware of. I'm positing here about the origin of the term. The term usually means that. Maybe it is not in this case and Vishy and the circles actually are in Mylapore. But I have never heard about Mylapore circles when I participated in school tourneys. -Reader from Chennai.