Today my guest is the chess legend Boris Gelfand — a six-time Candidates participant, winner of the 2009 World Cup, and the 2012 World Championship challenger. We talk about modern chess, the young generation, Magnus Carlsen, and the upcoming 2026 Candidates. Boris also shares how he trains his students and what every chess player must understand about decision-making. Plus stories from his prime years training with Kasparov, and a traditional blitz game at the end!

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00:00 — Intro

01:13 — What’s happening with modern chess?

04:04 — Modern chess: playing style

06:52 — Boris’s opening repertoire

07:55 — Dubov on World Cup 2025

10:14 — Boris’s goals in chess nowadays

12:22 — Whom does Boris coach?

13:54 — Boris’s training methodology

17:46 — What every chess player MUST understand

19:30 — Two types of chess thinking

22:11 — Solver vs thinker in chess

24:26 — How long will Magnus stay No. 1?

25:32 — Gukesh, Pragg or Arjun?

27:35 — Boris on Fabi’s talent

29:18 — Can Fabi win the Candidates?

30:31 — Is the Candidates system broken?

35:51 — Boris’s prime years

37:03 — "At 40, I worked at least 8 hours a day.”

39:56 — A story about engines

41:34 — THIS is how to use engines

43:33 — Boris still works on chess all day

46:42 — Don’t be a slave to engines

49:39 — Boris on Kasparov

53:59 — Advice for young players

54:33 — Israel Chess Federation scandal

59:52 — Blitz vs Boris Gelfand

Boris GELFAND: training with KASPAROV, battling MAGNUS | Podcast

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greg mustreader

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My name is Greg Mustreader, I am a Candidate Master in chess, an entrepreneur and host of several podcasts.

On the Chess with Mustreader channel, I interview top chess players, play against chess AIs, analyze the most interesting chess games and combinations of today and of the past, as well as show you my path in chess and the way I work on my chess improvement (including recaps from the tournaments I play).

I live in Almaty, Kazakhstan and travel the world extensively (been to 50 countries). I'm 32 years old, I have a girlfriend, three dogs and four cats. I speak English, Russian, German, and a bit of French and Chinese.

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